Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§2070 Criminal penalties

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 47— - CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY › § 2070

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a person purposely and knowingly breaks the related federal benefit rule, they can go to prison for up to 5 years, be fined under federal criminal fine laws, or both. Company directors, officers, or agents who order or do those acts can be punished personally even if the company is punished. A conviction can also let the court take assets tied to the crime. A "criminal violation" means an offense that leads to a fine, prison, or both.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §2070

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Violation of section 2068 of this title is punishable by—
(1)imprisonment for not more than 5 years for a knowing and willful violation of that section;
(2)a fine determined under section 3571 of title 18; or
(3)both.
(b)Any individual director, officer, or agent of a corporation who knowingly and willfully authorizes, orders, or performs any of the acts or practices constituting in whole or in part a violation of section 2068 of this title shall be subject to penalties under this section without regard to any penalties to which that corporation may be subject under subsection (a).
(c)(1)In addition to the penalties provided by subsection (a), the penalty for a criminal violation of this chapter or any other Act enforced by the Commission may include the forfeiture of assets associated with the violation.
(2)In this subsection, the term “criminal violation” means a violation of this chapter or any other Act enforced by the Commission for which the violator is sentenced to pay a fine, be imprisoned, or both.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–314, § 217(c)(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Any person who knowingly and willfully violates section 2068 of this title after having received notice of noncompliance from the Commission shall be fined not more than $50,000 or be imprisoned not more than one year, or both.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–314, § 217(c)(2), struck out “, and who has knowledge of notice of noncompliance received by the corporation from the Commission,” after “section 2068 of this title”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–314, § 217(d), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective on the sixtieth day following Oct. 27, 1972, see section 34 of Pub. L. 92–573, set out as a note under section 2051 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 2070

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73