The Penalties for Violating Export Control

Violations can result in both civil and criminal penalties for the individual and for the institution. In addition to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 for each violation of the export regulation, there are criminal penalties that may be imposed, including a fine of up to $1 million against The Regents of University of California, and a fine of up to $250,000, or imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or both against the individual. Voluntary self-disclosures, if made appropriately, can mitigate the seriousness of the penalty. Penalties apply to each individual violation, which means that if a violation relates to more than one controlled material or item or occurs on more than one occasion, each item or incident may trigger a penalty. Contact the Office of Research immediately if you think you have made a mistake and violated export controls; they can help assess how best to remedy the situation.