---
type: "LegalText"
title: "21 U.S.C. § 855"
description: "Alternative fine"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 21
title_name: "FOOD AND DRUGS"
chapter_number: "13"
chapter_name: "DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL"
section: "855"
citation: "21 U.S.C. § 855"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc21@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t21/s855"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-21/usc21.xml"
source_hash: "da1511e9030b8f83cca2423910d61decc70494dcaf0cb9bfd7db2888af2fa32c"
raw_snapshot_hash: "3dbd7a61c8616baefb8459bd8dac3b93242106deb416308c8d4dd5a9143176d1"
text_hash: "7787e2b8da1c23760b97a060b23d174207c39de65dbfa474fe086f858d762c13"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 21 U.S.C. § 855 - Alternative fine

## Text

In lieu of a fine otherwise authorized by this part, a defendant who derives profits or other proceeds from an offense may be fined not more than twice the gross profits or other proceeds.

(Pub. L. 91–513, title II, § 415, as added Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 2302, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2193.)