No, it is not illegal to put tape on money in most ordinary situations. Taping a torn dollar bill to hold it together is not a crime under federal law. The law only becomes relevant when tape is used to fraudulently alter or combine currency to deceive others.
Here’s what most people get wrong: they confuse two entirely separate federal statutes. One law covers fraudulent alteration with intent to defraud. The other covers physical mutilation that renders currency unfit for circulation. Taping a torn bill at home typically violates neither one.
This article covers the full legal picture for 2026. You’ll get a clear breakdown of the two federal currency laws, when tape on money actually crosses a legal line, whether taped bills are still spendable, how to exchange damaged money, and how related acts like writing or drawing on bills fit into the same legal framework.
The legal answer here is more logical than the confusion around it suggests.
Is It Illegal to Put Tape on Money?
No, putting tape on money is not illegal in the United States. Federal law prohibits fraudulently altering currency and mutilating it to the point of unfitness, but simply taping a torn bill back together does not satisfy either of those legal standards.
The federal statutes that govern currency treatment are 18 USC 331 and 18 USC 333. Neither of these laws makes tape on a bill a criminal act on its own. What matters is the intent behind the act and whether the currency is rendered unfit for circulation or used in a deceptive scheme.
Tape used to repair a legitimate tear, reconnect two pieces of the same bill, or keep a damaged note together for everyday use falls entirely outside the scope of what these statutes prohibit.
Quick Facts on tape and money:
- Taping a torn bill for personal use is legal under federal law
- No federal statute specifically addresses tape on currency
- The relevant laws focus on fraud and physical destruction, not repair
- Taped bills remain legal tender and must be accepted by most private parties
- Banks and the Federal Reserve have their own policies on condition, separate from legality
The distinction between legal tape and illegal tape comes down entirely to purpose. Repair is legal. Fraud is not. A piece of tape holding two halves of your own $20 together is nowhere near a federal crime.
Is It Illegal to Tape Money?
Taping money is not illegal as a general practice. The act of applying tape to currency only becomes illegal when it is part of a scheme to defraud, such as taping together parts of different bills to create a fraudulent note or altering a denomination’s appearance with tape and ink.
This is a critical distinction that most people misunderstand. The federal law on currency alteration under 18 USC 331 requires both an alteration and an intent to defraud. Taping a ripped bill you received as change has neither element. You’re not altering the currency in any meaningful sense, and you have no fraudulent intent.
The scenario that does raise legal flags looks entirely different. If someone cuts the corner off a $100 bill, tapes it onto a $1 bill, and tries to pass it as a larger denomination, that’s textbook currency fraud. The tape itself isn’t the crime. The intent to deceive is what creates criminal liability.
| Action | Legal? | Relevant Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Tape torn bill to hold it together | Yes | No statute violated |
| Tape two halves of same bill | Yes | No statute violated |
| Tape parts of different bills to create larger denomination | No | 18 USC 331 (fraud) |
| Tape over serial number to alter identification | No | 18 USC 331 (fraud) |
| Tape bill so heavily it becomes unrecognizable | Potentially problematic | 18 USC 333 (mutilation) |
The law cares about what you did with the tape, not the fact that you used tape at all.
Is Taping Money Illegal?
Taping money is not illegal in ordinary circumstances. The legal question is never simply “did tape touch this bill?” It is always “what was the tape used for, and what was the result?”
Federal currency law was written to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the monetary system. Tape used in a straightforward repair of a damaged bill does not threaten either of those goals. The bill remains the same denomination. The serial number remains visible. The amount stays unchanged. Nothing has been deceived.
Courts and federal prosecutors have no history of charging individuals for routine taping of damaged currency. The cases that do get prosecuted involve systematic schemes: counterfeit operations that use tape to attach elements from genuine bills to fraudulent notes, or elaborate fraud operations that modify denomination markings using a combination of tape, ink, and chemical alteration.
What taping money legally accomplishes:
- Holds a torn bill together for continued everyday use
- Preserves a damaged note’s value and legal tender status
- Allows a consumer to exchange the bill at a bank or Federal Reserve facility
- Does not reduce the face value of the bill
- Does not affect the bill’s serial number or security features
Taping money at home to fix a torn bill is about as legally risky as folding the bill in half. The tape changes nothing about the bill’s legal identity.
