Advice of Penalties/Acknowledgment is a type of legal document that is issued when a person or business has been found to be in violation of a law or regulation. It is a formal notice that informs the recipient of the specific violation and the penalties associated with it. The recipient is also given the opportunity to acknowledge the violation and accept the penalties. There are two types of Advice of Penalties/Acknowledgment documents: criminal and civil. Criminal Advice of Penalties/Acknowledgment is issued when an individual or business is found to be in violation of a criminal law. It informs the recipient of the crime they have committed and the applicable penalties. Civil Advice of Penalties/Acknowledgment is issued when an individual or business is found to be in violation of a civil law. It informs the recipient of the civil violation and the applicable penalties. In both cases, the recipient is given an opportunity to acknowledge the violation and accept the penalties. If the recipient accepts the penalties, the document is said to be “acknowledged” or “accepted.” If the recipient does not accept the penalties, the document is said to be “denied.” If the recipient does not respond to the Advice of Penalties/Acknowledgment, the penalties outlined in the document will be enforced.