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Title 31, Money and FinanceRelease 119-102

§3323 Warrants

Title 31 › SUBTITLE III — FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › CHAPTER 33 — DEPOSITING, KEEPING, AND PAYING MONEY › SUBCHAPTER II — PAYMENTS › § 3323

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Treasury can only pay out money when there is a warrant, unless section 3326 says otherwise. A warrant must be allowed by law, signed by the Treasury Secretary, and countersigned by the Comptroller General. The person who pays out money must send a certificate under section 3526 or a requisition for an advance with the warrant and say which government fund to charge (the appropriation). The Secretary must send that paper back to the Comptroller General with the date and amount written on it. No requisition is needed for payments on an audited account or for deposits into the Treasury. The Secretary and the Comptroller General must record the payment against the correct fund in their books.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §3323

Money and Finance, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Except as provided in section 3326 of this title, the Secretary of the Treasury may pay out money only against a warrant. A warrant shall be—
(1)authorized by law;
(2)signed by the Secretary; and
(3)countersigned by the Comptroller General.
(b)(1)A disbursing official shall send to the Secretary with a warrant a certificate under section 3526 of this title, or a requisition for an advance. The certificate or requisition shall state the appropriation to which the payment is to be charged.
(2)The Secretary shall return the certificate or requisition to the Comptroller General with the date and amount endorsed on the certificate or requisition.
(c)A requisition for the payment of money on an audited account or for depositing money in the Treasury is not required.
(d)The Secretary and the Comptroller General shall charge to the appropriate appropriation in their books any money paid by a warrant.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3323(a)31:44(1st sentence).June 10, 1921, ch. 18, § 304(1st par. 1st sentence), 42 Stat. 24. 31:76(2d sentence words before 3d comma).July 31, 1894, ch. 174, § 11(2d, 3d sentences), 28 Stat. 209. 31:147(related to disbursement).R.S. § 305(related to disbursement); July 31, 1894, ch. 174, § 11(last sentence related to § 305), 28 Stat. 209. 3323(b)31:76(2d sentence words after 3d comma). 3323(c)31:76(3d sentence). 3323(d)31:44(1st sentence). 31:77.R.S. § 3675. In the section, the words “Comptroller General” are substituted for “General Accounting Office” for consistency. Subsection (a) is substituted for 31:76(2d sentence words before 3d comma) and 147(related to disbursement) to eliminate unnecessary words and for clarity and consistency. In subsection (b), the word “Secretary” is substituted for “Treasurer” because of the source provisions restated in section 321 of the revised title. In subsection (b)(1), the words “instead of being specified on the warrant” are omitted as surplus. The reference to “section 3526 of this title” is used because section 72, referred to in 31:76, has been omitted from the restatement superseded by 31:82i and 31:82i is restated in section 3526. In subsection (c), the word “depositing” is substituted for “covering” for clarity and consistency.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 3323

Title 31, Money and Finance

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102