What are the laws about defacing paper currency (in the US)? I’ve read the Staff Report about defacing coins, but I can’t seem to be able to find info about paper money.
Specifically, I want to know if it would be illegal (and/or void a bill) to black out “In God We Trust” on the back of paper currency…
I don’t know about the legality of it (though it better not be illegal). I do know of several people who’ve done it though with repercussion.
*Withough repercussion
The only crime in defacing currency is in an attempt to change its amount.
I think Reeder has it right.
However, individuals or businesses likely have the right to refuse to accept mutilated or defaced currency from you. They could tell you to take that bill to the Federal Reserve Bank (which does have a service to accept and value damaged, mutilated, or defaced currency), and ask for a “clean” bill instead.
I recall a minor controversy here in Minneapolis a few years ago, when some gay activists were stamping pink triangles & “GAY MONEY” on their currency, and a local bank teller refused to accept it (due to her religious convictions). No legal rulings though, since it was promptly settled by bank management when calls for a boycott of the bank (located in a neighborhood that was home to lots of gay people) began circulating.
There used to be a fairly easy way to mark up a one dollar bill so that a change making machine would think that it was a five dollar bill. An aquaintence of mine was charged with a Federal Crime for doing so.
Haj