Can you carry more than $10,000 in cash into or out of the US?
The short answer
Federal law says you must report amounts over $10,000 to CBP when you enter or leave the United States. The report is on FinCEN Form 105. Groups and families add their amounts together.
The $10,000 reporting rule
CBP says the requirement applies whether you travel for business, send money abroad or bring savings back home. Anyone who brings, sends or receives currency or monetary instruments totaling more than $10,000 at one time, into or out of the US, must report it.
This includes people who transport, mail or ship the items for themselves or for another person or business. When families or groups travel together, the $10,000 threshold applies to the total they carry or send collectively, not per person.
What counts as a monetary instrument
- US or foreign coins and currency.
- Traveler's checks in any form.
- Negotiable instruments such as checks, promissory notes and money orders that are in bearer form, endorsed without restriction, made out to a fictitious payee, or otherwise in a form that lets the funds be transferred to another person.
- Incomplete instruments signed with the payee's name left out, and securities or stock in bearer form.
How to file and what happens if you do not
CBP recommends filing FinCEN Form 105 electronically on the FinCEN Form 105 website. You can also print and fill out the form before you travel and give it to a CBP officer before leaving the US, or complete it on arrival. Travelers using Mobile Passport Control can submit the report with their declaration.
CBP says a person who fails to file, or gives false or fraudulent information, risks having the currency or monetary instruments forfeited and seized. In some cases civil or criminal penalties, including fines or imprisonment, can apply. Rules change, check the official page before you travel.
Sources: CBP: Money and Other Monetary Instruments. Read 5 November 2026. Rules and fees change, so check the official page before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Is carrying more than $10,000 illegal?
No. The rule is about reporting. CBP says amounts over $10,000 must be reported when you enter or leave the US.
Does the $10,000 limit apply per person?
For families or groups, CBP says the threshold applies to the total amount they carry or send together, not to each individual.
Are traveler's checks included?
Yes. CBP lists traveler's checks in any form as monetary instruments.
Is there a way to file before I travel?
Yes. CBP says you can file electronically on the FinCEN Form 105 website, or print and complete the form before you leave the US.