Money Laundering Laws by State (2026)
How each state handles money laundering and the penalties, from each state's code.
| State | Money laundering |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Alaska's Criminal Code (AS Title 11) contains no offense of money laundering. Alaska's money services law requires licensed money transmitters and their agents to file with the attorney general the reports required by federal currency and suspicious-transaction reporting laws pertaining to money laundering. AS Title 11 (reviewed); AS 06.55.406 |
| Arizona | Arizona grades money laundering by conduct, not by dollar amount. Second-degree money laundering — handling, moving or hiding proceeds while knowing or having reason to know they come from crime, making property available for racketeering, structuring transactions or evading reporting requirements, using false identities or forged instruments, or running an unlicensed money-transmitting business — is a class 3 felony (2.5 to 7 years for a first-time non-dangerous offense). First-degree money laundering — leading, financing or managing a money-laundering enterprise, or laundering to facilitate terrorism or murder — is a class 2 felony (4 to 10 years). Third-degree money laundering — paying or taking something of value to get a money transmitter to skip compliance steps — is a class 6 felony. A pattern totaling $100,000 or more in 12 months can trigger forfeiture of substitute assets worth three times the amount. A.R.S. § 13-2317; A.R.S. §§ 13-702(D), 13-707 |
| Arkansas | Laundering criminal proceeds (criminal use of property) — knowingly conducting a transaction with proceeds of a crime to hide their source or ownership, avoid a reporting requirement, or acquire an interest in them, or knowingly letting your property be used to commit a predicate offense — is a Class C felony (3 to 10 years, fine up to $10,000). The statute sets no separate grades by dollar amount. After a conviction, the prosecutor may also sue for damages equal to the property involved plus investigation costs. Ark. Code § 5-42-204; Ark. Code §§ 5-4-201, 5-4-401 |
| California | Money laundering is conducting transactions through financial institutions involving monetary instruments worth more than $5,000 within 7 days, or more than $25,000 within 30 days, either to promote criminal activity or knowing the money comes from criminal activity. It is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail or a felony term under Penal Code 1170(h) (16 months, 2 or 3 years), plus a fine up to $250,000 or twice the value laundered, whichever is greater (up to $500,000 or five times the value for a repeat conviction). For felony sentences, extra consecutive terms are added by amount: 1 year for more than $50,000, 2 years for more than $150,000, 3 years for more than $1 million, and 4 years for more than $2.5 million. Cal. Penal Code 186.10(a), (c); 1170(h)(1) |
| Colorado | Money laundering — conducting a financial transaction with money the person knows or believes are criminal proceeds, or moving money or monetary instruments, to promote a crime, to conceal the source, ownership or control of the proceeds, or to avoid a federal reporting requirement — is a class 3 felony (presumptive range 4 to 12 years, fine $3,000 to $750,000). The statute does not grade the offense by dollar amount. C.R.S. § 18-5-309; C.R.S. §§ 18-1.3-401, 18-1.3-501, 18-1.3-503 |
| Connecticut | Connecticut grades money laundering by intent and amount. Exchanging more than $10,000 in proceeds of a felony to hide that they came from selling illegal drugs, or to help or profit from drug sales, is first degree, a Class B felony (1 to 20 years). Doing so with more than $10,000 to hide any criminal source, or to help a crime, is second degree, a Class C felony (1 to 10 years). Exchanging more than $10,000 knowing the exchange will hide the source or aid criminal activity is third degree, a Class D felony (up to 5 years). The same knowing conduct with any amount is fourth degree, a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year). Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-276 to 53a-279; Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-35a, 53a-36, 53a-41, 53a-42 |
| Delaware | Delaware does not grade money laundering by amount. Knowingly acquiring, hiding, moving, spending or investing criminal proceeds (or funds believed to be criminal proceeds), conducting transactions with them, or financing what one believes is criminal activity is a Class D felony (up to 8 years). Structuring transactions or causing a required currency report to be omitted or falsified to evade reporting requirements is a Class G felony (up to 2 years). 11 Del. C. § 951; 11 Del. C. §§ 4205, 4206 |
| Florida | Florida grades money laundering by the amount of financial transactions in any 12-month period: more than $300 but less than $20,000 is a third-degree felony (up to 5 years); $20,000 to less than $100,000 is a second-degree felony (up to 15 years); and $100,000 or more is a first-degree felony (up to 30 years). The court may also impose a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the value of the transactions (up to $500,000 or five times the value for a repeat offense), and the person is liable for a civil penalty of the transaction value or $25,000, whichever is greater. Fla. Stat. § 896.101(5)-(7); Fla. Stat. §§ 775.082, 775.083 |
