Is there a max level in the game? If not, is there a max amount of aloted perk points? I keep reading conflicting information on the subject. If anyone could point me to developer cited info that would be awesome!

It was already mentioned in another post.... Soft is 50 Hard is 81.

UESP says the hard cap is 70 as that is what you would be when all skills are 100.

I suppose it depends on what race you are, because obviously starting with fewer skill points would allow one to reach higher levels.

Too bad going to jail only reduces the progress on a skill and not the skill itself so you could theoretically have an infinite number of levels. Suppose they did that to prevent people from making a toon with every single perk

I believe all skills start at 15, except two at 20 (+5) and one at 25 (+10) for every single race.