Travelers entering the United States may take as much money as they wish into the country.

You may bring up to $10,000 in currency, coin and specific monetary instruments without reporting it to customs.

If you bring more than $10,000 into the country, notify this to customs to avoid fines or, worse yet, losing the money.

Certain monetary instruments also require reporting, even if their total amount reaches less than $10,000.

Types of Money

Report all coins, including gold coins, and currency from the United States and other countries. Traveler's checks, money orders and personal or business checks made out to someone else with a signature indicating they are ready for deposit require reporting.

If you bring in signed checks, money orders or promissory notes, but no payee is listed, you must declare these items to customs.

If you travel with someone else and you carry more than $10,000 between the two of you, report that amount to customs.

In Transit

Certain monetary instruments do not require reporting when entering the United States as part of traveling to a foreign destination. You do not need to report credit cards with lines of credit of more than $10,000.

Monetary instruments that are not endorsed do not require reporting. You do not need to inform customs if you are bringing gold bullion into the country.

Reporting Form

If you bring in currency or monetary instruments that require reporting, fill out the Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments, form FinCEN 105. The form is available as a downloadable document from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, or pick up and fill in the form and submit it to a U.S. Customs Border Protection officer before entering the country.

If you cannot read the form, a customs officer will help you fill it out.

Duty Fees

The Customs and Border Protection Agency collects no duty fees for any amount you carry into the country. The information on the form is provided to the Internal Revenue Service, so it may eventually inform you that the money is subject to an income tax.

Penalties

If you fail to report your monetary instruments equal to or more than $10,000, customs officials may take the money from you. Customs officials may also assess hefty fines or civil and criminal penalties for not reporting the monetary instruments.