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Title 31 — Money and FinanceRelease 119-73

§5316 Reports on exporting and importing monetary instruments

Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE IV— - MONEY › Chapter CHAPTER 53— - MONETARY TRANSACTIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - RECORDS AND REPORTS ON MONETARY INSTRUMENTS TRANSACTIONS › § 5316

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

People (or their agents or bailees) must file a report when they knowingly move more than $10,000 at one time in cash or other money instruments across U.S. borders, or when they receive more than $10,000 at one time brought into the United States. The Treasury tells people when and where to file and what to include. Required details include who is filing and their role; origin, destination, and route; who gave or will receive the money if the transporter isn’t the owner; the amount and type; and any other Treasury-required information. Passenger carriers don’t have to report when a passenger simply carries money. Goods carriers are exempt if the shipper did not declare the instrument. The Treasury can define “at one time” and may allow closely related events to be counted together.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §5316

Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, a person or an agent or bailee of the person shall file a report under subsection (b) of this section when the person, agent, or bailee knowingly—
(1)transports, is about to transport, or has transported, monetary instruments of more than $10,000 at one time—
(A)from a place in the United States to or through a place outside the United States; or
(B)to a place in the United States from or through a place outside the United States; or
(2)receives monetary instruments of more than $10,000 at one time transported into the United States from or through a place outside the United States.
(b)A report under this section shall be filed at the time and place the Secretary of the Treasury prescribes. The report shall contain the following information to the extent the Secretary prescribes:
(1)the legal capacity in which the person filing the report is acting.
(2)the origin, destination, and route of the monetary instruments.
(3)when the monetary instruments are not legally and beneficially owned by the person transporting the instruments, or if the person transporting the instruments personally is not going to use them, the identity of the person that gave the instruments to the person transporting them, the identity of the person who is to receive them, or both.
(4)the amount and kind of monetary instruments transported.
(5)additional information.
(c)This section or a regulation under this section does not apply to a common carrier of passengers when a passenger possesses a monetary instrument, or to a common carrier of goods if the shipper does not declare the instrument.
(d)The Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe regulations under this section defining the term “at one time” for purposes of subsection (a). Such regulations may permit the cumulation of closely related events in order that such events may collectively be considered to occur at one time for the purposes of subsection (a).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5316(a)31:1101(a).Oct. 26, 1970, Pub. L. 91–508, § 231, 84 Stat. 1122. 5316(b)31:1101(b). 5316(c)31:1101(c). In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “a person or an agent or bailee of the person shall” are substituted for “whoever, whether as principal, agent, or bailee, or by an agent or bailee” for consistency. The words “or reports” are omitted as unnecessary because of 1:1. In clause (2), the words “transported into the United States” are substituted for “at the termination of their transportation to the United States” for consistency and to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (b), before clause (1), the word “required” is omitted as surplus. The word “prescribes” is substituted for “require” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The words “to the extent” are substituted for “in such detail” for clarity. In clause (1), the words “with respect to the monetary instruments transported” are omitted as surplus. In clause (3), the words “or if the person transporting the instruments personally is not going to use them” are substituted for “or are transported for any purpose other than the use in his own behalf of the person transporting the same” for clarity. In subsection (c), the words “or a regulation under this section” are added because of the restatement.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1986—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 99–570, § 1358(b), substituted “transports, is about to transport, or has transported” for “transports or has transported, or attempts to transport or have transported”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 99–570, §§ 1358(c), 3153, made identical

Amendments

substituting “$10,000” for “$5,000”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–570, § 1358(a), added subsec. (d). 1984—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 98–473 inserted “, or attempts to transport or have transported,” after “transports or has transported” and substituted “$10,000” for “$5,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of

Regulations

Prescribed Under 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–570, title I, § 1364(d), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207–34, provided that: “Any regulation prescribed under the

Amendments

made by section 1358 [amending this section] shall apply with respect to transactions completed after the

Effective Date

of such regulation.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 5316

Title 31 — Money and Finance

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73