Title 31 — Money and Finance
Chapter 51 — Coins and Currency
§ 5103. Legal tender
Statutory text
United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 97–258 · 96 Stat. 980
Enacted · 31 U.S.C. § 5103
Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 980
Source evidence
Code source credit
Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 980Pub. L. 97–452 § 1(19) · 96 Stat. 2467
Inserted · 31 U.S.C. § 5103
Pub. L. 97–452 inserted “, public charges, taxes, and dues” after “all debts”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Pub. L. 97–452 inserted “, public charges, taxes, and dues” after “all debts”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(19) Section 5103 is amended by inserting “, public charges, Ante, p. 980. taxes, and dues” after “debts” the first time it appears.Effective date note
Amendment effective Sept. 13, 1982, see section 2(i) of Pub. L. 97–452, set out as a note under section 3331 of this title.
1 of 2 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial
Notes
historicalAndRevision
| Historical and Revision Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1982 Act | ||
| Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 5103 | 31:392. | July 23, 1965, Pub. L. 89–81, § 102, 79 Stat. 255. |
| 31:456. | R.S. § 3584. | |
The words “All . . . regardless of when coined or issued” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement. The word “debts” is substituted for “debts, public and private” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “public charges, taxes, duties, and dues” are omitted as included in “debts”.
1983 Act
This restores to 31:5103 the reference to public charges, taxes, and dues because they are not considered to be debts. See, Hagar v. Reclamation District No. 108, 111 U.S. 701, 706 (1884).
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1983—Pub. L. 97–452 inserted “, public charges, taxes, and dues” after “all debts”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1983 Amendment
Amendment effective , see section 2(i) of Pub. L. 97–452, set out as a note under section 3331 of this title.
Credits
1982–1983 · 2 acts
- 1982Pub. L. 97–258, , 96 Stat. 980
- 1983Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(19), , 96 Stat. 2477.
Show as published
(Pub. L. 97–258, , 96 Stat. 980; Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(19), , 96 Stat. 2477.)