---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 1131"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "1131"
heading: "Criminal penalties"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/1131"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Employee Retirement Income Security Program"
  - "Subchapter I — Protection of Employee Benefit Rights"
  - "Subtitle B — Regulatory Provisions"
  - "Part 5 — administration and enforcement"
---

# §1131. Criminal penalties

- (a) Any [person](/usc/29/1301.md?p=a-20) who willfully violates any provision of part 1 of this subtitle, or any regulation or order issued under any such provision, shall upon conviction be fined not more than $100,000 or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both; except that in the case of such violation by a [person](/usc/29/1301.md?p=a-20) not an [individual](/usc/29/1301.md?p=a-14-C-ii-V), the fine imposed upon such [person](/usc/29/1301.md?p=a-20) shall be a fine not exceeding $500,000.
- (b) Any [person](/usc/29/1301.md?p=a-20) that violates [section 1149 of this title](/usc/29/1149.md) shall upon conviction be imprisoned not more than 10 years or fined under [title 18](/usc/18.md), or both.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–406, title I, § 501, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 891; Pub. L. 107–204, title IX, § 904, July 30, 2002, 116 Stat. 805; Pub. L. 111–148, title VI, § 6601(b), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 779.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–148 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

2002—Pub. L. 107–204 substituted “$100,000” for “$5,000”, “10 years” for “one year”, and “$500,000” for “$100,000”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Regulations

Secretary authorized, effective Sept. 2, 1974, to promulgate regulations wherever provisions of this subchapter call for the promulgation of regulations, see section 1031 of this title.