Key Takeaway: Taping a torn bill for normal use is legal in all US states. Federal law only targets tape used as a tool in currency fraud or denomination alteration schemes. Simple repair taping violates nothing.
Can You Tape a Torn Dollar Bill?
Yes, you can tape a torn dollar bill. This is one of the clearest cases in US currency law: repairing a torn bill with tape is legal, and the resulting taped bill remains legal tender.
Torn bills are common. Washing machine accidents, overstuffed wallets, and simple wear all produce torn currency every day. The practical and legal response is the same: tape the bill back together and continue using it. The Federal Reserve explicitly acknowledges this reality through its mutilated currency policy.
For extremely damaged bills where the tape alone can’t save the note, the Federal Reserve and Bureau of Engraving and Printing offer redemption programs. But for a standard tear that tape can hold together, there’s no need for redemption. The bill continues to function as normal currency.
The key requirement is that the bill must still be identifiable as a genuine US currency note. Both halves of the original bill should be present. The serial number should still be visible. The denomination markings should be clear. A taped bill that meets these criteria presents no legal or practical problems.
When a taped bill is fine:
- A clean tear repaired with a single piece of transparent tape
- Two halves of the same bill taped together at the tear
- A bill with a corner tear reinforced with tape
- A bill that has multiple small tears all taped together
When a taped bill becomes a problem:
- Tape covers the serial number completely and obscures the bill’s identity
- Tape is used to attach pieces from different bills
- The tape obscures denomination markings in a way that creates confusion
- The bill is damaged beyond 50 percent of its original area, regardless of tape
Is Taped Money Still Legal Tender?
Yes, taped money is still legal tender in the United States as long as the bill is clearly identifiable as genuine US currency. Legal tender status depends on the note’s identity, not its physical condition.
Legal tender status for US currency is established by 31 USC 5103, which requires that all United States currency be accepted for payment of all debts, public and private. This statute does not contain any exception for taped, worn, or physically damaged bills. A taped $10 bill is legally a $10 bill.
The practical reality in private commerce is slightly different. Private businesses can legally refuse certain forms of payment, including damaged currency, as a matter of store policy. No law forces a convenience store cashier to accept a bill held together by four pieces of tape if they’re concerned about its authenticity. But that’s a business decision, not a legal requirement.
| Bill Condition | Legal Tender? | Businesses Legally Obligated to Accept? |
|---|---|---|
| Clean tear, taped neatly | Yes | Not legally obligated, but typically accepted |
| Multiple tears, heavily taped | Yes | Many businesses will decline |
| More than half of bill missing | Questionable | Depends on Federal Reserve criteria |
| Unidentifiable denomination | No | Not accepted; needs BEP redemption |
| Clear security features visible | Yes | Generally accepted |
When in doubt, a bank will exchange a taped but identifiable bill for a fresh one at no cost. That’s the simplest path if you’re worried about a bill’s acceptability.
Federal Currency Mutilation Law
Federal currency mutilation law is primarily found in 18 USC 333, which makes it a federal crime to mutilate, cut, disfigure, perforate, unite, or cement together US currency, or to do anything that renders currency unfit to be reissued. The key phrase is “unfit to be reissued.”
The law requires that the mutilation make the currency unfit, not merely imperfect. A bill with a tear, a fold, a stain, or even tape on it does not become unfit simply because of those physical conditions. The Federal Reserve handles billions of worn, torn, and damaged notes every year, reissuing or retiring them through normal processing. A taped bill that passes through that process is not the target of 18 USC 333.
The penalties under 18 USC 333 are significant: fines and up to six months imprisonment for violations. But these penalties target intentional destruction or defacement that permanently damages currency’s ability to function, not accidental damage or routine repairs.
Elements of a 18 USC 333 violation:
- The act must involve US currency (bills or coins)
- The act must mutilate, cut, disfigure, perforate, or otherwise damage the currency
- The result must render the currency unfit for reissue
- For coin offenses, intent to fraudulently use the coin may be required
- The act must be willful, not accidental
Accidental damage to currency is never a crime under 18 USC 333. The law targets intentional acts of destruction, not wear and tear or the results of everyday use.
18 USC 333: Currency Mutilation
18 USC 333 is the federal statute that specifically addresses physical damage to US currency. It prohibits actions that mutilate, cut, disfigure, perforate, or unite parts of different currency notes in a way that renders them unfit for circulation.
