Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury responsible for designing, engraving, and printing paper currency and other secure government documents for the federal government of the United States. Established in 1862 during the American Civil War, the Bureau evolved from a small Treasury operation producing paper financial instruments into the nation's principal producer of United States banknotes. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a major production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, the BEP manufactures Federal Reserve Notes that circulate as the primary paper currency of the United States.

The Bureau's principal responsibility is the production of United States paper currency for the Federal Reserve System, which issues the notes into circulation through the nation's banking system. In addition to printing banknotes, the BEP produces a variety of secure government documents, including Treasury securities, military commissions, certificates, identification cards, and other security-printed materials requiring sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technologies. The Bureau continually develops advanced security features such as color-shifting inks, security threads, watermarks, microprinting, three-dimensional security ribbons, and other technologies designed to protect U.S. currency against counterfeiting while ensuring durability and public confidence.

Beyond currency production, the Bureau conducts research and development in security printing, engraving techniques, and anti-counterfeiting technologies. It collaborates with domestic and international monetary authorities, law enforcement agencies, and central banks to improve currency security and exchange expertise in banknote design and production. The BEP also operates public educational programmes, visitor facilities, and historical archives that document the evolution of United States currency and security printing. Through continuous technological innovation, the Bureau contributes to maintaining the integrity and reliability of the nation's paper currency system.

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing works closely with the Federal Reserve System, the United States Department of the Treasury, the United States Secret Service, the United States Mint, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and other federal agencies responsible for financial security and currency protection. Through its expertise in secure printing, banknote production, and anti-counterfeiting technologies, the Bureau plays a central role in supporting the stability, credibility, and international acceptance of the United States dollar, one of the world's principal reserve and trading currencies.