2006-11-09 09:25:32 · 18 answers · asked by Gardenia Blossom 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Technically no, but I don't think anyone is going to prosecute you for it.
2006-11-09 09:31:13 · answer #1 · answered by Chris J 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes, as long as you don't deface it in order to make it unusable.
However, how much and what you can write is unclear. For example, there are many people who disapprove of the country's motto being on our money, and cross out the word "god". That doesn't make the money unusable, so in theory is OK. There's also an online website http://www.wheresgeorge.com/ that let's you track where money has been, and to do that, people have to write the web address on the bill - again, technically not a violation.
This doesn't mean some stores won't decline the bills, or that the state dept won't come after you! Here's what the statute actually says (my capitalization):
Defacement of currency is a violation of Title 18, Section 333 of the United States Code. Under this provision, currency defacement is generally defined as follows: Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, WITH INTENT TO RENDER SUCH ITEM(S) UNFIT TO BE REISSUED, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
2006-11-09 17:41:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Totally legal - unless the witing renders it unfit for further use. That's not really defined in the US Code, but based on past history, it seems that it would take a lot before someone would NOT accept money, so the question may never come up.
Just think about it - many bills have stamps from banks on them - either on purpose or from where the stamp missed the band holding the stack of bills. Cashiers mark on bills all the time with the counterfeit detection pens. Banks mark stacks going to ATM's. Go to www.wheresgeorge.com for info on a whole community that regularly writes on bills.
2006-11-09 17:43:07 · answer #3 · answered by dollhaus 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think it is legal because i see people in the store write on the money all the time.
2006-11-09 17:41:34 · answer #4 · answered by Cool as ice 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Nope. It is considered destruction of federal goverment property because every single piece of money that is either minted or printed belongs to the US Goverment. You could go to prison if a treasury official caught you in the act of writing on US currency.
2006-11-09 17:34:02 · answer #5 · answered by quatrapiller 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
18 USC § 333. Mutilation of national bank obligations
PART I - CRIMES
Whoever mutilates, cuts, defaces, disfigures, or perforates, or unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, or Federal Reserve bank, or the Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt unfit to be reissued, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
2006-11-09 17:56:43 · answer #6 · answered by Steineesq 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Technically against the law, but the law is practically unenforceable. That's why people can get away with writing on money or putting coins on railroad tracks, etc.
2006-11-09 17:42:57 · answer #7 · answered by socrates 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My guess (and it is a guess) is that the actual paper money belongs to the federal government, but the value that it represents (in gold, I believe) is yours. If the government owns the paper, then theoretically it would be damaging government property to write on the paper. Just a guess.
2006-11-09 17:35:36 · answer #8 · answered by Kevin P 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It is illegal to de-face any gov't property on any level and therefore it is illegal to deface Us Dollars and coins.
Here is a web link:
Google: law: defacing US currency
You get several links and blogs
And the secret service comes looking
Kevin: The Us Dollar is not based on the gold standard any longer. Nor are many countries today. http://internationalecon.com/v1.0/Finance/ch80/F80-2.html
2006-11-09 17:36:22 · answer #9 · answered by devilduck74 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i do not think it is but i see and had some money with spells and mun and stuff like that on it i mean no one nos who really put it there in the frast plc so i think it might not be or be
2006-11-09 17:35:17 · answer #10 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
People do it all the time and I have never heard anyone being prosecuted for it.
Also I have never seen anyone reject money that had been written on, including banks.
2006-11-09 17:28:17 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