FinCEN Issued Southwest Border Geographic Targeting Order FAQs

March 22, 2026 / Source: FinCEN

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Issued: March 19, 2026
Subject: Issuance of a Geographic Targeting Order Imposing Additional Recordkeeping
and Reporting Requirements on Certain Money Services Businesses Along the Southwest
Border
On March 6, 2026, FinCEN renewed, with modifications, a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO)
requiring certain money services businesses (MSBs) to file additional Currency Transaction
Reports (CTRs) with FinCEN. As modified, the GTO requires MSBs located in certain counties
and ZIP Codes in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas near the southwest border
(Covered Businesses) to file CTRs for cash transactions of $1,000 or more.
The terms of the GTO are effective March 7, through September 2, 2026. However, MSBs that
were not required to report under the GTO published by FinCEN on September 10, 2025 have
until April 6, 2026 to comply with the terms of this GTO. In addition, the filing deadline for all
reports filed under this GTO is 30 days after the date on which the transaction takes place,
instead of the usual 15 days for CTRs.
To assist Covered Businesses in complying with the GTO, FinCEN is disseminating this list of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). These FAQs are applicable only to this GTO, as reissued,
and should not be construed to apply to any FinCEN regulation or other order, including other
GTOs.

To file a CTR on a Covered Transaction, please use the BSA E-Filing System.
If you would like additional information pertaining to E-Filing, please reference the E-Filing Support Center and the User Guide.

For additional questions, please contact the FinCEN Regulatory Support
Section at mailto:www.fincen.gov/contact.