Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 23, 2024

Title 12 - Banks and Banking last revised: Nov 20, 2024
§ 303.227 - De minimis Exemption.

(a) In general. The prohibitions of 12 U.S.C. 1829(a) will not apply, and an application will therefore not be required, where all of the following de minimis criteria are met. (Paragraph (b)(4) of this section contains separate exemption criteria from paragraphs (a) through (b)(3) of this section, and an offense that qualifies for exemption under paragraph (b)(4) of this section is excluded from consideration in the criteria of paragraphs (a) through (b)(3) of this section.)

(1) The individual has been convicted of, or has program entries for, no more than two Covered Offenses, including those subject to paragraphs (b)(1) through (3) of this section; and for each Covered Offense, all of the sentencing requirements associated with the conviction, or conditions imposed by the program entry, have been completed (the sentence- or program-completion requirement does not apply under paragraph (b)(2) of this section).

(2) For each Covered Offense, the individual could have been sentenced to a term of confinement in a correctional facility of three years or less and/or a fine of $2,500 or less, and the individual actually served three days or less of jail time for each Covered Offense.

(3) Jail time under paragraph (a)(2) of this section is calculated based on the time an individual spent incarcerated as a punishment or a sanction—not as pretrial detention—and does not include probation or parole where an individual was restricted to a particular jurisdiction or was required to report occasionally to an individual or a specific location. Jail time includes confinement to a psychiatric treatment center in lieu of a jail, prison, or house of correction on mental-competency grounds. The definition is not intended to include either of the following: persons who are restricted to a substance-abuse treatment program facility for part or all of the day; or persons who are ordered to attend outpatient psychiatric treatment.

(4) If there are two convictions or program entries for a Covered Offense, each conviction or program entry was entered at least three years prior to the date an application would otherwise be required, except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(5) Each Covered Offense must not have been committed against an IDI or insured credit union.

(b) Other types of offenses for which the de minimis exemption applies and no application is required—(1) Age of person at time of Covered Offense. If there are two convictions or program entries for a Covered Offense, and the actions that resulted in both convictions or program entries all occurred when the individual was 21 years of age or younger, then the de minimis criteria in paragraph (a)(4) of this section will be met if the convictions or program entries were entered at least 18 months prior to the date an application would otherwise be required. For this reduction in waiting time to apply, the convictions or program entries must meet the other de minimis criteria in paragraph (a) of this section.

(2) Convictions or program entries for insufficient funds checks. The prohibitions of 12 U.S.C. 1829(a) will not apply, and an application will therefore not be required, as to convictions or program entries of record based on the writing of “bad” or insufficient funds check(s) if the following conditions apply:

(i) The aggregate total face value of all “bad” or insufficient funds check(s) cited across all the conviction(s) or program entry(ies) for “bad” or insufficient funds checks is $2,000 or less;

(ii) No IDI or insured credit union was a payee on any of the “bad” or insufficient funds checks that were the basis of the conviction(s) or program entry(ies); and

(iii) The individual has no more than one other de minimis offense under this section.

(3) Convictions or program entries for small-dollar, simple theft. The prohibitions of 12 U.S.C. 1829(a) will not apply, and an application will therefore not be required, as to convictions or program entries based on the simple theft of goods, services, or currency (or other monetary instrument) if the following conditions apply:

(i) The value of the currency, goods, or services taken was $1,000 or less;

(ii) The theft was not committed against an IDI or insured credit union;

(iii) The individual has no more than one other offense that is considered exempt under this section; and

(iv) If there are two offenses—each of which, by itself, is considered exempt under this section—each conviction or program entry was entered at least three years prior to the date an application would otherwise be required, or at least 18 months prior to the date an application would otherwise be required if the actions that resulted in the conviction or program entry all occurred when the individual was 21 years of age or younger.

(v) Simple theft excludes burglary, forgery, robbery, identity theft, and fraud.

(4) Convictions or program entries for using fake identification, shoplifting, trespassing, fare evasion, or driving with an expired license or tag. The prohibitions of 12 U.S.C. 1829(a) will not apply, and an application will therefore not be required, as to the following offenses, if one year or more has passed since the applicable conviction or program entry: using fake identification; shoplifting; trespassing; fare evasion; and driving with an expired license or tag.

(c) Non-qualifying convictions or program entries. No conviction or program entry for a violation of the title 18 sections set out in 12 U.S.C. 1829(a)(2) can qualify under any of the de minimis exemptions set out in this section.

source: 67 FR 79247, Dec. 27, 2002, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 12 CFR 303.227