Is it Illegal to Burn Money? [Laws & Penalties]

Money is the most precious part of today’s society. It is that factor with the help of which we are growing the human civilization as well as getting progress in other fields too. But it may have a lot of money and looking to burn it to get rid of some paper, read on.

But the question is, “Is it illegal to burn money, or can we can do it publically?” This is the most important question that comes to mind because we are talking about burning currency. So is it illegal to burn money?

As crazy as it may sound to the average person, burning money is a practice that isn’t that uncommon.

We will also show other dimensions of the question like whether flushing money can be a way to get rid of useless paper money or not. All in all, you will get to know what you are looking for regarding money burning.

Is it illegal to burn money?

Yes, governments have established strict laws to limit such activities or stop the unusual destruction of cash. According to research, many countries have legal authorities to deal with such activities, and doing something as such might land you in prison.

It does not matter whether you are a billionaire or have a lot of money to destroy it, think twice before doing it. The reason is that it is completely illegal to destroy coins or burn money in almost all the states of the US.

In some countries, the policies are strict than in others because burning cash will impact their economy directly. No doubt, you own the cash but it is part of national reservoirs due to which authorities take action against such activities.

Why is it illegal to shred money?

It’s illegal to shred money as the destruction of currency leads to inflation. If you need to burn cash for a youtube video or a film project, consider fake currency instead. Apart from not being a crime, it’s also really cheap!

Why is it illegal to burn money in the US?

It’s illegal to burn money because it may create inflation. Every country has rules and regulations to stabilize its country currency value and prevent it from getting devalued. Similarly, the United States has a complete and strict law that prohibits the burning of money or cash.

Under the 18 U.S.C 333: Mutilation of National Bank Obligations, it is completely illegal to burn money or throw it. The reason is it will waste the national reservoirs and devalue the currency. In turn, the progress of the country will be affected badly which will not be a good sign for the US.

Is it illegal to throw away money?

Logically, it seems legal and ethical because you own that money and can spend it anywhere. But throwing money anywhere that can’t be useful for someone is illegal by law. Whether you are living in the US or any other country, it might be illegal to throw away the money.

The main reason is that this activity will deface the currency of that country. By law, defacing money currency is an illegal activity that can lead you to severe conditions. In short, anything that might be related to defacing like dollar burning would be considered illegal.

Till now, you have understood the answer of “Is it illegal to burn money?” Now, you need to know about this query in detail to get an idea about other dimensions.

Is burning money a felony?

In some countries including US & UK, burning money is considered a felony because it is an activity to damage the government’s property. In turn, the punishments can vary as per the intensity of the crime including capital punishments and fines.

What is the punishment for flushing money in the US?

In the United States, this crime can lead you to the punishment of 10 years with a heavy fine that you need to pay. So, you should think twice before flushing the dollars or destroying the coins. Every country has different punishments and charges for all crimes including the burning of money or dollars.

What happens if you cut money or rip money?

Burning cash is an illegal activity. It is important to know what can happen to you in this case. If you have been found destroying money, you will be found guilty of violating the regulations related to Government property and would be charged accordingly. You may have to live for many years behind the bars or pay a heavy fine for your bail after that.

Check out Trading Forex Legal in Canada

Is it legal to destroy coins by drilling a hole?

It does not matter whether you are burning money or drilling a hole in the coin, you will be found guilty of the same crime. But you won’t be charged unless someone reports you. While defacing currency is punished by 5-10 years of prison, burning a single bill or drilling a coin won’t lead you to immense trouble hopefully.

What we should do with torn paper money instead of dollar burning?

You should get them replaced by a national bank instead of burning them. If you have many paper currency notes or coins that have been damaged and can’t be used, you should not burn them. It is not a legal act or way to throw away useless currency papers.

It is stated in almost every country’s law that you can replace the damaged currency papers and bonds if these are identifiable. The only thing that you must note is that the number or anything that can make it identifiable should be visible on the currency note. Along with this, you can save yourself from any allegations from the legal authorities.

Conclusion

Now, you have learned properly “Is it illegal to burn money?” So, you should be careful and proactive before making such decisions to deal with any of such conditions. It is because the rules clearly state that you must have to face issues or punishments if you are burning or damaging currency, bank slips, or any other document related to this section.

There is no problem when you are using your money or transferring it to anyone around the globe. But shared money transaction is considered to be illegal because it is considered a sort of money laundering. Like other illegal activities, money laundering is one of those crimes that have multiple punishments as per charges on the person.

When a person is unable to justify his shared money transactions, it would be considered an act of money laundering. As it is not a legal activity and no law can justify it, therefore, it is considered an illegal act to use or transfer shared money with anyone.

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E.A. Gjelten

A professional legal editor for various publications who uses her analytical & observational skills, coupled with her extensive experience in the field of law to articulate difficult legal topics. Has been a legal author for the last 12 years & have also worked as a journalist, professor & book editor.