---
kind: "section"
citation: "29 U.S.C. § 439"
title: "29"
title_heading: "Labor"
number: "439"
heading: "Violations and penalties"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/29/439"
units:
  - "Chapter 11 — Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Procedure"
  - "Subchapter III — Reporting by Labor Organizations, Officers and Employees of Labor Organizations, and Employers"
---

# §439. Violations and penalties

- (a) **Willful violations of provisions of subchapter—** Any [person](/usc/29/402.md?p=d) who willfully violates this subchapter shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
- (b) **False statements or representations of fact with knowledge of falsehood—** Any [person](/usc/29/402.md?p=d) who makes a false statement or representation of a material fact, knowing it to be false, or who knowingly fails to disclose a material fact, in any document, report, or other information required under the provisions of this subchapter shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
- (c) **False entry in or willful concealment, etc., of books and records—** Any [person](/usc/29/402.md?p=d) who willfully makes a false entry in or willfully conceals, withholds, or destroys any books, records, reports, or statements required to be kept by any provision of this subchapter shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.
- (d) **Personal responsibility of individuals required to sign reports—** Each individual required to sign reports under sections [431](/usc/29/431.md) and [433](/usc/29/433.md) of this title shall be personally responsible for the filing of such reports and for any statement contained therein which he knows to be false.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 86–257, title II, § 209, Sept. 14, 1959, 73 Stat. 529.)