The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced increases for civil penalty amounts for 2024. The increases adjust for inflation and ensure Cal/OSHA is consistent with California and federal law.

What You Need to Know

Some of the maximum penalties are going up by as much as $4,983 this year, a smaller increase than in the past.

This annual increase is required by a law enacted by the California Legislature in 2017 that authorizes increases in certain minimum and maximum civil penalties to make them consistent with federal OSHA’s civil penalties. The increase is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report on the October Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) each year. This year’s adjustment for inflation rate was approximately 3.24%.

For citations issued on or after January 1, 2024, the maximum penalties for violations classified as Regulatory, General, Willful, or Repeat are as follows:

• The maximum penalty for General and Regulatory violations, including Posting and Recordkeeping violations is $15,873.
• The maximum penalty for Willful and Repeat violations is $158,727.
• The minimum penalty for Willful violations is $11,337.

The only maximum penalties that went unchanged are for violations classified as Serious; those penalties remain at $25,000.