(a) General. The following penalties apply to persons who violate the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, and the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act:

(1) Any person who violates any provision of title III, V, VI, or XII of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, or any rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, is subject to a civil penalty of not more than the amount specified in the Act for each violation in accordance with section 901 of the Federal Aviation Act, of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1471, et seq.).

(2) Any person who violates section 404(d) of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, or any rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, is subject to a civil penalty of not more than the amount specified in the Act for each violation in accordance with section 404(d) or section 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1374, 1471, et seq.).

(3) Any person who operates aircraft for the carriage of persons or property for compensation or hire (other than an airman serving in the capacity of an airman) is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation of title III, VI, or XII of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, or any rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, occurring after December 30, 1987, in accordance with section 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1471, et seq.).

(4) Any person who knowingly commits an act in violation of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or any rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation in accordance with section 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, and section 110 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1471 and 1809, et seq.). An order assessing civil penalty for a violation under the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or a rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, will be issued only after consideration of --

(i) The nature and circumstances of the violation;

(ii) The extent and gravity of the violation;

(iii) The person's degree of culpability;

(iv) The person's history of prior violations;

(v) The person's ability to pay the civil penalty;

(vi) The effect on the person's ability to continue in business; and

(vii) Such other matters as justice may require.

(b) Order assessing civil penalty. An order assessing civil penalty may be issued for a violation described in paragraph (a) of this section, or as otherwise provided by statute, after notice and opportunity for a hearing. A person charged with a violation may be subject to an order assessing civil penalty in the following circumstances:

(1) An order assessing civil penalty may be issued if a person charged with a violation submits or agrees to submit a civil penalty for a violation.

(2) An order assessing civil penalty may be issued if a person charged with a violation does not request a hearing under paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section within 15 days after receipt of a final notice of proposed civil penalty.

(3) Unless an appeal is filed with the FAA decisionmaker in a timely manner, an initial decision or order of an administrative law judge shall be considered an order assessing civil penalty if an administrative law judge finds that an alleged violation occurred and determines that a civil penalty, in an amount found appropriate by the administrative law judge, is warranted.

(4) Unless a petition for review is filed with a U.S. Court of Appeals in a timely manner, a final decision and order of the Administrator shall be considered an order assessing civil penalty if the FAA decisionmaker finds that an alleged violation occurred and a civil penalty is warranted.

(c) Delegation of authority. The authority of the Administrator, under section 901 and section 905 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, and section 110 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, to initiate and assess civil penalties for a violation of those Acts, or a rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder, is delegated to the Deputy Chief Counsel, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Enforcement, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Regulations, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Europe, Africa, and Middle East Area Office, each Regional Counsel, the Aeronautical Center Counsel, and the Technical Center Counsel. The authority of the Administrator to refer cases to the Attorney General of the United States, or the delegate of the Attorney General, for the collection of civil penalties, is delegated to the Chief Counsel, the Deputy Chief Counsel, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Enforcement, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Regulations, the Assistant Chief Counsel, Europe, Africa, and Middle East Area Office, each Regional Counsel, the Aeronautical Center Counsel, and the Technical Center Counsel.

(d) Notice of proposed civil penalty. A civil penalty action is initiated by sending a notice of proposed civil penalty to the person charged with a violation of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, or a rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder. A notice of proposed civil penalty will be sent to the individual charged with a violation or to the president of the corporation or company charged with a violation. In response to a notice of proposed civil penalty, a corporation or company may designate in writing another person to receive documents in that civil penalty action. The notice of proposed civil penalty contains a statement of the charges and the amount of the proposed civil penalty. Not later than 30 days after receipt of the notice of proposed civil penalty, the person charged with a violation shall --

(1) Submit the amount of the proposed civil penalty or an agreed-upon amount, in which case either an order assessing civil penalty or compromise order shall be issued in that amount;

(2) Submit to the agency attorney one of the following:

(i) Written information, including documents and witness statements, demonstrating that a violation of the regulations did not occur or that a penalty or the amount of the penalty is not warranted by the circumstances.

(ii) A written request to reduce the proposed civil penalty, the amount of reduction, and the reasons and any documents supporting a reduction of the proposed civil penalty, including records indicating a financial inability to pay or records showing that payment of the proposed civil penalty would prevent the person from continuing in business.

(iii) A written request for an informal conference to discuss the matter with the agency attorney and to submit relevant information or documents; or

(3) Request a hearing in which case a complaint shall be filed with the hearing docket clerk.

