Federal · Title 31 — Money and Finance

31 U.S.C. § 5324: Structuring transactions to evade reporting requirement prohibited

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law prohibits structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements to financial institutions and nonfinancial businesses, or filing false reports. Violations are punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text
cause or attempt to cause a domestic financial institution to fail to file a report required under section 5313(a) or 5325 or any regulation prescribed under any such section, to file a report or to maintain a record required by an order issued under section 5326, or to maintain a record required pursuant to any regulation prescribed under section 21 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act or section 123 of Public Law 91–508 ; cause or attempt to cause a domestic financial institution to file a report required under section 5313(a) or 5325 or any regulation prescribed under any such section, to file a report or to maintain a record required by any order issued under section 5326, or to maintain a record required pursuant to any regulation prescribed under section 5326, or to maintain a record required pursuant to any regulation prescribed under section 21 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act or section 123 of Public Law 91–508 , that contains a material omission or misstatement of fact; or structure or assist in structuring, or attempt to structure or assist in structuring, any transaction with one or more domestic financial institutions. cause or attempt to cause a nonfinancial trade or business to fail to file a report required under section 5331 or any regulation prescribed under such section; cause or attempt to cause a nonfinancial trade or business to file a report required under section 5331 or any regulation prescribed under such section that contains a material omission or misstatement of fact; or structure or assist in structuring, or attempt to structure or assist in structuring, any transaction with 1 or more nonfinancial trades or businesses. fail to file a report required by section 5316, or cause or attempt to cause a person to fail to file such a report; file or cause or attempt to cause a person to file a report required under section 5316 that contains a material omission or misstatement of fact; or structure or assist in structuring, or attempt to structure or assist in structuring, any importation or exportation of monetary instruments. Whoever violates this section shall be fined in accordance with title 18, United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both. Whoever violates this section while violating another law of the United States or as part of a pattern of any illegal activity involving more than $100,000 in a 12-month period shall be fined twice the amount provided in subsection (b)(3) or (c)(3) (as the case may be) of section 3571 of title 18 , United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.