Title 12Banks and BankingRelease 119-73not60

§215c Mergers, Consolidations, and Other Acquisitions Authorized

Title 12 › Chapter 2— NATIONAL BANKS › Subchapter XVI— CONSOLIDATION AND MERGER › § 215c

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

National banks may merge with or buy any insured depository institution, but they must follow other laws, including sections 1815(d)(3) and 1828(c). If a bank files an application with the Comptroller of the Currency, the Comptroller must approve or deny it in writing within 60 days. One 30-day extension is allowed if required information is missing or is materially wrong. Banks and their subsidiaries still may not do activities they are not already allowed to do. "Acquire" means gaining ownership or control by merger, consolidation, buying assets, or taking on liabilities, and the acquirer may not simply hold the other bank’s shares.

Full Legal Text

Title 12, §215c

Banks and Banking — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Subject to section 1815(d)(3) 11 See References in Text note below. and 1828(c) of this title and all other applicable laws, any national bank may acquire or be acquired by any insured depository institution.
(b)(1)Any application by a national bank to acquire or be acquired by another insured depository institution which is required to be filed with the Comptroller of the Currency under any applicable law or regulation shall be approved or disapproved in writing by the agency before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date such application is filed with the agency.
(2)The period for approval or disapproval referred to in paragraph (1) may be extended for an additional 30-day period if the Comptroller of the Currency determines that—
(A)an applicant has not furnished all of the information required to be submitted; or
(B)in the Comptroller’s judgment, any material information submitted is substantially inaccurate or incomplete.
(c)No provision of this section shall be construed as authorizing a national bank or a subsidiary of a national bank to engage in any activity not otherwise authorized under this Act 1 or any other law governing the powers of national banks.
(d)For purposes of this section, the term “acquire” means to acquire, directly or indirectly, ownership or control through a merger or consolidation or an acquisition of assets or assumption of liabilities, provided that following such merger, consolidation, or acquisition, an acquiring insured depository institution may not own the shares of the acquired insured depository institution.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1815(d)(3) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), which related to optional conversions by insured depository institutions subject to special rules on deposit insurance payments, was struck out and former section 1815(d)(1)(C) redesignated section 1815(d)(3) by Pub. L. 109–173, § 8(a)(4), (5)(D), Feb. 15, 2006, 119 Stat. 3610, 3611. This Act, referred to in subsec. (c), probably means the National Bank Act, act June 3, 1864, ch. 106, 13 Stat. 99, which is classified principally to chapter 2 (§ 21 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

References in Text

note set out under section 38 of this title. Codification Section was not enacted as part of act Nov. 7, 1918, ch. 209, as added Sept. 8, 1959, Pub. L. 86–230, § 20, 73 Stat. 460, which comprises this subchapter.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “under any applicable law” for “by section 1815(d)(3) of this title or any other applicable law”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

12 U.S.C. § 215c

Title 12Banks and Banking

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60