State lawmakers rush to set rounding rules for when there are no pennies

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By HANNAH FINGERHUTMarch 12, 2026 at 10:23 AM

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With the U.S. ending penny production due to high costs, states are addressing the challenge of cash transactions without pennies. A federal bill proposing symmetrical rounding to the nearest nickel, where prices ending in 1, 2, 6, or 7 cents round down and 3, 4, 8, or 9 cents round up, has stalled in Congress. Consequently, states like Arizona, Florida, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington are considering or implementing their own rounding policies for cash purchases, with some mandating and others allowing businesses to round to the nearest nickel. Indiana initially required rounding for transactions not ending in zero or five, but revised the law to make rounding optional. These state-level actions aim to provide clarity and consistency in the absence of pennies.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Washington 40% Arizona 40% Florida 40% Oregon 40% Tennessee 40% Virginia 40% United States Senate 40% Treasury Department 50% United States House of Representatives ×250% U.S. Mint 60% Lisa McClain 60% Donald Trump ×270%

Keywords

rounding rules 90% penny shortage 90% cash purchases 80% symmetrical rounding 70% state lawmakers 60% u.s. mint 50% exact change 50% federal law 40%

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Neutral

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Associated Press (AP)

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Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Arizona

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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