Which of the following is considered a less severe offense than a misdemeanor or felony?

• A. Petty offense
• B. Civil infraction
• C. Misdemeanor
• D. Felony

Answer: (B)

Offenses are arranged by how severe their penalties are. A civil infraction is not a crime and usually comes with only a fine or civil penalty, with no jail time and often no criminal record in the same sense as a conviction. That combination—no imprisonment, only financial penalties—makes it less severe than both misdemeanors and felonies, which are criminal offenses that can involve jail and broader consequences.

For example, many traffic tickets or city code violations are civil infractions. They result in a fine rather than criminal charges. Petty offenses are sometimes treated as minor crimes in some places, so they don’t always sit at the same, non-criminal level as civil infractions. But the civil infraction characterization clearly represents the least severe category.