---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 9221a"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "9221a"
heading: "Prohibition on indirect correspondent accounts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/9221a"
units:
  - "Chapter 99 — North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement"
  - "Subchapter II — Sanctions Against North Korean Proliferation, Human Rights Abuses, and Illicit Activities"
---

# §9221a. Prohibition on indirect correspondent accounts

- (a) **In general—** Except as provided in [subsection (b)](#b), if a United States financial institution has or obtains knowledge that a correspondent account established, maintained, administered, or managed by that institution for a foreign financial institution is being used by the foreign financial institution to provide significant financial services indirectly to any person, foreign government, or financial institution designated under [section 9214 of this title](/usc/22/9214.md), the United States financial institution shall ensure that such correspondent account is no longer used to provide such services.
- (b) **Exception—** A United States financial institution is authorized to process transfers of funds to or from [North Korea](/usc/22/9202.md?p=11), or for the direct or indirect benefit of any person, foreign government, or financial institution that is designated under [section 9214 of this title](/usc/22/9214.md), only if the transfer—
  - (1) arises from, and is ordinarily incident and necessary to give effect to, an underlying transaction that has been authorized by a specific or general license issued by the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) of the Treasury; and
  - (2) does not involve debiting or crediting a North Korean account.
- (c) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) **Correspondent account—** The term “correspondent account” has the meaning given that term in [section 5318A of title 31](/usc/31/5318A.md).
  - (2) **United States financial institution—** The term “United States financial institution” means[^1] has the meaning given that term in section 510.310 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on August 2, 2017.
  - (3) **Foreign financial institution—** The term “foreign financial institution” has the meaning given that term in section 1010.605 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on August 2, 2017.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 114–122, title II, § 201A, as added Pub. L. 115–44, title III, § 312(a), Aug. 2, 2017, 131 Stat. 945.)