Most common federal charges
Drug trafficking, firearms, fraud and immigration offenses make up most federal sentences. Each has its own calculator and guide.
- Drug TraffickingSold, moved or made drugsVerified
- Firearms Offenses (Felon in Possession)Illegally had, bought, sold or moved guns or ammunitionVerified
- Fraud and TheftStole, embezzled or defraudedVerified
- Illegal ReentryCame back to the U.S. after being deportedVerified
- Alien SmugglingSmuggled, drove or hid people without legal immigration statusVerified
- RobberyTook money or property by force or threatVerified
Drug amounts and mandatory minimums
- FentanylAmounts, minimums and ranges
- Fentanyl analogueAmounts, minimums and ranges
- HeroinAmounts, minimums and ranges
- Cocaine (powder)Amounts, minimums and ranges
- Crack cocaineAmounts, minimums and ranges
- Methamphetamine (mixture)Amounts, minimums and ranges
- Pure methamphetamine or “ice”Amounts, minimums and ranges
- MarijuanaAmounts, minimums and ranges
How a federal sentence is calculated
- Offense level. Each crime has a starting level, raised or lowered by the facts: amounts, weapons, injuries, role.
- Adjustments. Obstruction, leadership, multiple counts, and 2 or 3 levels off for a guilty plea.
- Criminal history. Prior sentences become points, and points become a category from I to VI.
- The sentencing table turns the level and category into a range in months, limited by the statute's maximum and any mandatory minimum.
Read the full walkthrough in how federal sentencing works.
Guides
- How federal sentencing worksA plain-English walk through a federal sentence: offense level, adjustments, criminal…
- The federal sentencing tableThe 2025 federal sentencing table: all 43 offense levels by criminal history category I…
- Criminal history points and categoriesHow federal criminal history points are counted: 3, 2 or 1 per prior sentence, the…
- Acceptance of responsibilityPleading guilty usually takes 2 or 3 levels off a federal sentence under §3E1.1. Here…
- The zero-point offender reductionSince 2023, federal defendants with no criminal history points can get 2 levels off…
- The safety valveThe safety valve lets a judge sentence below a federal drug mandatory minimum and takes…
- 18 U.S.C. §924(c): the gun charge that runs on topA §924(c) conviction adds at least 5, 7 or 10 years, served after the other sentence…
- Multiple crimes: how counts are groupedTwo federal crimes rarely mean double the time. How the grouping rules (§§3D1.1–3D1.5)…
- The career offender guidelineTwo prior felonies for violence or drug trafficking can make someone a career offender…
- Relevant conduct: what the sentence is based onFederal sentences rest on relevant conduct, not just the charge: acts the person did or…
- Cooperation: substantial assistance motionsA substantial assistance motion (§5K1.1) can take a federal sentence below the range…
- Attempt, conspiracy, helpers and accessoriesHow federal sentences change for attempt or conspiracy (often 3 levels less), aiding…
Every federal offense
Verified means the offense passed at least five AI-assisted review rounds against the manual text, the last one finding nothing to correct. It does not mean a lawyer has reviewed it; none has yet. Draft means review is still finding corrections.
Drugs
- Booby Traps on Federal Property Verified
- Continuing Criminal Enterprise Verified
- Drug Dealing Near a School or Involving a Minor Verified
- Drug Manufacturing Equipment Verified
- Drug Paraphernalia Verified
- Drug Registration Number Offenses Verified
- Drug Trafficking Verified
- Endangering Life While Making Drugs Verified
- Listed Chemical Offenses Verified
- Maintaining a Drug House Verified
- Narco-Terrorism Verified
- Obtaining Drugs by Fraud Verified
- Operating a Common Carrier Under the Influence Verified
- Regulatory Drug Offenses Verified
- Simple Drug Possession Verified
- Structuring Chemical Transactions Verified
- Using a Phone to Commit a Drug Crime Verified
- Fentanyl amounts
- Fentanyl analogue amounts
- Heroin amounts
- Cocaine (powder) amounts
- Crack cocaine amounts
- Methamphetamine (mixture) amounts
- Pure methamphetamine or “ice” amounts
- Marijuana amounts
Guns, explosives and public safety
- Arson Verified
- Body Armor Possession by a Violent Felon Verified
- Explosives Dealer Recordkeeping Verified
- Explosives Storage and Reporting Violations Verified
- Firearms Offenses (Felon in Possession) Verified
- Gun in a Federal Building or School Zone Verified
- Illegal Possession of Explosives Verified
- Mailing Dangerous Articles Verified
- Using a Gun During a Crime (§924(c)) Verified
- Weapons Aboard an Aircraft Verified
Theft, fraud and property
- Aggravated Identity Theft Verified
- Altering Vehicle Identification Numbers Verified
- Commercial Bribery and Kickbacks Verified
- Copyright and Trademark Counterfeiting Verified
- Counterfeit Money Verified
- Fraud and Theft Verified
- Insider Trading Verified
- Theft of Cultural Heritage or Fossils Verified
Robbery, burglary and extortion
- Blackmail Verified
- Burglary Verified
- Extortion by Force or Threat Verified
- Robbery Verified
- Trespass Verified
Immigration and passports
- Alien Smuggling Verified
- Failure to Surrender a Canceled Naturalization Certificate Verified
- Illegal Reentry Verified
- Immigration Document Fraud (Trafficking) Verified
- Immigration Document or Passport Fraud (Own Use) Verified
Violence against people
- Aggravated Assault Verified
- Aircraft Piracy (Hijacking) Verified
- Assault Verified
- Assaulting or Impeding a Federal Officer Verified
- Attempted Murder Verified
- Conspiracy or Solicitation to Commit Murder Verified
- Crimes Aboard an Aircraft Verified
- Demanding or Receiving Ransom Verified
- First-Degree Murder Verified
- Interfering with a Flight Crew Verified
- Involuntary Manslaughter Verified
- Kidnapping Verified
