Is photocopying a currency note illegal?

Answer 1

Depends on what you mean by copying. To counterfeit a dollar bill, of course it is illegal. If you are just making a photocopy for a record purpose or something like that, then no.

Edit: Legal copies must also be smaller than the original bill, and only one-sided.

Answer 2

Here's the law, part of United States Code 18:

"Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened- Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

This has been interpreted to apply to all moneys. So yes, it is illegal, but it's not enforced unless you are trying to counterfeit money. That's where the word fraudulently applies in the law.

Answer 3

Legally you can't render a banknote unfit for circulation. And you can't intended to defraud someone with a coin or a banknote in the US (such as taking a $1 bill and adding a zero and spending it as a $10, or try to shave down a penny to make it be a dime, etc.), nor can you melt nickels or pennies (every other denomination you can melt if you so choose).

Naturally though, enforcement is minimal when it comes to ripping or burning a banknote.

Answer 4

Yes, very illegal, but don't even think about doing it because when you give it to the store or when you buy something and you pay for it, the salesperson would notice because there's something that the White House maks with the money that only real money would have. Don't do it, it'll cause troubles.

Answer 5

It is illegal to make any color copies. Paper money may be copied in black and white but it must be larger than 150% of the original size or smaller than 75% of the original size.

Answer 6

It is a federal offense to deface, mutilate, impair, diminish, counterfeit, etc. U.S. currency, (18 U.S.C. 33).

Answer 7

Yes it is illegal because you can go to JAIL!!

Answer 8

Only if you are going to attempt to use it as legal tender

Answer 9

You ask an interesting question. I always was told it is NOT legal to photograph US currency. That's why motion pictures showed fake bills.

I'm not so certain anymore.

Answer 10

it is because you are riping a thing that you need to pay with I did it and I nearly went to jail.