(e) Final notice of proposed civil penalty. A final notice of proposed civil penalty may be issued after participation in informal procedures provided in paragraph (d)(2) of this section or failure to respond in a time1y manner to a notice of proposed civil penalty. A final notice of proposed civil penalty will be sent to the individual charged with a violation, to the president of the corporation or company charged with a violation, or a person previously designated in writing by the individual, corporation, or company to receive documents in that civil penalty action. If not previously done in response to a notice of proposed civil penalty, a corporation or company may designate in writing another person to receive documents in that civil penalty action. The final notice of proposed civil penalty contains a statement of the charges and the amount of the proposed civil penalty and, as a result of information submitted to the agency attorney during informal procedures, may modify an allegation or a proposed civil penalty contained in a notice of proposed civil penalty.

(1) A final notice of proposed civil penalty may be issued --

(i) If the person charged with a violation fails to respond to the notice of proposed civil penalty within 30 days after receipt of that notice; or

(ii) If the parties participated in any informal procedures under paragraph (d)(2) of this section and the parties have not agreed to compromise the action or the agency attorney has not agreed to withdraw the notice of proposed civil penalty.

(2) Not later than 15 days after receipt of the final notice of proposed civil penalty, the person charged with a violation shall do one of the following --

(i) Submit the amount of the proposed civil penalty or an agreed-upon amount, in which case either an order assessing civil penalty or a compromise order shall be issued in that amount; or

(ii) Request a hearing in which case a complaint shall be filed with the hearing docket clerk.

(f) Request for a hearing. Any person charged with a violation may request a hearing, pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) or paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section, to be conducted in accordance with the procedures in subpart G of this part. A person requesting a hearing shall file a written request for a hearing with the hearing docket clerk (Hearing Docket, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 924A, Washington, DC 20591, Attention: Hearing Docket Clerk) and shall mail a copy of the request to the agency attorney. The request for a hearing may be in the form of a letter but must be dated and signed by the person requesting a hearing. The request for a hearing may be typewritten or may be legibly handwritten.

(g) Hearing. If the person charged with a violation requests a hearing pursuant to paragraph (d)(3) or paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section, the original complaint shall be filed with the hearing docket clerk and a copy shall be sent to the person requesting the hearing. The procedural rules in subpart G of this part apply to the hearing and any appeal. At the close of the hearing, the administrative law judge shall issue, either orally on the record or in writing, an initial decision, including the reasons for the decision, that contains findings or conclusions on the allegations contained, and the civil penalty sought, in the complaint.

(h) Appeal. Either party may appeal the administrative law judge's initial decision to the FAA decisionmaker pursuant to the procedures in subpart G of this part. If a party files a notice of appeal pursuant to §13.233 of subpart G, the effectiveness of the initial decision is stayed until a final decision and order of the Administrator have been entered on the record. The FAA decisionmaker shall review the record and issue a final decision and order of the Administrator that affirm, modify, or reverse the initial decision. The FAA decisionmaker may assess a civil penalty but shall not assess a civil penalty in an amount greater than that sought in the complaint.

(i) Payment. A person shall pay a civil penalty by sending a certified check or money order, payable to the Federal Aviation Administration, to the agency attorney.

(j) Collection of civil penalties. If a person does not pay a civil penalty imposed by an order assessing civil penalty or a compromise order within 60 days after service of the order, the Administrator may refer the order to the United States Attorney General, or the delegate of the Attorney General, to begin proceedings to collect the civil penalty. The action shall be brought in a United States District Court, pursuant to the authority in section 903 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1473), or section 110 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1809).

(k) Exhaustion of administrative remedies. A party may only petition for review of a final decision and order of the Administrator to the courts of appeals of the United States or the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia pursuant to section 1006 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended. Neither an initial decision or order issued by an administrative law judge, that has not been appealed to the FAA decisionmaker, nor an order compromising a civil penalty action constitutes a final order of the Administrator for the purposes of judicial appellate review under section 1006 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended.

(l) Compromise. The FAA may compromise any civil penalty action initiated in accordance with section 901 and section 905 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, involving an amount in controversy not exceeding $50,000, or any civil penalty action initiated in accordance with section 901 of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, and section 110 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, at any time before referring the action to the United States Attorney for collection.

(1) An agency attorney may compromise any civil penalty action where a person charged with a violation agrees to pay a civil penalty and the FAA agrees to make no finding of violation. Pursuant to such agreement, a compromise order shall be issued, stating:

(i) The person agrees to pay a civil penalty.

(ii) The FAA makes no finding of a violation.

(iii) The compromise order shall not be used as evidence of a prior violation in any subsequent civil penalty proceeding or certificate action proceeding.

(2) An agency attorney may compromise the amount of any civil penalty proposed in a notice, assessed in an order, or imposed in a compromise order.