Purchases of Bank Checks and Drafts, Cashier’s Checks, Money Orders, and Traveler’s Checks (31 CFR 1010.415)

The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) prohibits financial institutions from issuing any “bank check, cashier’s check, traveler’s check, or money order to any individual in connection with a transaction or group of such contemporaneous transactions which involves United States coins or currency (or such other monetary instruments as the Secretary may prescribe) in amounts or denominations of $3,000 or more” unless (1) the financial institution verifies, through a signature card or other account documentation or information, that the individual has a transaction account with the financial institution, and records the method of verification in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary; or (2) the individual furnishes the financial institution with such forms of identification as the Secretary may require by regulation, and the financial institution verifies and records such information in accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary. To implement these requirements, FinCEN issued a regulation requiring financial institutions to maintain records related to the issuance or sale of bank checks and drafts, cashier’s checks, money orders, and traveler’s checks. The regulation applies to all financial institutions as defined in 31 CFR 1010.100(t). However, it is FinCEN’s experience that banks and money services businesses (MSBs) are more likely than other categories of financial institution to issue or sell bank checks and drafts, cashier’s checks, money orders, and traveler’s checks. Under 31 CFR 1010.415, financial institutions are required to maintain records of certain information related to the issuance or sale of bank checks and drafts, cashier’s checks, money orders, and traveler’s checks when the issuance or sale involves currency between $3,000 and $10,000, inclusive, to any individual purchaser of one or more of these instruments.

The latest form for Purchases of Bank Checks and Drafts, Cashier’s Checks, Money Orders, and Traveler’s Checks (31 CFR 1010.415) expires 2028-05-31 and can be found here.