OSHA Penalties by State
OSHA Penalties in Texas (2026)
Texas is under federal OSHA jurisdiction, with no State Plan. In 2026, a serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 (federal maximums).
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
Texas is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly. A serious violation carries up to $16,550 and a willful or repeat violation up to $165,514 per violation in 2026.
29 CFR 1903.15OSHA 2026 adjustment memo2026 amounts unchanged from 2025, with no inflation increase.
Is Texas federal OSHA or a state plan?
Texas is a federal OSHA state. It has no approved state plan, so federal OSHA enforces directly.
Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
29 CFR 190229 approved state plans
Compare all 29 plans, their agencies and their penalty caps on the OSHA State Plans hub.
Chemical inventory reporting (EPCRA Tier II) in Texas
Every report goes through STEERS, the State of Texas Environmental Electronic Reporting System, where the state fees are also paid. Annual reports are due by March 1.
Texas Tier II: filing system, deadline and fees, in the state's own words
Texas Penalty Rates (2026)
Per-violation civil penalties. Texas applies the federal amounts. 29 CFR 1903.15(d)
Serious Violation
$16,550
per violation (max)
Willful / Repeat
$165,514
per violation (max)
Failure to Abate
$16,550
per day
| Violation type | Minimum | Maximum | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious | $1,085 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(3) |
| Other-Than-Serious | $0 | $16,550 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(4) |
| Willful | $11,823 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(1) |
| Repeated | $4,256 | $165,514 | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(2) |
| Failure to Abate | None | $16,550 / day | 29 CFR 1903.15(d)(5) |
2026 amounts unchanged from 2025 (no CPI adjustment; OMB M-26-11). Not an increase. Penalties are reduced for employer size, good faith, and clean history before assessment (FOM CPL 02-00-164 Ch.6). Use the calculator below for a realistic estimate.
Texas Construction Enforcement (FY2025)
DOL data · counted 2026-09-26Federal OSHA inspections of Texas construction employers (NAICS 23), October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025. OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break federal-OSHA states out; these are HazComFast's counts from the Labor Department's enforcement data.
3,040
Construction citations
1,339
Inspections with citations
$12,146,387
Penalties (current amounts); $15,413,906 as first proposed
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). data.dol.gov National reference: 26,559 federal construction citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, FY2025).
What federal OSHA cites most in Texas construction
The ten standards cited most often in federal OSHA inspections of Texas construction employers, FY2025 (3,040 citations across 105 standards). Section titles are the official eCFR headings.
| Rank | Standard | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1926.501 Duty to have fall protectionSubpart M: Fall Protection | 777 | 25.6% |
| #2 | 1926.1053 LaddersSubpart X: Stairways and Ladders | 285 | 9.4% |
| #3 | 1926.102 Eye and face protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 256 | 8.4% |
| #4 | 1926.451 General requirementsSubpart L: Scaffolds | 250 | 8.2% |
| #5 | 1926.100 Head protectionSubpart E: Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | 177 | 5.8% |
| #6 | 1926.503 Training requirementsSubpart M: Fall Protection | 167 | 5.5% |
| #7 | 1926.453 Aerial liftsSubpart L: Scaffolds | 91 | 3% |
| #8 | 1926.651 Specific excavation requirementsSubpart P: Excavations | 76 | 2.5% |
| #9 | 1910.1200 Hazard communication | 72 | 2.4% |
| #10 | 1926.652 Requirements for protective systemsSubpart P: Excavations | 71 | 2.3% |
How Texas compares with federal OSHA nationwide
2.27
citations per inspection (national: 2.46)
7.1%
of citations classified repeat (national: 8.7%); 2 willful
−21.2%
penalties now vs. as first proposed (national: −22.5%)
Counted by HazComFast from the U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA enforcement data (inspection and violation tables, retrieved September 26, 2026): citations issued October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 on federal OSHA inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) in the state, deleted citations excluded, penalties at current amounts. OSHA's own cited-standards tool does not break federal states out; summed over every state, this count matches it within a few citations (6,778 for 1926.501, against 6,772). Classifications and penalty amounts are as recorded to date; open cases can still change them. data.dol.gov
Work fatality rates in Texas, 2024
3.9
fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers, all industries
9.5
per 100,000 full-time workers in construction, 18th highest of the 40 states BLS published
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: fatal injury rates by state of incident and industry, all ownerships, 2024 . BLS computes state rates with CPS and LAUS data; they rank states against each other and are not compared here with the national hours-based rate.
Help and oversight in Texas
Free, confidential help: OSHA On-Site Consultation
In Texas, the program is Texas OSHA Consultation (Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers Compensation). OSHA describes it as “Primarily for smaller businesses, no-cost, confidential consultations help employers identify and address hazards and establish or improve safety and health programs.” It is separate from OSHA enforcement; the employer commits to correcting serious hazards.
Who inspects private employers here
Federal OSHA, from the Austin Area Office (Austin), the Corpus Christi Area Office (Corpus Christi), the Dallas Area Office (Richardson), the El Paso Area Office (El Paso), the Fort Worth Area Office (Fort Worth), the Houston North Area Office (Conroe), the Houston South Area Office (Houston), the Lubbock Area Office (Lubbock) and the San Antonio Area Office (San Antonio).