- Second-Degree Murder Verified
- Stalking and Interstate Domestic Violence Verified
- Threatening or Harassing Communications Verified
- Voluntary Manslaughter Verified
Sex offenses and exploitation
- Abusive Sexual Contact Verified
- Aggravated Sex Offender Registration Offenses Verified
- Child Exploitation Enterprise Verified
- Criminal Sexual Abuse Verified
- Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (SORNA) Verified
- Obscene Phone Services and Broadcasts Verified
- Obscenity Offenses Verified
- Possession, Receipt or Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material Verified
- Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material Verified
- Promoting Commercial Sex (Adult) Verified
- Selling or Buying Children for Exploitation Verified
- Sex Trafficking or Enticement of a Minor Verified
- Sexual Abuse of a Minor (Statutory Rape) Verified
- Sexual Abuse of a Ward or Person in Custody Verified
- Sexually Explicit Material Recordkeeping Verified
Obstruction, perjury and court offenses
- Contempt of Court Verified
- Failure to Appear (Bail Jumping) Verified
- Material Witness Failure to Appear Verified
- Obstruction of Justice Verified
- Paying a Witness Verified
- Perjury and Witness Bribery Verified
- Impersonating a Federal Officer Draft
Money laundering and cash reporting
- Money Laundering Verified
- Structuring and Bulk Cash Smuggling Verified
Taxes, alcohol and customs
- Alcohol and Tobacco Regulatory Violations Verified
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Evasion Verified
- Customs Smuggling Verified
- Failure to Deposit Taxes in Trust Verified
- Failure to Pay Over Payroll Taxes Verified
- False Withholding Statements Verified
- Tax Conspiracy (Klein Conspiracy) Verified
- Tax Evasion Verified
- Tax Preparer Fraud Verified
Bribery and public corruption
- Bribery of a Public Official Verified
- Campaign Finance Violations Verified
- Conflict of Interest Verified
- Illegal Gratuities Verified
- Paying for a Public Office Verified
Racketeering, gambling and labor
- Bribery Involving Benefit Plans or Unions Verified
- Contraband Cigarettes Verified
- False Benefit Plan and Union Records Verified
- Illegal Gambling and Animal Fighting Verified
- Loansharking Verified
- Murder for Hire Verified
- RICO Verified
- Travel Act Violations Verified
- Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) Verified
Civil rights, elections and privacy
- Civil Rights Violations Verified
- Eavesdropping Devices Verified
- Election Obstruction Verified
- Forced Labor and Involuntary Servitude Verified
- Migrant Worker Protection Act Violations Verified
- Obstructing the Mail Verified
- Wiretapping and Eavesdropping Verified
Prisons and escape
- Escape Verified
- Prison Contraband Verified
- Prison Riot Verified
National security and exports
- Atomic Energy Regulatory Violations Verified
- Draft Evasion Verified
- Espionage Verified
- Export Control and Sanctions Violations Verified
- Gathering National Defense Information Verified
- Illegal Arms Exports Verified
- Leaking Classified Information Verified
- Losing National Defense Information Verified
- Material Support to Terrorists Verified
- Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons Verified
- Revealing a Covert Agent Verified
- Sabotage of National Defense Material Verified
- Sabotage of War Material Verified
- Tampering with Atomic Energy Data Verified
- Treason Verified
Food, drugs and consumer products
- Food, Drug and Device Safety Violations Verified
- Odometer Fraud Verified
- Product Tampering Risking Injury Verified
- Tampering to Injure a Business Verified
- Threatened or Falsely Claimed Tampering Verified
Environment and wildlife
- Environmental Pollution Violations Verified
- Hazardous Devices on Federal Land Verified
- Hazardous Waste Violations Verified
- Knowing Endangerment by Pollution Verified
- Public Water System Tampering Verified
- Wildlife Trafficking Verified
Antitrust
- Price Fixing and Bid Rigging Verified
Other offenses
- Border Tunnels Verified
- Class A Misdemeanors Verified
- Other Felonies Verified
- Semi-Submersible Vessels Verified
- Using a Minor in a Crime of Violence Verified
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this federal sentencing calculator?
It applies the U.S. Sentencing Commission's Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025, the same rules probation officers use to prepare the range for the judge. Each offense is marked Verified only after at least five review rounds against the manual text, with the last round finding nothing to correct. Those reviews were done with AI tools, not by lawyers, and no attorney has reviewed the site yet, so mistakes are possible. The guidelines are advisory, and plea deals, cooperation and the judge's own judgment change real outcomes.
Are you lawyers?
No. This site was built by web developers, not lawyers, to make the public federal Sentencing Guidelines easier to read and understand. It is an information tool, not legal advice, and it does not predict anyone's sentence. If you are facing charges, talk to a criminal defense lawyer; if you cannot afford one, you have the right to appointed counsel.
Is the calculator free, and is my information stored?
It is free and needs no account. All calculation happens in your browser, and we never send what you enter to any server. A result link you choose to share stores the answers inside the link itself.
Does this cover state crimes?
No. It covers federal crimes only. Most crimes are prosecuted by states, and every state has its own sentencing law.
Why is the number higher than I expected?
Because the guidelines count facts most people don't think about: weapons, amounts, injuries, a partner's conduct, and criminal history. With no criminal record, a bank robbery where a gun is shown scores 51–63 months under the guidelines after a guilty plea.