A Currency Transaction Report (CTR) is a mandatory filing required under the Bank Secrecy Act for cash transactions exceeding $10,000 in a single business day. CTRs help regulators detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes by creating a transparent record of large cash movements. Filing a CTR does not imply suspicious activity; it is a routine regulatory requirement designed to support national financial security and oversight.

Reportable transactions include cash deposits, withdrawals, currency exchanges, and cash purchases of monetary instruments such as money orders or cashier’s checks. Non-cash transactions—such as checks, wire transfers, debit card payments, or account transfers—are not reportable for CTR purposes. This course helps learners clearly distinguish between reportable and non-reportable activity.

Aggregation requires financial institutions to combine multiple cash transactions conducted by or on behalf of the same person within a single business day. If the total aggregated amount exceeds $10,000, a CTR must be filed—even if each individual transaction is below the threshold. Aggregation applies across branches and channels, making it critical for staff to understand how seemingly separate transactions may trigger reporting requirements.