Home › United States › 18 U.S.C. § 336
United States · 18 U.S.C. § 336
Quote checked October 14, 2026 Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.
“Whoever makes, issues, circulates, or pays out any note, check, memorandum, token, or other obligation for a less sum than $1, intended to circulate as money or to be received or used in lieu of lawful money of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.”
This section doesn't print a penalty of its own. Other parts of the United States Code may set one; we haven't looked them up, so we don't state one here.
“(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 701; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)”
The earliest year in this note is 1948. That's the earliest year the note prints. It doesn't establish when this wording was enacted, took effect or first appeared.
Our reading
Federal law covers small change people make up themselves. Issuing or paying out a note, check, token or other IOU for less than a dollar, meant to circulate as money in place of U.S. money, can bring a fine, up to six months in prison, or both.
Written by Silly Rules from the quoted text above. It's a plain reading, not legal advice. We haven't researched how courts read this section or how often anyone enforces it.
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Every quote on this site was matched against its official page on October 14, 2026. Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.