The statute’s key prohibition is on actions that make currency “unfit to be reissued.” This is not about cosmetic damage. It’s about functional damage: bills so thoroughly destroyed that the Federal Reserve cannot process and recirculate them or retire them through normal channels.
The statute also covers uniting or cementing parts of different bills together. This is where tape genuinely could become relevant legally. If someone uses tape to cement a piece of a $100 bill to the face of a $5 bill, creating a hybrid note that might confuse a vending machine or cash register, that potentially falls under 18 USC 333’s prohibition on uniting currency parts.
18 USC 333 key details:
- Maximum penalty: Fine plus up to six months in federal prison
- Applies to: Federal Reserve notes (paper money)
- Covers: Mutilation, cutting, disfiguring, perforating, and uniting different note parts
- Does not cover: Normal wear, accidental damage, or routine home repair of torn bills
- Related statute: 18 USC 331 covers fraudulent alteration specifically
A separate but related statute, 18 USC 336, covers using mutilated currency as legal tender, which applies to extreme cases where currency is passed in a condition that no reasonable person would accept.
Key Takeaway: 18 USC 333 targets intentional, functional destruction of currency. Taping a torn bill at home does not come close to meeting the “unfit for reissue” standard that the statute requires. The law targets destruction, not repair.
What Counts as Currency Mutilation?
Currency mutilation means physically damaging US money to the point where it can no longer be used in normal commerce or processed through normal Federal Reserve channels. Simple tape on a torn bill does not qualify.
The Federal Reserve and Bureau of Engraving and Printing have their own operational definitions of mutilated currency that align with the legal standard. A “mutilated” note in BEP terms is one that has been damaged to the degree that its value is questionable, where more than 50 percent of the note is missing, or where the note is in multiple pieces that are not clearly from the same bill.
These operational definitions matter because they determine when a bill needs to be submitted to the BEP’s mutilated currency redemption program rather than simply spent or exchanged at a bank.
What the BEP considers mutilated currency:
- Notes that are burned, charred, or partially destroyed by fire
- Notes that have been chemically treated or soaked in corrosive substances
- Notes with more than 50 percent of the original note missing
- Notes in multiple pieces where reassembly is unclear
- Notes that have deteriorated to the point of being unidentifiable
What is not considered mutilated:
- Soiled or limp notes (dirty but intact)
- Torn notes that can be reassembled with tape
- Notes with holes, tears, or missing corners smaller than half the bill
- Notes that have been written on or drawn on but remain intact
- Notes with tape applied for repair purposes
The practical line is functionality. Can the bill still be identified and used? If yes, it’s not mutilated in the legal or regulatory sense.
Can Banks Refuse Taped Money?
Yes, banks can refuse to accept taped money, but they are not legally required to do so. Private businesses, including banks, have discretion over the physical condition of currency they accept. However, Federal Reserve member banks are expected to follow Federal Reserve guidelines on unfit currency.
The Federal Reserve has a formal “unfit” currency standard. Notes that are worn, soiled, limp, torn, or defaced but still clearly genuine and identifiable are considered “fit” rather than unfit. A bank receiving such notes in the normal course of business is expected to accept them, process them, and ultimately return them to the Federal Reserve for assessment during normal depositing cycles.
A taped bill that is clearly identifiable as genuine US currency meets the “fit” standard in most circumstances. A bank teller who reflexively refuses a taped bill is applying discretion, not following a legal requirement.
| Bill Type | Bank Required to Accept? | Typical Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Lightly taped, clearly genuine | No legal requirement, but generally yes | Accepted and processed normally |
| Heavily taped, denomination unclear | Bank may decline | Ask for Federal Reserve exchange |
| Two halves of same bill taped | Generally yes if both halves present | Accepted or exchanged |
| Burned or severely damaged | Bank may decline | Submit to BEP redemption program |
| Counterfeit with tape alteration | No | Confiscated, Secret Service notified |
If a bank refuses your taped bill, you can request an exchange for a fresh note. Most Federal Reserve member banks will exchange clearly genuine but damaged currency for free.
How to Exchange Damaged Currency
Exchanging damaged currency in the US involves two pathways depending on the severity of the damage. For lightly damaged or taped bills, your local bank handles the exchange. For severely mutilated currency, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Mutilated Currency Division processes the claim.
