<h2>Permissible Color Illustrations of U.S. Currency</h2>

<p>
  Federal law permits color illustrations of U.S. currency only under the
  following conditions:
</p>
<p>
  <img src="/sites/default/files/media/images/100-resize.jpg" alt="Magnified $20 Federal Reserve Note">
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    The illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and
    one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated;
  </li>
  <li>The illustration is one-sided; and</li>
  <li>
    All negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files,
    magnetic medium, optical storage devices and any other thing used in the
    making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any
    part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final
    use.<br><a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap25-sec504/summary">18 U.S.C. &sect; 504(1)</a>,
    <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2018-title31-vol2/CFR-2018-title31-vol2-sec411-1">31 CFR &sect; 411.1</a>.<br>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2>Crimes Related to U.S. Currency</h2>

<p>Federal law prohibits all of the following activities.</p>

<ol style="list-style-type: none; marker: none; padding: 0;">
  <li>
    <h3>
      1. Creating Currency-Like Items and Attaching Notices to U.S. Currency
    </h3>
    <p>
      Under section 475 of the U.S. Criminal Code, &ldquo;whoever designs, engraves,
      prints, makes, or executes, or utters, issues, distributes, circulates, or
      uses any business or professional card, notice, placard, circular,
      handbill, or advertisement in the likeness or similitude of any obligation
      or security of the United States issued under or authorized by any Act of
      Congress or writes, prints, or otherwise impresses upon or attaches to any
      such instrument, obligation, or security, or any coin of the United
      States, any business or professional card, notice, or advertisement, or
      any notice or advertisement whatever, shall be fined under this title.&rdquo;
      <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap25-sec475">18 U.S.C. &sect; 475</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <h3>2. Defacing U.S. Currency</h3>
    <p>
      Under section 333 of the U.S. Criminal Code, &ldquo;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.&rdquo;
      <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap17-sec333">18 U.S.C. &sect; 333</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <h3>3. Creating Counterfeit U.S. Currency</h3>
    <p>
      Under section 471 of the U.S. Criminal Code, &ldquo;whoever, with intent to defraud,
      falsely makes, forges, counterfeits, or alters any obligation or other
      security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned
      not more than 20 years, or both.&rdquo;
      <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap25-sec471">18 U.S.C. &sect; 471</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <h3>4. Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency</h3>
    <p>
      Under section 472 of the U.S. Criminal Code, &ldquo;whoever, with intent to defraud,
      passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or
      sell, or with like intent brings into the United States or keeps in possession
      or conceals any falsely made, forged, counterfeited, or altered obligation or
      other security of the United States, shall be fined under this title or
      imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.&rdquo;
      <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap25-sec472">18 U.S.C. &sect; 472</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
  <li>
    <h3>5. Creating Fictitious Instruments Resembling U.S. Currency</h3>
    <p>
      Under section 514(a) of the U.S. Criminal Code, &ldquo;(a) Whoever, with the
      intent to defraud&mdash;(1) draws, prints, processes, produces, publishes, or
      otherwise makes, or attempts or causes the same, within the United States;
      (2) passes, utters, presents, offers, brokers, issues, sells, or attempts
      or causes the same, or with like intent possesses, within the United States;
      or (3) utilizes interstate or foreign commerce, including the use of the
      mails or wire, radio, or other electronic communication, to transmit,
      transport, ship, move, transfer, or attempts or causes the same, to, from, or
      through the United States, any false or fictitious instrument, document, or
      other item appearing, representing, purporting, or contriving through scheme
      or artifice, to be an actual security or other financial instrument issued
      under the authority of the United States, a foreign government, a State or
      other political subdivision of the United States, or an organization, shall be
      guilty of a class B felony.&rdquo;
      <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2017-title18/USCODE-2017-title18-partI-chap25-sec514">18 U.S.C. &sect; 514</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
</ol>

Currency Image Use