50 U.S.C. § 1705
Section 1705 · Penalties
Amended 6 times on record
Applied in 135 court decisions — leading case Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004)
Most recently applied in United States v. Shih (October 2024)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 371 · 50 U.S.C. § 1701 · 18 U.S.C. § 2339A
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
It shall be unlawful for a person to violate, attempt to violate, conspire to violate, or cause a violation of any license, order, regulation, or prohibition issued under this chapter.
A civil penalty may be imposed on any person who commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) in an amount not to exceed the greater of—
$250,000; or
an amount that is twice the amount of the transaction that is the basis of the violation with respect to which the penalty is imposed.
A person who willfully commits, willfully attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit, or aids or abets in the commission of, an unlawful act described in subsection (a) shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $1,000,000, or if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
An action, suit, or proceeding for the enforcement of any civil fine, penalty, or forfeiture, pecuniary or otherwise, under this section shall not be entertained unless commenced within 10 years after the latest date of the violation upon which the civil fine, penalty, or forfeiture is based.
For purposes of this paragraph, the commencement of an action, suit, or proceeding includes the issuance of a pre-penalty notice or finding of violation.
No person shall be prosecuted, tried, or punished for any offense under subsection (c) unless the indictment is found or the information is instituted within 10 years after the latest date of the violation upon which the indictment or information is based.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2024—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 118–50 added subsec. (d).
2007—Pub. L. 110–96 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text of section read as follows:
“(a) A civil penalty of not to exceed $50,000 may be imposed on any person who violates, or attempts to violate, any license, order, or regulation issued under this chapter.
“(b) Whoever willfully violates, or willfully attempts to violate, any license, order, or regulation issued under this chapter shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $50,000, or, if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than twenty years, or both; and any officer, director, or agent of any corporation who knowingly participates in such violation may be punished by a like fine, imprisonment, or both.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2007 Amendment
Pub. L. 110–96, § 2(b), Oct. 16, 2007, 121 Stat. 1011, provided that: “(1)
Civil penalties.—
Section 206(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act [50 U.S.C. 1705(b)], as amended by subsection (a), shall apply to violations described in section 206(a) of such Act with respect to which enforcement action is pending or commenced on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 16, 2007].
“(2)Criminal penalties.—
Section 206(c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, as amended by subsection (a), shall apply to violations described in section 206(a) of such Act with respect to which enforcement action is commenced on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–177, § 402(1), substituted “$50,000” for “$10,000”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–177, § 402(2), substituted “twenty years” for “ten years”.
1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–201, § 1422(1), inserted “, or attempts to violate,” after “violates”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–201, § 1422(2), inserted “, or willfully attempts to violate,” after “violates”.
1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–396 substituted “$10,000” for “$50,000”.
Pub. L. 102–393 substituted “$50,000” for “$10,000”.