What Is Forfeited?

The data are unequivocal: When it comes to forfeiture, currency reigns supreme. From 2019 to 2023, currency accounted for an average of 75% of properties forfeited across 23 states that record such information (see Figure 17). In all but one of these states, currency is the most common asset type forfeited. The lone exception is Minnesota, where 57% of properties forfeited were vehicles compared to only 31% that were currency, the result of heavy use of forfeiture for driving while impaired.

Figure 17: Types of forfeited property, 22 states and D.C., 2019–2023

In jurisdictions with data, currency was the most frequently forfeited type of property

Note: The 22 states are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

At first glance, federal data from the DOJ tell a somewhat different story, as weapons are the most forfeited type of property. ¹  However, the federal government is required to destroy weapons, ammunition, and contraband, meaning it derives no revenue from these forfeitures. Among properties that generated revenue, the story looks more familiar: Currency forfeitures dominate at 69%, while conveyances (i.e., vehicles) are a distant second at 24% (see Figure 18).

Figure 18: Types of forfeited property, DOJ revenue-generating forfeitures, 2000–2023

Currency was the most frequently forfeited type of property

Why does currency dominate? As is often the case with forfeiture, incentives likely play a large role

First, currency is easy and efficient to forfeit. There is no need for storage, appraisal, or auction, and because currency is already liquid, agencies can quickly use it once forfeited. The government’s preference for cash is revealed in the DOJ’s Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual, where it sets minimum property value thresholds for pursuing forfeiture. While the DOJ can seek forfeiture of currency worth as little as $1,000, there is a $10,000 minimum value for vehicles and a $30,000 minimum threshold for real property. ²

Second, currency is less likely to be contested than vehicles, likely because of the importance of cars in everyday American life and because ownership is easier to establish. As a result, the government is more likely to receive forfeiture proceeds when it seizes cash. Averaging available data from five states, owners file claims contesting only 12% of currency seizures compared to 28% of vehicle seizures. ³  Such differences in claim rates may help explain why, among three states with data, 84% of seized currency is forfeited compared to 55% of seized vehicles. ⁴