Việt Nam has granted commune police chiefs the power to impose staggering financial penalties against press violations—a 245 million đồng jump from the previous penalty.
The Latest: On Sept. 25, 2026, the government issued Decree 367/2026 regarding administrative penalties for press violations, which officially took effect on Sept. 26.
- Under Article 35 of the new decree, commune police chiefs can now impose fines of up to 250 million đồng ($9,625) for press violations, representing a fiftyfold increase from their previous limits.
The Details: The recent decree substantially expands police authority to impose fines when compared with the previous framework of Decree 119/2020.
- Previously, the penalty limit for commune police chiefs was a mere 5 million đồng, while even district police chiefs were capped at imposing no more than 40 million đồng.
Below is Luật Khoa’s comparison of police fining powers under the two decrees.
| Position | Current Maximum Fine (Article 35 of Decree 367/2026) | Previous Maximum Fine (Article 39 of Decree 119/2020, amended by Decree 14/2022) |
| Police officer | 50 million đồng | Not specified |
| Company-level mobile police commander | 100 million đồng | |
| Station chief or team leader | 150 million đồng | 3 million đồng |
| Police post chief | 5 million đồng | |
| Commune police chief | 250 million đồng | 5 million đồng |
| District police chief | Not specified; district-level administration has been abolished | 40 million đồng |
| Provincial police division chief | 400 million đồng | |
| Chief of an operational division within the Ministry of Public Security’s security departments | Not specified | |
| Provincial police director | 500 million đồng | 100 million đồng |
| Department director | 200 million đồng |
Additional Changes: Decree 367/2026 increases fines for all administrative violations in the press sector. It sets fines of 400 million to 500 million đồng for offenses that include:
- “Publishing or broadcasting information that affects independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity”
- “Distorting history, denying revolutionary achievements, insulting the nation or national heroes”
- “Sowing division among social classes and groups”
Previously, these offenses carried fines of 300 million to 400 million đồng.
The Background: The decree took effect just one day after it was issued.
- The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism published the draft for public consultation from June 16 to 25.
- During this period, the ministry received 21 submissions, none from members of the public.
Why It Matters: Since former Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm became general secretary in August 2024, the police have significantly expanded their powers, and administrative fines across various sectors have risen sharply.
- Commune police have also gained broader authority across multiple areas, including the power—effective Aug. 19, 2026—to impose fines of up to 100 million đồng for posting distorted information online.
Lê Sáng wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on September 28, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
