Definition
Currency Transaction Report (CTR)
A report a US financial institution must file for each transaction in currency of more than $10,000 by, through, or to the institution on a single business day.
By Bart Mierzejewski · Founder, FinCrime Desk · Reviewed Sep 19, 2026
Why it matters
CTRs are mechanical where SARs are judgemental, but the aggregation rules are where people get caught out: multiple transactions by or on behalf of the same person in one business day are aggregated. Understanding aggregation is what separates a CTR that files itself from an exemption error an examiner will find.
In practice
Filed within 15 calendar days. Unlike a SAR, a CTR is not confidential in the same way — a customer may be told a CTR will be filed. Institutions may exempt certain customers under the Phase I and Phase II exemption rules, and mishandled exemptions are a routine examination finding.