Federal Felony Classifications and Penalties: Prison, Fines, Release

Federal felony classes and penalties run from Class A down to Class E, sorted by the maximum prison term the statute authorizes: Class A tops out at life or death, Class B at 25 years or more, Class C at 10 to under 25 years, Class D at 5 to under 10, and Class E at more than one year but under five. The class sets the ceiling on prison time, shapes the maximum supervised release term, and controls whether probation is even on the table. Fines, restitution, and a set of lifetime restrictions ride on top.

How the Classes Are Assigned

Under 18 U.S.C. § 3559, every federal felony gets a letter grade. Many statutes state the class outright. When a statute defines a crime but doesn’t label it, the court reads the maximum authorized prison term and drops the offense into the matching class automatically.¹

The line between a felony and a misdemeanor sits at one year. If the maximum possible sentence exceeds one year, it’s a felony. A maximum of one year or less makes it a misdemeanor. That threshold carries weight beyond the label: felony convictions trigger consequences, including the lifetime federal firearms ban, that misdemeanors do not.¹

Prison Terms by Class

These are the statutory ceilings, not the sentences most defendants actually receive.¹

Class A — life imprisonment or death. Reserved for the most severe federal crimes, including certain acts of espionage, large-scale drug trafficking involving the highest quantities, and terrorism-related offenses.
Class B — 25 years or more. Serious violent offenses and major drug crimes just below the life-or-death threshold.
Class C — at least 10 years but less than 25. Many mid-level drug trafficking charges and significant financial crimes.
Class D — at least 5 years but less than 10. Includes offenses like tax evasion and certain fraud charges.
Class E — more than 1 year but less than 5. The lowest felony class, covering minor drug possession and lower-level fraud.

Why Real Sentences Fall Below the Ceiling

Judges rarely impose the statutory maximum. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, maintained by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, translate the facts of a case into a recommended range in months. Two inputs drive the result: an offense level from 1 to 43 that reflects seriousness, and a criminal history category from I to VI based on prior sentences. Case-specific factors push the offense level up or down (weapon use, loss amount, role in a conspiracy, obstruction), and accepting responsibility typically earns a two-level reduction.² The two inputs meet on the sentencing table to produce the guideline range.³

A first-time offender convicted of a Class C felony, for example, might face a guideline range of 33 to 41 months rather than the 10-to-25-year statutory window. Judges can depart from the guidelines when unusual circumstances exist but must explain the reason in writing.²

On top of the guidelines, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a) requires a sentence “sufficient, but not greater than necessary,” and directs judges to weigh the seriousness of the offense, the defendant’s history, deterrence, public safety, and the goal of avoiding unwarranted disparities.⁴

Mandatory Minimums Push From Below

For some offenses, Congress has set a floor the guidelines cannot lower. Drug trafficking is the most common. Under 21 U.S.C. § 841, trafficking in large quantities of drugs like heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, or methamphetamine carries a 10-year mandatory minimum, with smaller but significant quantities triggering a 5-year floor. A prior serious drug felony or serious violent felony raises those floors to 15 and 10 years, respectively. When death or serious bodily injury results from drug use linked to the trafficking, the minimum jumps to 20 years.⁵ For offenses carrying a mandatory minimum, judges generally cannot impose probation or suspend the sentence.

Good Conduct Time

Federal inmates serving sentences for offenses committed after November 1, 1987, can earn up to 54 days of credit per year of the sentence imposed for good behavior. For offenses committed after April 26, 1996, the full 54-day credit is available only to inmates who have earned or are making satisfactory progress toward a high school diploma or equivalent; those who don’t meet the education requirement max out at 42 days per year.⁶ The credit trims roughly 15 percent off a sentence, but the Bureau of Prisons can revoke it for disciplinary violations.

When Probation Is Possible

Not every federal felony conviction leads to prison. Under 18 U.S.C. § 3561, a judge may sentence a defendant to probation instead of incarceration for Class C, D, and E felonies, provided no other statute bars probation for that offense and the defendant is not simultaneously being sentenced to prison on another count. Class A and Class B felonies are categorically ineligible.⁷ Even where a class allows probation, the specific statute of conviction often bars it, so eligibility turns on the offense, not the class alone.

