FinCEN Renews Geographic Targeting Orders for Residential Real Estate to Combat Illicit Finance

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has renewed its Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs) requiring US title insurance companies to identify the beneficial owners behind shell companies used in non-financed residential property transactions. The renewed GTOs, effective from 10 October 2025, extend the ongoing scrutiny of high-value real estate purchases that could be exploited for money laundering.

The announcement follows FinCEN’s decision on 30 September 2025 to postpone the implementation of its forthcoming Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers Rule (RRE Rule) until 1 March 2026. The current GTOs will therefore remain in force until 28 February 2026, continuing to bridge the regulatory gap and provide critical intelligence on potentially illicit finance and property transactions.

The renewed Orders maintain the existing scope, covering select counties and metropolitan areas across California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Texas, Washington, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Purchase price thresholds remain unchanged at 300,000 dollars for most covered areas, except for Baltimore City and County, where the threshold remains 50,000 dollars.

FinCEN highlighted the continued cooperation of title insurance companies and the American Land Title Association in safeguarding the integrity of the US property market against financial crime. The agency reiterated that these measures remain essential in identifying opaque ownership structures and deterring the use of real estate for laundering criminal proceeds.

Read the press release here.