Series 14: 6.1.8.5. Maximum Criminal And Civil Penalties For Insider Trading

6.1.8.5. Maximum Criminal and Civil Penalties for Insider Trading

Individuals who willfully violate the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 through insider trading could face criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison and fines of $5 million per violation. Companies may be fined up to $25 million.

Civil penalties for individuals who engage in insider trading may not exceed three times the profit gained or loss avoided due to the violation. The maximum civil penalty that can be imposed on a firm when an employee engages in insider trading is the greater of $1 million or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the violation. The statute of limitations for insider trading is six years.