| Georgia | Georgia does not grade money laundering by amount tiers. Knowingly conducting a currency transaction with proceeds of specified unlawful activity, intending to promote that activity or knowing it is designed to hide the proceeds' source or ownership or to avoid a reporting requirement, carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the transaction amount, whichever is greater. Willful violations of the state currency-reporting rules are misdemeanors, or felonies (up to 5 years and $500,000) when they further another violation or are part of a pattern of illegal activity involving more than $100,000 in a 12-month period. O.C.G.A. § 7-1-915 |
| Hawaii | Money laundering (knowingly moving, acquiring or transacting with proceeds of specified unlawful activity to promote it, to hide its source or ownership, or to avoid a reporting requirement, or running a business that does so) applies only when the value is $8,000 or more. It is a Class C felony (5 years) when the value is under $10,000, with a fine of up to $16,000 or twice the property's value, and a Class B felony (10 years) at $10,000 or more, with a fine of up to $25,000 or twice the value. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 708A-3; Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 706-640, 706-659, 706-660, 706-663 |
| Idaho | Money laundering - knowingly moving, investing, concealing or conducting financial transactions with proceeds of racketeering or drug trafficking (or giving something of value to further them), including to hide the source or avoid reporting requirements - is a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. Idaho does not grade the offense by dollar amount; the court may also order restitution of investigation and prosecution costs. Idaho Code § 18-8201 |
| Illinois | Money laundering is conducting a financial transaction with property known to be proceeds of unlawful activity to promote that activity, to hide its source or ownership, or to avoid a state reporting requirement (and related transfers of monetary instruments). Grades depend on the value laundered: up to $10,000 is a Class 3 felony (2 to 5 years); over $10,000 up to $100,000 is a Class 2 felony (3 to 7 years); over $100,000 up to $500,000 is a Class 1 felony (4 to 15 years); and over $500,000 is a non-probationable Class 1 felony. Laundering meant to promote a specified criminal activity under subsection (a)(2) is a Class X felony (6 to 30 years). 720 ILCS 5/29B-1(a), (c); 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-25, -30, -35, -40 |
| Indiana | Money laundering is knowingly or intentionally acquiring, hiding, possessing, moving, transacting with, or investing the proceeds of criminal activity, knowing they come from crime. It is a Level 6 felony (6 months to 2.5 years), a Level 5 felony (1 to 6 years) if the proceeds are worth $50,000 or more or the purpose is terrorism or obtaining a weapon of mass destruction, and a Level 4 felony (2 to 12 years) if both apply. There are defenses for helping lawful seizures and for bona fide attorney fees. IC 35-45-15-5; IC 35-50-2-5.5, -6, -7 |
| Iowa | Money laundering - knowingly transporting, receiving or transacting in proceeds of unlawful activity, making property available to further specified unlawful activity, or conducting transactions to conceal the source of proceeds or avoid reporting requirements - is a class C felony, punishable by up to ten years and a fine of up to $10,000 or twice the value of the property, whichever is greater. Running a business of laundering transactions is a class D felony (up to five years, fine up to $7,500 or twice the value). Iowa does not grade the crime by dollar amount; violators also face a civil penalty of three times the value of the property, and the property is subject to forfeiture. Iowa Code § 706B.2 |
| Kansas | Kansas's money laundering statute covers proceeds of drug crimes: knowingly receiving or dealing in drug proceeds, financing or concealing property meant for drug crimes, managing transfers of drug proceeds, or structuring transactions to hide them or avoid reporting. It is graded on the drug sentencing grid by the value of the proceeds: under $5,000 is a drug severity level 5 felony; $5,000 to under $100,000 level 4; $100,000 to under $250,000 level 3; $250,000 to under $500,000 level 2; and $500,000 or more level 1. K.S.A. 21-5716 |
| Louisiana | Money laundering is graded by the value of the funds: under $3,000 - up to 6 months, a fine up to $1,000, or both; $3,000 to under $20,000 - 2 to 10 years with or without hard labor and a fine up to $10,000; $20,000 to under $100,000 - 2 to 20 years at hard labor and a fine up to $20,000; $100,000 or more - 2 to 50 years at hard labor and a fine up to $50,000. La. R.S. 14:230(E) |
