Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73

§1955 Civil penalties

Title 12 › Chapter CHAPTER 21— - FINANCIAL RECORDKEEPING › § 1955

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may fine up to $10,000 for each time someone breaks a rule under this chapter on purpose or through very careless conduct. The fine can be charged to the person responsible or, for a company, to its owners, officers, or employees; if unpaid, the Secretary may sue in the name of the United States to collect it.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §1955

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For each willful or grossly negligent violation of any regulation under this chapter, the Secretary may assess upon any person to which the regulation applies, or any person willfully causing a violation of the regulation, and, if such person is a partnership, corporation, or other entity, upon any partner, director, officer, or employee thereof who willfully or through gross negligence participates in the violation, a civil penalty not exceeding $10,000.
(b)In the event of the failure of any person to pay any penalty assessed under this section, a civil action for the recovery thereof may, in the discretion of the Secretary, be brought in the name of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–550 inserted “or any person willfully causing a violation of the regulation,” after “applies,”. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–690 inserted “or grossly negligent” after “willful” and “or through gross negligence” after “willfully” and substituted “$10,000” for “$1,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on first day of seventh calendar month which begins after Oct. 26, 1970, except that the Secretary of the Treasury may, by regulation, provide that this section be effective on any date not earlier than the publication of such

Regulations

in the Federal Register and not later than first day of thirteenth calendar month which begins after Oct. 26, 1970, see section 401(a), (b) of Pub. L. 91–508, set out as a note under section 1951 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 1955

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73