For lightly damaged bills, including those with tape, tears, or moderate wear, walk into any Federal Reserve member bank. Tell them you have damaged currency to exchange. Most banks will exchange the damaged notes for fresh ones at no charge, provided the bills are clearly identifiable as genuine US currency.
For severely damaged currency, including bills that have been burned, chemically damaged, water damaged beyond drying, or physically destroyed, the BEP’s Mutilated Currency Redemption Program accepts claims directly.
How to submit to the BEP Mutilated Currency Redemption Program:
- Package the damaged currency carefully, without further disturbing or reassembling the pieces
- Include a letter explaining how the currency was damaged and your estimated value of the damaged amount
- Mail the package to: Bureau of Engraving and Printing, MCD/OFM, Room 344A, BEPA Building, 14th and C Streets SW, Washington DC 20228
- Allow several months for processing; complex cases take longer
- Redemption decisions are made by BEP examiners who physically evaluate the currency
The BEP redeems full face value for notes where more than 50 percent of the note is clearly identifiable. For notes where 50 percent or less is identifiable, the redemption is half the face value. Notes that cannot be identified at all may not be redeemed.
Federal Reserve Damaged Money Policy
The Federal Reserve’s policy on damaged money distinguishes between notes that are “unfit for circulation” due to wear and notes that are “mutilated.” These two categories are treated differently in the Fed’s currency processing system.
Unfit notes are those that are worn, limp, soiled, or lightly torn but still clearly genuine. The Federal Reserve retires these through normal processing: when banks deposit unfit notes with their regional Federal Reserve Bank, the Fed sorts them out, destroys them through shredding, and replaces them with new notes from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Taped bills typically fall into the “unfit” category rather than the “mutilated” category. They circulate normally until they reach the banking system, where they are eventually replaced during the normal currency retirement cycle.
Federal Reserve currency lifecycle:
- New notes produced by Bureau of Engraving and Printing
- Notes distributed to Federal Reserve Banks
- Federal Reserve Banks distribute to commercial banks
- Commercial banks put notes into circulation with customers
- Customers use notes in everyday transactions
- Worn or damaged notes returned to commercial banks through deposits
- Commercial banks return unfit notes to Federal Reserve Banks
- Federal Reserve Banks destroy unfit notes and request replacements
- Severely mutilated notes forwarded to BEP Mutilated Currency Division for evaluation
The average lifespan of a $1 bill is about 6.6 years. Higher denominations last longer because they circulate less. Taped bills typically survive through several normal cycles before being retired.
Key Takeaway: The Federal Reserve treats taped bills as ordinary currency in its processing system. A taped bill circulates normally, eventually gets returned to the Fed through banking channels, and is retired and replaced just like any other worn note. No special legal status applies.
Mutilated Currency Redemption Program
The Mutilated Currency Redemption Program is a free federal service run by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing that evaluates and redeems severely damaged US currency that cannot be exchanged through normal banking channels.
The program handles currency that has been burned, embedded in materials, contaminated by chemicals, water-logged, or otherwise so severely damaged that individual notes can no longer be separated and presented normally. The BEP employs specialized examiners who use physical analysis to determine how much of the original currency is present and what it is worth.
The program accepts both individual consumer claims and institutional claims from businesses that have suffered currency damage due to fires, floods, or other disasters. There is no minimum claim amount, but extremely small claims may take proportionally long to process.
BEP Mutilated Currency Redemption Program key facts:
- Service is completely free of charge
- Processing time ranges from several months to over a year for complex cases
- Examiners physically evaluate every claim individually
- Redemption is paid by Treasury check sent to the claimant’s address
- The program processes claims in the millions of dollars annually
- Currency burned in fires is one of the most common claim types
The program does not handle counterfeit currency claims. If examiners determine submitted currency is counterfeit, the claim is denied and the matter is referred to the Secret Service.
For taped bills, this program is almost never necessary. A taped but intact bill can be exchanged at a local bank. The redemption program exists for true disasters, not for everyday damaged currency situations.
Is It Illegal to Write on Money?
Writing on US currency is not illegal in most circumstances, but it can become illegal depending on what is written and the intent behind it. Federal law under 18 USC 333 covers defacement of currency, but enforcement against casual writing is essentially nonexistent.
