SentenceCalc

Fentanyl Trafficking Sentence Calculator

Fentanyl is scored by the weight of the whole mixture, so a pressed pill counts at its full weight, not the fentanyl inside it. That is why pill cases reach the 40-gram and 400-gram thresholds faster than people expect: 400 pills weighing about 0.1 gram each already total 40 grams. In federal court, 40 g triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum and 400 g triggers 10 years.

Verified Checked against the manual text in at least five AI-assisted review rounds. Not yet reviewed by an attorney. Guidelines Manual effective November 1, 2025Updated October 4, 2026

5-year minimum40 g21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(B)
10-year minimum400 g21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)(A)
50 g, no record60 monthsLevel 24, early plea

Calculate a fentanyl case

Change any answer and the sentence updates. Nothing you enter leaves this page.

 See the math

Amounts and sentences

AmountBase levelNo criminal history points, early pleaWith the safety valve
5 g146–12 monthsNo minimum
50 g2460 months
5-year minimum		24–30 months
500 g30120 months
10-year minimum		46–57 months

Assumes no criminal history points, no weapon, no violence, no leadership role, an early guilty plea and the 2-level zero-point reduction.

The full quantity table

Amount (total mixture)Base levelNo criminal history points, early pleaMandatory minimum
Less than 4 g120–6 months
4 g to 8 g146–12 months
8 g to 16 g168–14 months
16 g to 24 g1812–18 months
24 g to 32 g2018–24 months
32 g to 40 g2224–30 months
40 g to 160 g2460 months5 years
160 g to 280 g2660 months5 years
280 g to 400 g2860 months5 years
400 g to 1.2 kg30120 months10 years
1.2 kg to 4 kg32120 months10 years
4 kg to 12 kg34120 months10 years
12 kg to 36 kg36120–135 months10 years
36 kg or more38135–168 months10 years

“No criminal history points, early plea” assumes zero criminal history points, no weapon, no violence and no leadership role, so the plea reduction and the 2-level zero-point reduction both apply. The mandatory minimum column assumes no prior serious drug felony or serious violent felony; the safety valve can remove it.

What to know

  • Knowingly selling fentanyl as another drug, such as fake oxycodone “M30” pills, adds 4 levels, and marketing it as a legitimate pharmaceutical with reckless disregard adds 2 (§2D1.1(b)(13)).
  • If someone dies or is seriously injured from using the drug, the statute raises the minimum to 20 years and the guideline starting level to 38 or 43. The calculator does not model death-results cases yet.

Frequently asked questions

How much fentanyl triggers a federal mandatory minimum?

40 g of fentanyl triggers a 5-year mandatory minimum, and 400 g triggers 10 years (21 U.S.C. §841(b)(1)), for someone without a prior serious drug felony or serious violent felony.

What is the guideline sentence for 50 g of fentanyl?

The Drug Quantity Table puts 50 g at level 24. For someone with no criminal history points who pleads guilty, with no weapon, violence or leadership role, the guideline sentence is 60 months, driven by the 5-year minimum. With the safety valve it is 24–30 months.

Does the weight include the packaging or cutting agents?

Packaging, no. Cutting agents, yes: the weight is the entire mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of the drug, except for drugs the table measures by purity.