Read on osha.gov and the state's official statute site, September 26, 2026.
Texas OSHA Profile
- •Who enforces private construction: Federal OSHA, no State Plan.
- •Maximum penalties: $16,550 serious / $165,514 willful-repeat (federal), $16,550/dayfailure-to-abate.
- •To contest: under 29 CFR 1903.17(a), the notice of contest must be postmarked within 15 working days of receiving the citation and proposed penalty.
- •Federal FY2025: 3,040 construction citations in Texas across 1,339 inspections ($12,146,387 in penalties, HazComFast count); 26,559 nationwide.
Frequently-Cited OSHA Standards & Texas Guides
Frequently-cited OSHA construction standards, each with a guide specific to Texas (penalties, common violations, checklist).The first count is federal OSHA's in Texas (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data); the second, where shown, is the national federal construction total from OSHA's tool, FY2025. These apply directly to private construction in Texas.
- Fall Protection29 CFR 1926.501777 federal citations in Texas · most-cited there · FY20256,772 citations · $44,891,816 · federal national FY2025
- HazCom / GHS29 CFR 1910.120072 federal citations in Texas · #9 there · FY2025698 citations · $984,054 · federal national FY2025
- Ladders (Construction)29 CFR 1926.1053285 federal citations in Texas · #2 there · FY20252,758 citations · $9,582,763 · federal national FY2025
- Scaffolding29 CFR 1926.451250 federal citations in Texas · #4 there · FY20252,152 citations · $7,646,921 · federal national FY2025
- Respiratory Protection29 CFR 1910.13416 federal citations in Texas · #25 there · FY2025
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)29 CFR 1910.1475 federal citations in Texas · #48 there · FY2025
- Forklifts29 CFR 1910.1788 federal citations in Texas · #36 there · FY2025
- Stairways (Construction)29 CFR 1926.105214 federal citations in Texas · #27 there · FY2025
- PPE General Requirements29 CFR 1910.1326 federal citations in Texas · #41 there · FY2025
- Confined Spaces29 CFR 1910.1463 federal citations in Texas · #61 there · FY2025
Construction trades inspected most in Texas
Inspections of construction employers opened in Texas from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, by the inspected employer's industry: 2,231 in all, federal OSHA and State Plan combined.
| Industry (2022 NAICS) | Inspections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 238160 Roofing Contractors | 502 | 22.5% |
| 238130 Framing Contractors | 475 | 21.3% |
| 236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | 196 | 8.8% |
| 238140 Masonry Contractors | 113 | 5.1% |
| 237110 Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction | 93 | 4.2% |
HazComFast count from the Labor Department's OSHA enforcement data: inspections of construction employers (NAICS 23) opened from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, federal OSHA and State Plan combined, grouped by the inspected employer's 2022 NAICS industry. data.dol.gov · NAICS 2022, sector 23
FAQ: OSHA in Texas
▸Is Texas a federal OSHA or state-plan state?
Texas is directly under federal OSHA, with no approved state plan. Federal OSHA inspects and cites employers in this state, and the federal civil-penalty amounts apply directly.
▸What are the maximum OSHA penalties in Texas in 2026?
Texas applies the federal civil-penalty amounts (29 CFR 1903.15): Serious violations carry up to $16,550 each (other-than-serious the same), and Willful or Repeat violations up to $165,514 each. Failure-to-Abate runs up to $16,550 per day. These 2026 amounts are unchanged from 2025 (no inflation adjustment).
▸Does Texas have its own OSHA plan?
No. Texas has no state plan (federal OSHA); federal OSHA enforces all covered employers and the federal penalty amounts apply.
▸How many OSHA construction citations does Texas see?
OSHA's cited-standards tool does not break out federal-OSHA states like Texas, but the Labor Department's enforcement data do. In FY2025, federal OSHA inspections of Texas construction employers produced 3,040 citations across 1,339 inspections, with $12,146,387 in penalties at current amounts ($15,413,906 as first proposed). That is a HazComFast count; nationally, federal OSHA construction inspections produced 26,559 citations (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards, NAICS 23).
▸Did OSHA penalties go up in 2026 in Texas?
No. The 2026 federal maximums are unchanged from 2025 because the required CPI adjustment was not published (OMB Memo M-26-11), so the 2025 amounts carry forward unchanged. 29 CFR 1903.15 identifies January 15, 2025 as the effective reference for these figures. Do not treat 2026 as an increase.
▸Which OSHA violations are cited most in Texas construction?
In FY2025, federal OSHA cited 29 CFR 1926.501 (Duty to have fall protection) most often in Texas construction, 777 times, followed by 29 CFR 1926.1053 (285) and 29 CFR 1926.102 (256) (HazComFast count from Labor Department enforcement data). Nationally, federal OSHA cited fall protection (29 CFR 1926.501) most often in construction in FY2025, 6,772 times (OSHA Frequently Cited Standards).
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Sources & verification
- OSHA Penalties (osha.gov/penalties)
- OSHA State Plans (osha.gov/stateplans)
- 2026 Annual Adjustments to OSHA Civil Penalties
Penalty amounts and plan status were checked against OSHA sources on 2026-10-05. This page is general information, not legal advice. State plans set their own amounts and procedures; confirm current figures with OSHA before relying on them.
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OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
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