ATLANTA, March 28, 2026, 3:53 PM EDT
This week, Georgia’s Senate unanimously passed House Bill 1112, pushing the state a step closer to dropping pennies at checkout after a 50-0 vote on March 25. Washington, meanwhile, is already there—Governor signed HB 2334 into law on March 23. States are moving fast to address the end of U.S. penny production, filling the regulatory gap.
The issue has fresh urgency after the last circulating U.S. penny rolled out of the mint on Nov. 12, 2025—capping a 232-year stretch, though the coins are still valid for transactions. Treasury officials say retailers should keep taking pennies and giving out penny change when possible. When pennies run short, stores can round cash transactions to the nearest nickel instead.
Lawmakers in roughly two dozen states have introduced bills since late last year aiming for what’s known as symmetrical rounding—basically, cash totals ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents are rounded down, while amounts ending in 3, 4, 8, or 9 cents round up. The Associated Press notes that a federal bill, championed by Representative Lisa McClain, managed to get through the House Financial Services Committee, but hasn’t yet been put to a full House vote.
Washington’s new law kicks in June 11, allowing—but not mandating—rounding for in-person cash deals or when giving change. Non-cash payments like cards need to be precise, with taxes based on the amount before any rounding. Shoppers can still pay the exact total with coins if they want. April Berg, who sponsored the measure, pointed to “the myriad of issues” sparked by a dwindling supply of pennies. LawFiles
Georgia’s proposal takes a bigger leap. According to Capitol Beat, the Senate’s version would mostly make rounding mandatory for cash transactions, but still allow shoppers to pay the precise total if they’ve got the right change. The House hasn’t signed off on the Senate’s revisions yet, so the bill’s fate is undecided. “It all evens out,” said Senator Chuck Hufstetler, a Republican representing Rome, stressing the plan’s simplicity. Capitol Beat
States are taking their own approaches. In Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs signed a March 13 law mandating rounding at checkout if pennies aren’t available. Indiana eased up on a previous rule, letting businesses decide on rounding. Tennessee, meanwhile, zeroed in on protecting merchants from consumer-protection suits. But McClain argues a federal rule is needed, warning of a “confusing patchwork of state policies.” Azfamily
Even so, not everyone comes out even. Treasury officials argue that rounding should balance out, dropping prices just as often as they rise. But a look at 2023 payment data by Richmond Fed researchers suggests there’s a slight tilt: cash transactions tend to end up on amounts that round up. Economist Russell Wong concedes the penny’s disappearance “only a little” shifts things, but his math puts the annual extra cost to consumers around $6 million—most of it falling on older and lower-income people who rely more on cash. U.S. Department of the Treasury
It’s not just the mainstream market seeing action. On Friday, CoinWeek highlighted that PCGS authenticated a Buffalo nickel mistakenly struck on a dime planchet—basically, a dime’s blank—pulled from a vintage mint-error collection. That coin is now labeled the second-finest of its kind, with under a dozen such errors known from any year.
The penny isn’t disappearing all at once—it’s slipping out of daily use in fits and starts. According to the Mint, collector editions will stick around but only in small batches. As for cash transactions, state legislatures, not Washington, are increasingly deciding the rules.