Fines, Restitution, and the Special Assessment

For individuals, the general fine ceiling is $250,000 per felony count. Organizations face up to $500,000 per count. These caps apply unless the statute defining the offense sets a different amount.⁸

In high-value cases, the standard cap often understates what a court can impose. Federal law authorizes a fine of up to twice the defendant’s gross gain from the offense, or twice the gross loss to victims, whichever is greater. This alternative provision is what prosecutors use in fraud cases with large victim losses.⁸

Unpaid fines and restitution over $2,500 accrue interest at a rate tied to the one-year Treasury yield if not paid within 15 days of judgment. A 10 percent penalty applies to any delinquent balance, and an additional 15 percent penalty applies once the fine goes into default. A court can waive or cap the interest for a defendant who genuinely lacks the ability to pay.⁹

Every person convicted of a federal felony also pays a $100 special assessment per count, enforceable for five years from the date of judgment.¹⁰

Restitution is mandatory for several broad categories of federal crime, including violent offenses, property crimes, fraud, consumer product tampering, human trafficking, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation of children. The court must order restitution for the full extent of each victim’s losses even when the defendant will never be able to pay. Ability to pay does not reduce the order itself, though it can shape the payment schedule.¹¹

Supervised Release After Prison

Federal sentences usually include a term of supervised release that begins the day the defendant leaves a Bureau of Prisons facility. A federal probation officer monitors conditions like employment, drug testing, and staying out of further trouble. The maximum term depends on the class:¹²

Class A or B — up to 5 years
Class C or D — up to 3 years
Class E — up to 1 year

Some offenses override these defaults. Terrorism-related offenses can carry supervised release for any term of years or life. Sex offenses involving minors under statutes like 18 U.S.C. § 1201 (kidnapping) and 18 U.S.C. § 1591 (sex trafficking) require a term of at least five years, up to life.¹²

Revocation Caps

Violating supervised release can send a defendant back to prison. The maximum time on revocation depends on the original felony class:

Class A — up to 5 years
Class B — up to 3 years
Class C or D — up to 2 years
Class E or other offenses — up to 1 year

These caps apply per revocation. Someone who violates, serves the added time, and violates again faces a second revocation with the same limits, and the judge can impose a new term of supervised release after each stretch.¹²

Consequences That Outlast the Sentence

Prison, fines, and supervision are the direct penalties. A federal felony conviction also triggers restrictions that don’t expire when the sentence ends.

Firearms

Federal law permanently bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment from possessing firearms or ammunition. Every federal felony meets that threshold by definition, so the ban applies across all five classes. There is no expiration date, and the prohibition extends to receiving or transporting firearms across state lines.¹³

Passports

A federal drug felony conviction can result in passport denial or revocation if the defendant used a passport or crossed an international border while committing the offense. The restriction lasts as long as the individual is imprisoned or on supervised release. The State Department can make emergency exceptions for humanitarian reasons.¹⁴

Voting

There is no single federal rule on voting after a felony. State law controls. Most states strip voting rights for at least the length of the sentence, restoration procedures vary widely, two states allow incarcerated individuals to vote, others require completion of the full sentence including supervised release, and a handful require a separate application.

Employment

Federal law bars people with felony convictions from certain regulated industries, including banking, securities, and healthcare, where statutory or regulatory rules restrict felons from specific positions. Beyond those formal bars, a federal felony on a background check closes doors in many fields where no law explicitly prohibits hiring.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3559 – Sentencing Classification of Offenses
2
United States Sentencing Commission. An Overview of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines
3
United States Sentencing Commission. Sentencing Table – 2025 Guidelines Manual
4
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3553 – Imposition of a Sentence
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 21 USC 841 – Prohibited Acts A
6
eCFR. 28 CFR 523.20 – Good Conduct Time
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3561 – Sentence of Probation
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3571 – Sentence of Fine
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3612 – Collection of Unpaid Fine or Restitution
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3013 – Special Assessment on Convicted Persons
11
Congress.gov. Restitution in Federal Criminal Cases
12
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3583 – Inclusion of a Term of Supervised Release After Imprisonment
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
14
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 22 USC 2714 – Denial of Passports to Certain Convicted Drug Traffickers