---
kind: "section"
citation: "15 U.S.C. § 6823"
title: "15"
title_heading: "Commerce and Trade"
number: "6823"
heading: "Criminal penalty"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/15/6823"
units:
  - "Chapter 94 — Privacy"
  - "Subchapter II — Fraudulent Access to Financial Information"
---

# §6823. Criminal penalty

- (a) **In general—** Whoever knowingly and intentionally violates, or knowingly and intentionally attempts to violate, [section 6821 of this title](/usc/15/6821.md) shall be fined in accordance with [title 18](/usc/18.md) or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
- (b) **Enhanced penalty for aggravated cases—** Whoever violates, or attempts to violate, [section 6821 of this title](/usc/15/6821.md) while violating another law of the United States or as part of a pattern of any illegal activity involving more than $100,000 in a 12-month period shall be fined twice the amount provided in subsection (b)(3) or (c)(3) (as the case may be) of [section 3571 of title 18](/usc/18/3571.md), imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–102, title V, § 523, Nov. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1448.)