Subdivision 1. Criminal penalties. A person who violates a provision of chapter 25 or 31B for which a penalty has not been prescribed is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Subd. 2. Administrative penalties. (a) The commissioner may, as an alternative to misdemeanor prosecution, impose an administrative penalty on a person who violates a statute or rule enforceable by the commissioner. For a first violation, the commissioner may impose an administrative penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation. For a second or succeeding violation, the commissioner may impose an administrative penalty of not more than $1,500 for each violation. Each day a violation continues is a separate violation.
(b) In determining the amount of the administrative penalty the commissioner may consider:
(1) the willfulness of the violation;
(2) the gravity of the violation;
(3) the person's history of past violations;
(4) the number of violations;
(5) the economic benefit from the violation; and
(6) other factors identified in the commissioner's citation.
(c) For a second or succeeding violation, the commissioner shall determine the amount of a penalty by considering the factors in paragraph (b) and:
(1) similarity between the violations;
(2) time elapsed since the last violation; and
(3) the person's response to the most recent violation.
History:1991 c 316 s 2; 1999 c 231 s 34; 1Sp2005 c 1 art 1 s 11; 2007 c 45 art 1 s 20; 2012 c 244 art 2 s 1