The statute makes it illegal to deface, mutilate, or impair currency in a way that makes it unfit for circulation. A simple signature, date, or short message written on a bill in pen does not come close to meeting that standard. The bill remains fully functional and identifiable after casual writing.
Writing that could become legally problematic includes altering the denomination markings (changing “1” to “100” with ink), writing over security features to impair authentication, or writing that is part of a scheme to pass altered currency.
Writing on money: legal risk breakdown:
- “Where’s George?” tracking stamp: Legal, widely practiced
- Signature or name on a bill: Legal
- Artistic drawings on bills: Legal if bill remains identifiable
- Changing denomination numbers with ink: Illegal, currency fraud
- Writing over security features: Potentially illegal depending on result
- Protest messages stamped on bills: Legal; courts have ruled this protected
The “Where’s George?” website, which encourages people to stamp bills with a website URL to track their geographic journey, is a well-known example of writing on currency that the federal government has never prosecuted. This practice has been going on for decades with millions of bills marked and tracked.
Is It Illegal to Deface Currency?
Defacing US currency is technically illegal under 18 USC 333 when the defacement renders the currency unfit for circulation. In practice, casual defacement like writing, stamping, or drawing on bills is almost never prosecuted because it almost never makes currency unfit.
The statute’s focus is on functional harm, not cosmetic changes. Courts and prosecutors apply a practical standard: if the defaced bill can still be identified, authenticated, and used as currency, the defacement did not cause the kind of harm the statute targets.
Defacement becomes a genuine legal concern when it interferes with a bill’s security features, alters its denomination, or makes it difficult for merchants and machines to process. A $5 bill drawn on heavily in marker but still clearly readable as a $5 bill is different from a bill where the denomination and serial number are completely obscured.
| Defacement Type | Likely Prosecution? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Writing name on bill | No | Common, never prosecuted |
| Stamping promotional message | No | Common practice |
| Artistic drawing on bill | No | Bill remains identifiable |
| Obscuring serial number | Potentially | Creates authentication issue |
| Altering denomination in ink | Yes | Currency fraud |
| Partial burning or charring | Possibly | Depends on resulting condition |
Real enforcement of currency defacement laws targets fraud, not art projects.
Is It Illegal to Draw on Money?
Drawing on money is not illegal under federal law as long as the bill remains recognizable and usable as US currency. Artistic depictions, doodles, stamps, and decorative drawings on bills have never resulted in a federal prosecution for defacement.
Artists have used US currency as a canvas for decades. Dollar bill origami, artistic modifications, and elaborate drawings on bills circulate constantly through commerce without triggering any legal consequence. The bills remain legal tender. Their value is unchanged. Their security features are still visible beneath the art.
The legal test remains the same as for all currency modification questions: does the drawing render the currency unfit for circulation? A $1 bill with a meticulously drawn portrait of a cat in the corner is still absolutely a $1 bill.
Drawing on money: what’s fine and what’s not:
- Pencil or pen doodles: Fine
- Colored pencil or watercolor: Fine if bill remains legible
- Rubber stamp impressions: Fine, common practice
- Heavy paint that obscures the entire bill: Potentially problematic
- Drawing that alters or obscures the denomination: Illegal
- Dollar bill origami: Fine; the bill remains intact
One specific prohibition does exist for coins under 18 USC 331 and related coinage statutes: altering coins with fraudulent intent or to pass them as different denominations is a federal crime. This includes things like plating a coin to make it look like a higher-value coin. But simple drawing or marking on a coin remains in the same practical gray zone as paper currency.
Is It Illegal to Destroy Money?
Intentionally destroying US currency is technically illegal under 18 USC 333 when the destruction is willful and renders currency unfit for reissue. In practice, accidental destruction is never prosecuted, and even deliberate destruction is rarely charged unless it is part of a larger scheme.
The statute requires willful destruction. Accidentally burning your wallet in a campfire is not a federal crime. Deliberately burning a pile of currency with no fraudulent intent is technically illegal but almost never prosecuted. The federal government has historically focused enforcement on cases involving fraud or systematic destruction that affects currency supply.
Businesses that accept large amounts of currency and must dispose of damaged notes are required to deposit them with a Federal Reserve Bank rather than destroying them independently. This rule exists to maintain accurate tracking of currency in circulation.
