SentenceCalc

The zero-point offender reduction

Since November 2023, people with no criminal history points can get a 2-level reduction under §4C1.1 of the guidelines, on top of the plea reduction. Many nonviolent federal defendants qualify, and it can move a range from prison into probation territory.

Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025Updated October 4, 2026

General information about how the guidelines work, written by web developers, not lawyers. It is not legal advice about any case; see the disclaimer.

Who qualifies

All 11 conditions must be met (§4C1.1(a)):

  1. No criminal history points at all.
  2. No terrorism adjustment.
  3. No use of violence or credible threats of violence in connection with the offense.
  4. The offense did not result in death or serious bodily injury.
  5. The offense of conviction is not a sex offense.
  6. The person did not personally cause substantial financial hardship to a victim.
  7. No possessing, buying, selling or transferring a gun or other dangerous weapon in connection with the offense, or getting someone else to.
  8. The offense is not a civil rights offense under §2H1.1.
  9. No hate-crime, vulnerable-victim or serious human rights adjustment.
  10. No aggravating role adjustment (organizer, leader, manager or supervisor).
  11. Not engaged in a continuing criminal enterprise.

Note the difference between “no criminal history points” and “no criminal record”: old or minor convictions that earn no points do not disqualify anyone.

What it is worth

Levels are after the plea reduction. In Category I:

Level after pleaRangeLevel with zero-pointRange with zero-point
80–6 months60–6 months
106–12 months80–6 months
1210–16 months106–12 months
1621–27 months1415–21 months
2033–41 months1827–33 months
2451–63 months2241–51 months

At level 10 the reduction moves the range from Zone B (6–12 months) to Zone A (0–6 months), where probation is possible.

Frequently asked questions

Does the zero-point reduction apply to drug cases?

Yes, if the other conditions are met: no gun, no violence, no death or serious injury, no leadership role. Many couriers and street-level sellers with no criminal history points qualify, and it stacks with the safety valve.

Does it apply to fraud cases?

Yes, unless the person personally caused a victim substantial financial hardship (lost savings, a home, a business), among the other conditions. That test is applied separately from the fraud guideline's own victim-hardship increase.

Is the zero-point reduction retroactive?

The Commission made it retroactive in 2023, so people sentenced before November 1, 2023 could ask for a reduction under 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(2). Whether a particular person qualifies is up to the sentencing court.

Sources