OSHA enforcement
OSHA's maximum penalties stay the same for 2026
The Department of Labor cancelled its 2026 inflation adjustment because the October 2025 consumer price index wasn't published during the funding lapse. OSHA's maximums stay at $16,550 per serious violation and $165,514 per willful or repeated violation.
On your exam?
Yes, now
These are the current maximums. The figures are normally adjusted for inflation each year, so know the violation types and how penalties work first.
Judged against ASP11, CSP11 and CHST5, the outlines in effect on October 16, 2026.
- Status
- In effect
- Effective
- May 27, 2026
- From
- U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA)
- Citation
- 91 FR 31358
- Last checked
- October 16, 2026
Key dates
- January 10, 20252025 adjustment published (the amounts still in force)
- May 27, 20262026 adjustment cancelled
Current OSHA maximums
| Violation | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Serious | $16,550 per violation |
| Other-than-serious | $16,550 per violation |
| Posting requirements | $16,550 per violation |
| Failure to abate | $16,550 per day beyond the abatement date |
| Willful or repeated | $165,514 per violation |
Why there was no 2026 increase
The law requires the annual adjustment to use October CPI-U data, with no alternative. The Bureau of Labor Statistics didn't publish October 2025 data because of a lapse in funding, so the Department of Labor cancelled the 2026 adjustment entirely. State plans must set maximums at least as effective as federal OSHA's.
Practice what's tested now
Sources
- Federal Register: Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act annual adjustments for 2026 (May 27, 2026)
- OSHA: penalties
- Federal Register: annual adjustments for 2025 (Jan 10, 2025)
Published October 16, 2026. Last checked against these sources October 16, 2026. Something out of date? Email hello@passcited.com.