Destruction scenarios and legal status:
- Accidental fire damage to wallet currency: Not illegal, accidental
- Child tears up parent’s bill: Not illegal, accidental
- Deliberately shredding cash at home: Technically illegal, almost never prosecuted
- Business destroying unfit cash instead of depositing it: Violation of Fed procedures
- Systematic destruction of currency to remove from circulation: Federal crime
- Burning currency as art or protest: Technically illegal; prosecution risk is low but real
The practical reality is that the federal government has far larger enforcement priorities than someone who accidentally destroys a $20 bill or even deliberately shreds it at home. But the statute exists, and in extreme cases with provable willful intent, it can be applied.
Is It Illegal to Burn Money?
Burning money is technically illegal under 18 USC 333, which prohibits willfully mutilating currency in a way that makes it unfit for reissue. But prosecution for casual burning of small amounts of currency is extraordinarily rare and has no documented history of routine enforcement.
The law doesn’t care why you burned the money. Whether it’s a protest, an art project, or a misguided magic trick, the statute applies. What law enforcement actually cares about is scale, intent, and whether the destruction was part of a larger scheme to defraud or manipulate the currency supply.
Burning a single dollar bill as a demonstration has not resulted in any recorded federal prosecution. Burning large amounts of cash to avoid having it traced in a financial crime investigation is a completely different matter and would be pursued aggressively.
Burning money: practical legal landscape:
- One bill burned in a demonstration: No documented prosecutions
- Small bills burned accidentally: Never prosecuted
- Large-scale cash burning to destroy evidence in a fraud case: Serious federal crime
- Businesses burning unfit currency instead of depositing it: Fed procedure violation
- Coin melting for metal value: Subject to 18 USC 331 and related statutes; more actively enforced
The gap between what the statute technically prohibits and what the government actually prosecutes is enormous in this area. The law exists. But no federal prosecutor is building a case around one burned dollar bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go to jail for putting tape on a dollar bill?
No, you cannot go to jail for putting tape on a dollar bill in normal circumstances.
Federal law under 18 USC 333 targets currency mutilation that renders bills unfit for circulation, which simple repair taping does not do.
Tape only becomes a legal issue when used to combine parts of different bills or to fraudulently alter a denomination.
There is no recorded federal prosecution for taping a torn bill.
Will stores and banks accept taped or damaged money?
Most banks and stores will accept taped money that is clearly identifiable as genuine US currency.
Federal law requires acceptance of legal tender, but private businesses have discretion over the physical condition of bills they accept.
Banks can exchange lightly damaged or taped bills for fresh notes at no charge in most cases.
Severely damaged bills that stores decline can be submitted to the BEP Mutilated Currency Redemption Program for full or partial face value.
Is it illegal to write your name on a dollar bill?
No, writing your name on a dollar bill is not illegal under federal law.
18 USC 333 targets defacement that makes currency unfit for circulation, and a simple signature does not meet that standard.
The “Where’s George?” program has encouraged millions of Americans to write on bills for decades without any federal enforcement action.
Writing that alters the denomination markings or obscures security features crosses into illegal territory.
How do you exchange a badly damaged bill for a new one?
Take lightly damaged bills, including taped ones, to any Federal Reserve member bank for a free exchange.
For severely damaged currency that is burned, chemically treated, or in multiple unconnected pieces, mail it to the BEP Mutilated Currency Division with a letter explaining the damage.
The BEP redeems full face value for notes where more than 50 percent of the note is identifiable.
Processing through the BEP program takes several months to over a year depending on the complexity of the claim.
What is the difference between currency mutilation and defacement?
Currency mutilation refers to physical destruction that makes a bill unfit for circulation, governed by 18 USC 333.
Currency defacement refers to marking or drawing on a bill without necessarily destroying it, also covered under 18 USC 333.
Both are technically prohibited, but enforcement focuses on cases where currency is functionally destroyed or fraudulently altered.
Writing on, drawing on, or stamping a bill that remains fully usable falls far below the threshold that prosecutors and federal agencies actually pursue.
The rules around putting tape on money are much simpler than the confusion suggests. Repair tape on a torn bill is legal. Fraud using tape is not. The line between them is clear.
Bookmark this guide for the next time someone insists they’re committing a federal crime by fixing a torn dollar. The actual law has always been more reasonable than the myths around it.
Understanding currency law in plain terms keeps you informed without unnecessary worry about everyday situations.
