18 U.S. Code § 333 - Mutilation of national bank obligations
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.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)
edit: adding more info to ease your minds a bit…
From a long running campaign about stamping political messages on Federal Reserve Notes.
The last time I went to the bank to get a couple hundred dollars in fives and tens they were in a deplorable condition. I do mean really bad shape. I was shocked that a bank would hand out such trash.
Intent is apparently the key issue here.
edit: adding more info to ease your minds a bit…
From a long running campaign about stamping political messages on Federal Reserve Notes.
https://www.stampstampede.org/faq/yes-its-legal/
https://www.stampstampede.org/uploads/alan-levine-nov-6-opinion.pdf
That’s bullshit. Tell me a bank that won’t accept money that is written on....there isn’t one
Who said they wouldn't accept it? A bank will accept it and send it in to be replaced. The defaced note will then be destroyed.
Speaking of—
The last time I went to the bank to get a couple hundred dollars in fives and tens they were in a deplorable condition. I do mean really bad shape. I was shocked that a bank would hand out such trash.