---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1719"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1719"
heading: "Civil penalties"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1719"
units:
  - "Chapter 29 — Oil and Gas Royalty Management"
  - "Subchapter I — Federal Royalty Management and Enforcement"
---

# §1719. Civil penalties

- (a) **Failure to comply with applicable law, to permit inspection, or to notify Secretary of assignment; exceptions to application of penalty—** Any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who—
  - (1) after due notice of violation or after such violation has been reported under subparagraph (A), fails or refuses to comply with any requirements of this chapter or any [mineral leasing law](/usc/30/1702.md?p=8), any rule or regulation thereunder, or the terms of any [lease](/usc/30/1702.md?p=5) or permit issued thereunder; or
  - (2) fails to permit inspection authorized in [section 1718 of this title](/usc/30/1718.md) or fails to notify the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) of any assignment under [section 1712(a)(2)](/usc/30/1712.md)[^1] of this title

  shall be liable for a [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) of up to $500 per violation for each day such violation continues, dating from the date of such notice or report. A [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under this subsection may not be applied to any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who is otherwise liable for a violation of [paragraph (1)](#a-1) if:

  - (A) the violation was discovered and reported to the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) or his authorized representative by the liable [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) and corrected within 20 days after such report or such longer time as the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may agree to; or
  - (B) after the due notice of violation required in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) has been given to such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) by the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) or his authorized representative, such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) has corrected the violation within 20 days of such notification or such longer time as the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may agree to.
- (b) **Failure to take corrective action—** If corrective action in not taken within 40 days or a longer period as the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may agree to, after due notice or the report referred to in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1), such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) shall be liable for a civil [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) of not more than $5,000 per violation for each day such violation continues, dating from the date of such notice or report.
- (c) **Failure to make royalty payment; failure to permit lawful entry, inspection, or audit; failure to notify Secretary of well production—** Any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who—
  - (1) knowingly or willfully fails to make any [royalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=14) [payment](/usc/30/1702.md?p=28) by the date as specified by statute, regulation, order or terms of the [lease](/usc/30/1702.md?p=5);
  - (2) fails or refuses to permit lawful entry, inspection, or audit; or
  - (3) knowingly or willfully fails or refuses to comply with [section 1712(b)(3) of this title](/usc/30/1712.md?p=b-3),

  shall be liable for a [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) of up to $10,000 per violation for each day such violation continues.

- (d) **False information; unauthorized removal, etc., of oil or gas; purchase, sale, etc., of stolen oil or gas—** Any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who—
  - (1) knowingly or willfully prepares, maintains, or submits false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, notices, affidavits, records, data, or other written information;
  - (2) knowingly or willfully takes or removes, transports, uses or diverts any [oil or gas](/usc/30/1702.md?p=9) from any [lease site](/usc/30/1702.md?p=6) without having valid legal authority to do so; or
  - (3) purchases, accepts, sells, transports, or conveys to another, any [oil or gas](/usc/30/1702.md?p=9) knowing or having reason to know that such [oil or gas](/usc/30/1702.md?p=9) was stolen or unlawfully removed or diverted,

  shall be liable for a [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) of up to $25,000 per violation for each day such violation continues.

- (e) **Hearing—** No [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under this section shall be assessed until the [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) charged with a violation has been given the opportunity for a hearing on the record.
- (f) **Deduction of penalty from sums owed by United States—** The amount of any [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under this section, as finally determined[^2] may be deducted from any sums owing by the [United States](/usc/30/1702.md?p=33) to the [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) charged.
- (g) **Compromise or reduction of penalties—** On a case-by-case basis the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) may compromise or reduce civil [penalties](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under this section.
- (h) **Notice—** Notice under this[^3] [subsection (a)](#a) shall be by personal service by an authorized representative of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) or by registered mail. Any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) may, in the manner prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15), designate a representative to receive any notice under this subsection.
- (i) **Reasons on record for amount of penalty—** In determining the amount of such [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29), or whether it should be remitted or reduced, and in what amount, the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) shall [state](/usc/30/1702.md?p=16) on the record the reasons for his determinations.
- (j) **Review—** Any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) who has requested a hearing in accordance with [subsection (e)](#e) within the time the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) has prescribed for such a hearing and who is aggrieved by a final order of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15) under this section may seek review of such order in the [United States](/usc/30/1702.md?p=33) district court for the judicial district in which the violation allegedly took place. Review by the district court shall be only on the administrative record and not de novo. Such an action shall be barred unless filed within 90 days after the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15)’s final order.
- (k) **Failure to pay penalty—** If any [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) fails to pay an [assessment](/usc/30/1702.md?p=19) of a civil [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under this chapter—
  - (1) after the order making the [assessment](/usc/30/1702.md?p=19) has become a final order and if such [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) does not file a petition for judicial review of the order in accordance with [subsection (j)](#j), or
  - (2) after a court in an action brought under [subsection (j)](#j) has entered a final judgment in favor of the [Secretary](/usc/30/1702.md?p=15),

  the court shall have jurisdiction to award the amount assessed plus interest from the date of the expiration of the 90-day period referred to in [subsection (j)](#j). Judgment by the court shall include an [order to pay](/usc/30/1702.md?p=26).

- (l) **Nonliability for leases automatically terminated—** No [person](/usc/30/1702.md?p=12) shall be liable for a civil [penalty](/usc/30/1702.md?p=29) under subsection [(a)](#a) or [(b)](#b) for failure to pay any rental for any [lease](/usc/30/1702.md?p=5) automatically terminated pursuant to [section 188 of this title](/usc/30/188.md).

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.
[^2]: So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.
[^3]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 97–451, title I, § 109, Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2454.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 1712(a) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), was amended generally by Pub. L. 104–185, § 6(g), Aug. 13, 1996, 110 Stat. 1715, and, as so amended, no longer contains a par. (2). See section 1712(a) of this title.