| Maryland | Maryland's state money laundering crime covers drug proceeds: with intent to promote a drug crime or to hide the source or ownership of drug-crime proceeds, knowingly receiving, transferring, investing or conducting a financial transaction involving proceeds (defined as money or property worth more than $10,000) derived from a drug crime. It is a felony punishable for a first violation by up to 5 years and/or a fine up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the value of the proceeds, and for a later violation by up to 10 years and/or the greater of $500,000 or five times the proceeds. Each transaction is a separate violation; the statute is not graded by amount above the $10,000 threshold. Md. Code, Crim. Law § 5-623 |
| Massachusetts | Money laundering - knowingly transporting, possessing or transacting in money or property derived from criminal activity to promote crime, to conceal or disguise its nature, source or ownership, or to avoid reporting requirements, or directing such transactions - is a felony punished by up to 6 years in state prison and/or a fine up to $250,000 or twice the value of the property, whichever is greater. A second or later offense carries 2 to 8 years and/or a fine up to $500,000 or three times the value. The statute is not graded by amount. G.L. c. 267A, § 2 |
| Michigan | Money laundering (knowingly conducting a transaction or otherwise dealing with proceeds of a specified criminal offense) is graded by degree. Fourth-degree is a misdemeanor with up to 2 years and a fine up to $10,000 or twice the proceeds. Third-degree applies when the proceeds are $10,000 or more, or the crime was a drug offense, or the act was meant to promote a crime, hide the proceeds or avoid reporting - a felony with up to 5 years and $50,000 (or twice the proceeds). Second-degree ($10,000 or more plus a drug offense or the specified intent) carries up to 10 years and $100,000; first-degree ($10,000 or more, a drug offense, and the specified intent) carries up to 20 years and $500,000. Amounts may be aggregated over 30 days. MCL 750.411l, 750.411m, 750.411n, 750.411o |
| Minnesota | Minnesota charges money laundering as concealing criminal proceeds: conducting a transaction involving monetary instruments worth more than $5,000 while knowing or having reason to know they are proceeds of a felony under the criminal code or drug laws is a felony with up to 10 years and/or a $100,000 fine. Engaging in a business whose primary or secondary purpose is concealing felony proceeds is a felony with up to 20 years and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Minn. Stat. §§ 609.496, 609.497 |
| Mississippi | Knowingly conducting a financial transaction with the proceeds of specified unlawful activity to promote that activity, conceal the proceeds or avoid a reporting requirement, or moving such funds into, out of or through Mississippi, is money laundering. The penalty is up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value involved, whichever is greater; the law sets no amount tiers. A civil penalty of up to the value involved or $10,000, whichever is greater, may also apply. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-23-101 |
| Missouri | Money laundering is conducting or attempting a financial transaction (including cryptocurrency) to promote criminal activity, or to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership or control of criminal proceeds, among other listed purposes. It is a class B felony (5 to 15 years), and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater, may also be assessed. The statute has no amount tiers. RSMo § 574.105; §§ 558.011, 558.002 |
| Montana | Money laundering is knowingly receiving or dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity, providing anything of value to further unlawful activity, moving such proceeds, or conducting a transaction designed to conceal them or avoid federal reporting. It carries up to $1,500 and/or six months in jail, but if the proceeds or item of value exceed $1,500, or the laundering is part of a common scheme, it carries up to 20 years in state prison and/or a fine up to $50,000. Money, property and real estate involved must be forfeited. MCA 45-6-341 |
| Nevada | Knowingly conducting a financial transaction with, or transporting, the proceeds of unlawful activity (racketeering or any felony) to further unlawful activity, conceal the proceeds, or evade a reporting requirement; conducting a transaction involving $5,000 or more known to come from unlawful activity; or structuring a transaction to evade reporting, is a category C felony (1 to 5 years and a fine up to $10,000). Each transaction or property worth $5,000 or more is a separate offense; there are no other amount tiers. NRS 207.195; NRS 193.130, 193.140, 193.150 |
| New Jersey | Money laundering (possessing, transporting or dealing in property a person knows or reasonably should believe came from crime, to promote the crime, conceal its source or avoid reporting requirements, or directing such transactions) is graded by the amount: $500,000 or more is a crime of the first degree (with a parole bar of one-third to one-half of the sentence); $75,000 to under $500,000 is a crime of the second degree; less is a crime of the third degree. The court may impose a fine up to $500,000, and the sentence runs consecutively to the sentence for the underlying crime. N.J.S. 2C:21-25, 2C:21-27 |
