Is it illegal to burn money?
Technically illegal under federal law if done with the intent to render currency unfit.
Burning United States currency is technically a federal crime under statutes governing the mutilation of obligations of the United States. While individual instances of lighting a single bill on fire are rarely prosecuted, the law prohibits any act that renders currency unfit to be reissued if done with fraudulent or malicious intent. The primary goal of these laws is to protect the integrity of the physical money supply and prevent individuals from altering denominations or devaluing the currency. Generally, law enforcement focuses on large-scale counterfeiting or commercial-scale destruction rather than private expressive acts.
RELEVANT LAWS
- 18 U.S.C. § 333Mutilation of national bank obligations
- 18 U.S.C. § 475Imitating obligations or securities; advertisements
- 31 C.F.R. Part 100Exchange of Mutilated Paper Currency
POTENTIAL PENALTIES
- Fines of up to $100 per incident under basic federal guidelines
- Imprisonment of not more than six months
- Civil liability if the destruction is part of a larger fraudulent scheme
- Permanent loss of the face value of the destroyed currency
JURISDICTION
This is a federal offense governed by the Department of the Treasury and applies uniformly across all 50 U.S. states.
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing will actually replace your burned money for free if more than 50% of the bill is identifiable or if the security features remain intact.
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FOR EDUCATIONAL & ENTERTAINMENT USE ONLY · NOT LEGAL ADVICE