Money is weird. We handle it every day, shove it into vending machines, and occasionally find a crumpled five-pack in a pair of jeans we haven’t worn since last winter. But the moment you try to take high-quality pictures of dollar bills, things get legally sticky very fast. It isn’t just about photography; it's about the Secret Service, federal anti-counterfeiting laws, and a whole bunch of digital hurdles that most people don’t even realize exist until their Photoshop shuts down or their printer starts screaming at them.
Most of us assume that because we "own" the physical paper, we own the right to use its image. Wrong. The design of U.S. currency is technically under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Treasury. They’re protective.
Why Your Camera Might Be "Illegal"
If you’ve ever tried to scan a twenty-dollar bill, you might have noticed something strange. Your scanner might simply refuse to work. Or, if you open a high-res photo of a bill in Adobe Photoshop, a warning box pops up telling you that you’re attempting to process "Counterfeit Deterrence System" (CDS) protected imagery. This isn't a glitch. It’s the result of the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group (CBCDG), a consortium of over 30 central banks that convinced tech companies to build "snitch" code into their hardware and software.
Basically, your computer knows what money looks like.
The code detects a specific pattern called the EURion constellation. It’s a series of small circles—sometimes disguised as musical notes or stars—scattered across the face of most modern banknotes. On the five-dollar bill, look at the small yellow "05"s. On others, they’re just tiny dots. If your software sees that pattern, it kills the task. It’s a fascinating, invisible layer of censorship designed to stop low-effort counterfeiters from just hitting "print."
The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992
The law doesn’t care if you’re just trying to make a cool Instagram post or a thumbnail for a YouTube video about personal finance. The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-550) laid out very specific, very annoying rules for anyone creating pictures of dollar bills.
If you want to stay out of a windowless room with two guys in suits, you have to follow the "size and color" requirements. First, the illustration must be significantly larger or smaller than the real thing. Specifically, it has to be less than 75% of the actual size or more than 150% of the actual size. You can't just snap a 1:1 photo.
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Also, it’s supposed to be one-sided. If you’re printing it, you can’t print the back. And finally, you’re technically required to destroy the digital files, plates, or negatives used to create the image after you’re done with them. Do people actually do that? Probably not. Does the Secret Service have better things to do than raid a food blogger for having a JPEG of a dollar on their desktop? Usually. But the law is there, and it’s surprisingly rigid.
Stock Photos and the "Fake" Money Industry
Ever wonder why movie money looks so real on screen but feels like trash in person? There’s a whole industry built around the production of "prop" money. Companies like RJR Props in Atlanta specialize in this. They have to navigate the same pictures of dollar bills laws that photographers do. If you look closely at prop money used in music videos or films, it often says "For Motion Picture Use Only" or "In Prop We Trust" instead of "In God We Trust."
Professional photographers who need money shots for stock sites like Getty or Shutterstock often use these props or very specific lighting setups to ensure they aren't triggering the CDS software. Some even use "play money" that is intentionally colored slightly off-green or has the wrong portraits.
Realism is the enemy of the law here.
The irony is that the more "authentic" your photography looks, the more likely you are to be flagged. High-end macro photography that captures the "raised ink" (intaglio printing) of a $100 bill is stunning. The way the ink sits on the linen-and-cotton paper blend is a work of art. But that level of detail is exactly what the government wants to keep out of the hands of the public in digital form.
The Artistic Loophole (Sort Of)
There’s a long history of artists using currency in their work. Think of J.S.G. Boggs. He was famous for drawing incredibly realistic replicas of banknotes and then "spending" them. He didn’t try to trick people; he’d tell the shopkeeper it was art and ask if they’d accept it as payment. Usually, they did. Despite his transparency, he was hounded by the Secret Service for years. They seized his work. They raided his home.
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The lesson? Even if you think your pictures of dollar bills are "art," the Treasury might see them as a threat to the integrity of the U.S. Dollar.
If you're a designer today, the safest bet is to use "illustrative" representations. Use icons. Use blurred backgrounds. If you absolutely must have a crisp, clear image of a bill, ensure you are pulling from the official "Moneyfactory" (Bureau of Engraving and Printing) media gallery. They provide high-resolution images that are already pre-vetted and legally compliant for news and educational purposes. Even then, they usually have "SPECIMEN" watermarked across them or are shown at an angle to prevent 1:1 reproduction.
The Digital Future and NFTs
With the rise of digital assets, the question of "pictures of money" has taken a weird turn. People have tried to mint NFTs of high-res scans of rare currency. This creates a whole new headache for regulators. Is a digital token of a picture of a dollar a "counterfeit"? Not in the traditional sense. You can’t buy a soda with an NFT. But it does violate the spirit of the laws meant to control the reproduction of the currency's likeness.
What's really wild is that as we move toward a cashless society, the physical dollar bill is becoming more of a cultural icon than a tool of commerce. People want pictures of it because it represents an idea. Success. Greed. Power. The "Benjamins."
Practical Steps for Content Creators
If you are a blogger, YouTuber, or small business owner, don't just grab a camera and start snapping. You'll likely run into tech blocks or legal risks you don't want.
First, check the official BEP (Bureau of Engraving and Printing) website. They have a section for "Currency Image Use" that tells you exactly what they allow.
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Second, if you're taking your own photos, use a shallow depth of field. Keep the bill at a sharp angle so it's clearly not a flat scan. This bypasses a lot of the automated "counterfeit" detection software in modern cameras and editing suites.
Third, never, ever distribute "print-ready" files. If you're sharing a graphic, make sure it’s a flattened JPEG or PNG at 72dpi. High-resolution PDFs are a major red flag for security algorithms.
Lastly, remember that the "linen" texture of a real bill is actually a mix of 75% cotton and 25% linen with tiny red and blue synthetic fibers. If your photo doesn't show those fibers, it’s a bad photo. If it shows them too well, it’s a legal liability. It's a weird tightrope to walk.
Stick to the 150% or 75% rule. It’s the simplest way to stay in the clear. If your image is twice the size of a normal bill, no one can accuse you of trying to pass it off at a gas station.
The Secret Service is generally looking for intent. They want to catch people trying to defraud the system. But the laws are written broadly enough that "accidental" counterfeiters—people just trying to make a cool graphic—can get caught in the dragnet.
Stay smart about how you handle the "portrait" of the U.S. economy. Use the official government resources when possible, and always aim for "obviously fake" in your digital reproductions.
To stay compliant, your first move should be visiting the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s official "Currency Image Gallery." Download their pre-cleared high-resolution images instead of trying to scan your own cash. This ensures the proportions and watermarks are already handled by federal experts, saving you from a potential headache with your software or a knock on the door from the Treasury.
Check your current graphics against the 150/75 size rule immediately. If you have any 1:1 ratio images of currency on your website or social media, resize them or add a "SPECIMEN" watermark to the center. This is a five-minute fix that removes the most common legal vulnerability for creators using currency imagery.