Civil infraction

In common law countries, a civil infraction is a non-criminal violation of a rule, ordinance, or regulation.^[1]

United States law

A civil infraction is violation of the law less serious than a misdemeanor,^[2] and which usually does not attach certain individual rights such as a jury trial.

Punishments for infractions

In the United States, the key characteristic of an infraction is that the punishment seldom includes any amount of incarceration in a prison or jail or any other loss of civil rights – typically the only punishment is a fine, although sometimes other regulatory actions are possible (e.g. revocation of a license or permit) or an order to remedy or mitigate the situation.

References

1. Michigan Prosecutor Glossary of Criminal Terms Retrieved 3 May 2010
2. Michigan Court Handbook of Legal Terms Retrieved 3 May 2010