One Dollar Bills to be Phased Out in Montgomery County

The U.S. one dollar bill will be phased out of all cash transactions in Montgomery County, Maryland starting January 1, 2027, County Executive Marc Elrich announced today. He signed an executive order, the Greenback Throwback Affordability Act, calling for restaurants and retailers to round up customer bills to the nearest $5, "as soon as practicable and no later than December 31, 2026."

“There is nothing in Montgomery County that costs less than a dollar now. The single has become obsolete,” Elrich said at a press conference. “Not a bottle of water, not a candy bar, not a Big Gulp. A fat wallet that can’t buy a side of Chipotle guac just exacerbates the 'affordability' perception.”

Local retailers quickly embraced the news, with fast rebrands at discount chains Five-Spot General and Fiver Tree. “We finally have a space for $50s in the cash drawer,” said the manager of Five Above in Aspen Hill.

McDonald's will swap their new "Buy One, Add One for $1" deal for a "Two for $10" special. The deal applies to apple slices, individual cookies, hamburgers without condiments, and tortilla-less snack wraps.

To raise awareness, Elrich rolled out the county's new “I Got 5 on It” campaign, featuring hip hop legend Luniz, by belting out the catchy new jingle:

Creep on up
See prices riding high
But I ain’t broke as long as I got 5
I got 5 on it
I got 5 on it
I got 5, what you got MoCo?

Elrich said the "I Got 5 on It" campaign is supported by a $3M communications budget.  When the campaign ends, he warned, enforcement will be strict. Beginning January 1, 2027, businesses that continue to accept one-dollar bills will be subject to a $500 fine for each single exchanged.

County officials say the one dollar bill phase out will cause few disruptions for residents. “People aren’t using cash these days,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Finance. “Mostly they're just sighing and putting things back.”