FTC + DOJ · primary source

HSR thresholds & filings history

Whether an M&A transaction needs to be notified to the FTC and DOJ under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act turns on a size-of-transaction threshold that is adjusted annually. This page tracks that threshold back through 2020, the current filing-fee schedule, and how many filings the agencies actually receive each year.

Current threshold: $133.9MEffective Authority: 15 U.S.C. §18a

What is HSR?

The Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 requires parties to certain M&A transactions to notify the FTC and DOJ before closing and to wait through a statutory review period. The size-of-transaction test is the primary filter — most transactions below the threshold are not reportable. For larger deals that fall between two size boundaries, the size-of-person test also has to be satisfied.

Waiting period30 days (15 days for cash tender offers and bankruptcy transactions)
RegulatorFederal Trade Commission Premerger Notification Office & DOJ Antitrust Division
Statute15 U.S.C. §18a — Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976

Annual thresholds, 2020–2026

All figures in USD millions. “Size of person” is the two-party test that applies to transactions valued between the size-of-transaction threshold and the “larger transaction” threshold; above that, the deal is reportable regardless of size of parties.

YearEffectiveSize of transactionSize of person (small)Size of person (large)Larger-txn floorSource
2026$133.9M$26.8M$267.8M$535.5MFTC
2025$126.4M$25.3M$252.9M$505.8MFTC
2024$119.5M$23.9M$239.0M$478.0MFTC
2023$111.4M$22.3M$222.7M$445.5MFTC
2022$101.0M$20.2M$202.0M$403.9MFTC
2021$92.0M$18.4M$184.0M$368.0MFTC
2020$94.0M$18.8M$188.0M$376.0MFTC

2026 filing-fee schedule

The acquiring person owes the fee at the time of filing. Fee tiers are adjusted annually alongside thresholds. Payment is by electronic wire transfer (EWT) — the FTC discourages checks.

Size of transactionFee
$133.9M – $189.6M$35K
$189.6M – $586.9M$110K
$586.9M – $1.174B$275K
$1.174B – $2.347B$440K
$2.347B – $5.869B$875K
≥ $5.869B$2,460K

Source: FTC Filing Fee Information page.

HSR filings received, recent years

Aggregate filings received in each US federal fiscal year (October 1 – September 30). “Second Request” is the FTC/DOJ mechanism to conduct in-depth review; that rate is a proxy for how many notified transactions the agencies find substantively concerning.

Fiscal YearFilings receivedShare > $1BSecond RequestsSecond Req. rateReport
FY20252,00631.8%412.1%FTC press release
FY20242,03125.0%613.0%FTC press release
FY20231,805382.1%FTC press release

How practitioners use this data

  • Deal team pre-check. Any deal valued near the threshold gets HSR analysis regardless — small transactions can trigger by aggregating prior holdings.
  • Budgeting the deal. Filing fees are non-trivial (up to $2,460K for the largest deals). Include in closing-cost estimates.
  • Timing. Standard 30-day waiting period (15 for cash tender offers). Second Requests typically add 6–12 months and are the single biggest cause of deal-timing surprise.
  • Base rates. Roughly 2% of notified transactions get a Second Request; roughly 95% clear the initial waiting period without agency intervention.

Sources & data provenance

Data on this page reflects the state of primary sources as of .

  1. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · 2026 update, published in FR pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §18a
  2. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · FR 2025 update pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §18a
  3. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · FR 2024 update pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §18a
  4. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · FR 2023 update pursuant to 15 U.S.C. §18a
  5. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · 87 FR 6417 (Feb. 4, 2022)
  6. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · 86 FR 7869 (Feb. 2, 2021)
  7. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed · 85 FR 4258 (Jan. 24, 2020)
  8. Federal Trade Commission & DOJ Antitrust Division · Accessed
  9. Federal Trade Commission & DOJ Antitrust Division · Accessed
  10. Federal Trade Commission & DOJ Antitrust Division · Accessed
  11. Federal Trade Commission — Premerger Notification Office · Accessed