| New Mexico | Under the Money Laundering Act, it is a crime to knowingly conduct a financial transaction with proceeds of a specified unlawful activity to conceal their source or avoid reporting requirements, to further other unlawful activity, or to transport or provide such property for those purposes. Grade depends on the amount: $10,000 or less, misdemeanor; over $10,000 up to $50,000, fourth degree felony; over $50,000 up to $100,000, third degree felony; over $100,000, second degree felony. A civil penalty of three times the value of the property also applies. NMSA 1978, § 30-51-4; § 31-18-15(A); § 31-19-1 |
| New York | Money laundering is graded by amount and source. Fourth degree, class E felony (up to four years): transactions exceeding $5,000 (or $10,000 in some forms). Third degree, class D felony (up to seven years): exceeding $10,000 of drug-sale proceeds or $50,000 of other criminal proceeds. Second degree, class C felony (up to 15 years): exceeding $50,000 of drug proceeds or $100,000 of other felony proceeds. First degree, class B felony (up to 25 years): exceeding $500,000 of drug proceeds or $1,000,000 of class A, B or C felony proceeds. N.Y. Penal Law §§ 470.05, 470.10, 470.15, 470.20; N.Y. Penal Law §§ 70.00, 70.15 |
| North Carolina | Money laundering (knowingly and willfully acquiring, concealing, transferring or transacting in criminal proceeds, or using them to promote crime, with knowledge of the criminal activity) is a Class H felony when the amount is under $100,000 and a Class C felony at $100,000 or more. Related proceeds from one scheme may be added together to set the class. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-118.8 |
| Ohio | Money laundering (knowingly conducting a transaction with proceeds of unlawful activity to further corrupt activity or to hide their source or avoid reporting requirements, conducting transactions in known corrupt-activity proceeds over $10,000 including structuring, or dealing in property represented by police as criminal proceeds) is a third-degree felony regardless of amount (a definite term of nine to 36 months). The court may add a fine of $7,500 or twice the value of the property, whichever is greater, and an additional fine of three times the value of the property involved. R.C. 1315.55, 1315.99(C); R.C. 2929.14, 2929.18, 2929.24, 2929.28 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma's money laundering offenses are tied to drug crimes. Knowingly concealing or dealing in proceeds of a drug offense, financing drug crimes, moving drug proceeds, or conducting a transaction designed to hide drug proceeds or avoid a reporting requirement is a Class C2 felony punished by up to seven (7) years in prison, a fine up to $50,000, or both. Violations of the Drug Money Laundering and Wire Transmitter Act (such as financial transactions with proceeds of drug activity) are felonies punished by two (2) to ten (10) years, a fine up to $50,000 or twice the transaction amount, whichever is greater, or both. The statutes do not set grades by amount. 63 O.S. §§ 2-503.1, 2-503.1c, 2-503.1h; 21 O.S. § 20M |
| Oregon | Laundering a monetary instrument (conducting a financial transaction or moving money known to be proceeds of unlawful activity to promote the activity, hide the source or ownership, or avoid a federal reporting requirement) is a Class B felony (up to 10 years), with any amount. Knowingly engaging in a financial transaction in property worth more than $10,000 that is the proceeds of unlawful activity is a Class C felony (up to 5 years). For either crime the court may add a fine equal to the value of the property involved. ORS 164.170, 164.172 |
| Pennsylvania | Dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities is conducting a financial transaction with property known to be proceeds of unlawful activity (any activity graded a first-degree misdemeanor or higher) to promote that activity or to conceal the proceeds' nature, source, ownership or control, or to avoid a state or federal reporting requirement. It is a felony of the first degree, punishable by up to 20 years and a fine of $100,000 or twice the value of the property, whichever is greater. The person is also civilly liable to the Commonwealth for the greater of the property's value or $10,000. The statute has no grades by amount. 18 Pa.C.S. § 5111 |
| Rhode Island | Laundering of monetary instruments is conducting or attempting a financial transaction to promote specified unlawful activity, to conceal or disguise the nature, source, ownership or control of its proceeds, or to avoid a state or federal reporting requirement, or knowing the property is proceeds of (or used to facilitate) unlawful felony activity. It is punished by up to twenty (20) years, a fine up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved (whichever is greater), or both, and the person is liable for a civil penalty of up to the greater of the property's value or $10,000. The statute does not set grades by amount. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-9.1-15 |
