DHS Hikes Fines for Inflation in Security Penalties
Published Date: 12/29/2025
Rule
Summary
Starting January 2, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security raised its fines to keep up with inflation, making sure penalties stay fair and effective. This update affects anyone facing civil penalties from the Coast Guard or Transportation Security Administration for violations after November 2, 2015. On December 29, 2025, DHS fixed some small clerical errors in the official penalty rules to keep everything crystal clear.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
2025 Inflation Increase to DHS Fines
On January 2, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security increased its civil monetary penalty amounts to adjust for inflation. The 2025 penalty amounts apply to penalties assessed after January 2, 2025 for violations that occurred after November 2, 2015, meaning anyone fined by the Coast Guard or TSA for those violations will face the inflation-adjusted (higher) dollar amounts.
December 29, 2025 Technical Corrections and TSA Maximums
On December 29, 2025 DHS issued a technical amendment correcting clerical errors in the Coast Guard's 33 CFR 27.3 table for five penalties and updated TSA regulatory text to reflect a May 16, 2024 statutory change raising statutory maximum penalties. Corrected Coast Guard entries include amounts such as $52,962 and $26,481, and updated TSA entries include new adjusted amounts shown as $17,062 and $42,657 and statutory maximums up to $1,200,000.
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