The FTC's maximum civil penalty is $53,088 per violation, unchanged for 2026
Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
- Commonly cited as
- "FTC fines can be up to $53,088 per violation" / "What is the FTC penalty per violation?"
- True origin
- Federal Trade Commission — 16 CFR 1.98 (Adjustment of civil monetary penalty amounts) and Federal Register notice 2026-18853 (Sept. 15, 2026)
- Type
- Reference fact: A frequently needed number or rule taken directly from a primary source (e.g. Pew, Census, IAB/PwC, FTC), with its as-of date.
- Year
- 2025 (amount); 2026 (no-change notice)
- Data as of
- Amount applies to penalties assessed after Jan. 17, 2025; FTC said on Sept. 15, 2026 it will keep 2025 levels for 2026
- Last checked
- What the source says
Section 5(m)(1)(A) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 45(m)(1)(A)—$53,088 ... the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC")'s civil penalty amounts will remain unchanged during 2026. The FTC will continue to apply the 2025 civil penalty levels.
- Method & sample
- Regulation text (eCFR) and the FTC's Federal Register notice; the 2026 inflation adjustment was cancelled because October 2025 CPI-U data was not produced.
- Drift between quote and source
- Date: older articles quote earlier, lower inflation-adjusted maximums; it is a per-violation maximum, not a typical fine
- Interest
- n/a (federal regulator).
Safe rephrasing
Violations of FTC rules or orders can carry civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation; the FTC kept that 2025 maximum in place for 2026.
Sources we opened
Machine-readable: /api/claims/ftc-civil-penalty-53088-per-violation-2026.json · Last checked 2026-10-16