| South Carolina | Conducting a financial transaction with property known to be proceeds of unlawful activity, intending to promote unlawful activity or knowing it is designed to conceal or disguise the proceeds, moving such funds into or out of the United States, or dealing in property represented by an officer as criminal proceeds, is a felony graded by the total value of transactions in a 12-month period: over $300 but under $20,000 is a Class F felony (up to 5 years); $20,000 to under $100,000 is a Class E felony (up to 10 years); and $100,000 or more is a Class C felony (up to 20 years). The fine is up to $250,000 or twice the transaction value, whichever is greater ($500,000 or five times the value for a repeat offense), and the person is civilly liable for the greater of the property's value or $10,000. S.C. Code § 35-11-740; § 16-1-20 |
| Tennessee | Tennessee does not grade money laundering by amount. Conducting a financial transaction with criminally derived proceeds to conceal their source or ownership, using proceeds to further a specified unlawful activity, or laundering property represented by an officer as proceeds (sting) is a Class B felony (8 to 30 years, fine up to $25,000). A business or enterprise that knowingly handles criminal proceeds commits a Class E felony punishable only by a $5,000 fine plus forfeiture, rising to a Class B felony on five or more separate occasions. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-903; Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-111 |
| Texas | Money laundering (knowingly acquiring, concealing, transferring or investing proceeds of criminal activity, or financing criminal activity) is graded by value: $2,500 to under $30,000, state jail felony (180 days to 2 years); $30,000 to under $150,000, third-degree felony (2 to 10 years); $150,000 to under $300,000, second-degree felony (2 to 20 years); $300,000 or more, first-degree felony (5 to 99 years or life). Proceeds from one scheme may be added together. Tex. Penal Code § 34.02(e)-(f); Tex. Penal Code §§ 12.21-12.35 |
| Utah | Utah does not grade money laundering by amount. Knowingly receiving, transporting or acquiring proceeds of unlawful activity, making proceeds available to further unlawful activity, or conducting a transaction to promote it, conceal the proceeds or avoid reporting rules is a second-degree felony (1 to 15 years, up to $10,000 fine). Each act moving more than $10,000 is a separate violation. Utah Code § 76-9-1602; Utah Code §§ 76-3-203, 76-3-204, 76-3-205, 76-3-301 |
| Virginia | Virginia does not grade money laundering by amount. Knowingly conducting a financial transaction with proceeds of any felony is punished by up to 40 years in prison and/or a fine up to $500,000. Converting cash into negotiable instruments or electronic funds for pay, knowing it is felony proceeds, is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and a Class 6 felony for a repeat. Va. Code § 18.2-246.3; Va. Code §§ 18.2-10, 18.2-11 |
| Washington | Washington does not grade money laundering by amount. Conducting or attempting a financial transaction involving proceeds of specified unlawful activity is money laundering when the person knows the property is such proceeds, knows the transaction is designed to conceal or disguise the proceeds' nature, source or ownership, or knows it is designed to avoid a federal reporting requirement; it is a class B felony (up to 10 years and $20,000). RCW 9A.83.020; RCW 9A.20.021 |
| West Virginia | Conducting a financial transaction with proceeds of listed criminal activity, intending to promote the crime or knowing it is designed to hide the proceeds or avoid reporting requirements, is graded by amount: under $1,000 is a misdemeanor (up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine); $1,000 to $20,000 is a felony (1-5 years and/or a $1,000-$10,000 fine); over $20,000 is a felony (2-10 years and/or a $5,000-$25,000 fine). Property involved may be forfeited, and the court may order it returned to victims. W. Va. Code §§ 61-15-2, 61-15-1, 61-15-3 |
| Wisconsin | Knowingly receiving or dealing in proceeds known to come from unlawful activity, financing or moving such proceeds, providing money to further crime, or conducting a transaction designed to hide the proceeds or avoid federal reporting is graded by total value: up to $2,500 is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months and/or $10,000); over $2,500 to $5,000 is a Class I felony; over $5,000 to $10,000 is a Class H felony; over $10,000 to $100,000 is a Class G felony (up to 10 years and/or $25,000); over $100,000 is a Class F felony (up to 12.5 years and/or $25,000). A financial institution that complied with federal reporting rules is not liable. Wis. Stat. § 943.895; Wis. Stat. §§ 939.50, 939.51 |
| Wyoming | Transporting or possessing property one knows or reasonably should know is criminal proceeds, directing or financing such transfers, or conducting a transaction with such property to promote crime, hide its source or ownership, or evade reporting requirements is money laundering: a felony with up to 10 years and/or a $10,000 fine. Wyoming does not grade the offense by amount. Insured banks and credit unions and their employees handling customer transactions are exempt unless an employee acts with criminal intent. W.S. 6-3-1102 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.