---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 14902"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "14902"
heading: "Civil penalty for accepting rebates from carrier"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/14902"
units:
  - "Subtitle IV — Interstate Transportation"
  - "Part B — Motor Carriers, Water Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders"
  - "Chapter 149 — Civil and Criminal Penalties"
---

# §14902. Civil penalty for accepting rebates from carrier


A [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18)—

- (1) delivering property to a [carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=3) providing [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) or service subject to jurisdiction under [chapter 135](/usc/49/chstIV/ptB/ch135.md) for [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) under this part or for whom that [carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=3) will transport the property as consignor or consignee for that [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) from a [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) or territory or possession of the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) to another [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) or possession, territory, or to a foreign country; and
- (2) knowingly accepting or receiving by any means a rebate or offset against the [rate](/usc/49/10102.md?p=7) for [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) for, or service of, that property contained in a tariff required under [section 13702](/usc/49/13702.md);

is liable to the [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) for a civil penalty in an amount equal to 3 times the amount of money that [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) accepted or received as a rebate or offset and 3 times the value of other consideration accepted or received as a rebate or offset. In a civil action under this section, all money or other consideration received by the [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) during a period of 6 years before an action is brought under this section may be included in determining the amount of the penalty, and if that total amount is included, the penalty shall be 3 times that total amount.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 103, Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 915.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 11902 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.