All explained here:
Legal Enforcement Actions
The Enforcement Division initiates civil penalty actions under the statutory authority cited in 14 C.F.R. § 13.14 or § 13.18. The FAA has authority to issue orders assessing a civil penalty of up to $400,000 against persons other than individuals and small business concerns and up to $50,000 against individuals and small business concerns. Generally, the penalty for each violation ranges from $1,100 to $27,500, depending on the provision violated and the category of the alleged violator: individual serving as an airman, individual not serving as an airman, small business concern, or someone other than an individual or small business concern.
There is an opportunity at the beginning of most enforcement cases for informal procedures, including an informal conference with an FAA attorney, to give the alleged violator a chance to bring to the FAA's attention information favorable to it, e.g., exculpatory or mitigating evidence. During these informal procedures, an enforcement action can sometimes be resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties. Either during the informal procedures or later in the process, cases are often settled without resort to the full litigation process.
Certificate Actions
The Enforcement Division may initiate certificate actions in the form of certificate suspensions and revocations against persons and entities holding FAA-issued certificates. Certificate suspensions of a fixed number of days are issued to discipline an alleged violator and to deter others similarly situated.
Most orders of suspension and revocation may be appealed to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Orders are first appealed to the NTSB's Office of Administrative Law Judges, and a decision issued by an ALJ may be appealed to the NTSB's full Board. The Board's Rules of Practice located in in 49 U.S.C. § 821 govern these proceedings before the NTSB. The full Board's decisions may be appealed to a United States court of appeals.
