The short answer
A bank must file a Suspicious Activity Report no later than 30 calendar days after the date of initial detection of facts that may constitute a basis for filing. If no suspect is identified on that date, filing may be delayed up to 60 calendar days after detection, but not longer (31 CFR 1020.320(b)(3)).
When the bank first detected facts that may constitute a basis for filing
When must a bank file a SAR?
Under 31 CFR 1020.320, a bank must report a transaction conducted or attempted by, at, or through the bank that involves or aggregates at least $5,000 when the bank knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect the activity meets the illegal-proceeds, evasion, or no-business-purpose standards in paragraph (a)(2). The report is filed through FinCEN's BSA E-Filing System.
How do the 30-day and 60-day SAR clocks work?
Paragraph (b)(3) sets the timing in calendar days from initial detection, not from the transaction date:
- 30 calendar days after detection when a suspect is identified.
- Up to an additional 30 calendar days (60 total) when no suspect was identified on the detection date, solely to identify a suspect.
- Situations needing immediate attention also require prompt telephone notice to law enforcement, in addition to a timely SAR.
Late filings are a classic BSA exam finding. Pair this tool with the CTR filing deadline calculator and our SAR filing requirements guide.
What are elective continuing-activity SAR dates?
FinCEN previously suggested filing continuing-activity SARs after a 90-day period, with the filing deadline 120 calendar days after the prior related SAR. The October 2025 FinCEN SAR FAQs clarify that a separate post-SAR review is not required; institutions may rely on risk-based monitoring controls instead. The calculator's continuing-activity mode shows the elective 90/120-day framework for teams that still use it.
What conservative assumptions does this calculator make?
- You supply the institution's date of initial detection (or prior SAR filing date). The tool does not decide when detection occurred.
- Deadlines are pure calendar-day math with no weekend extension, matching the regulation text.
- Continuing-activity dates follow FinCEN's elective FAQ framework and are labeled as such.
- Dollar-threshold and insider-abuse nuances are described on the page but not decided by the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many days does a bank have to file a SAR?
No later than 30 calendar days after the date of initial detection by the bank of facts that may constitute a basis for filing a SAR (31 CFR 1020.320(b)(3)). If no suspect was identified on the date of detection, filing may be delayed an additional 30 calendar days to identify a suspect, but reporting must not be delayed more than 60 calendar days after initial detection.
Is the SAR deadline measured in business days or calendar days?
Calendar days. 31 CFR 1020.320(b)(3) says 30 calendar days (and up to 60). The regulation provides no weekend or holiday extension.
What starts the SAR filing clock?
The date of initial detection by the bank of facts that may constitute a basis for filing, not necessarily the date of the underlying transaction. Alert generation, investigator review, and committee decisions can all affect when 'detection' is documented; institutions should define that moment in policy.
Are continuing-activity SARs required every 90 days?
No. FinCEN's October 2025 SAR FAQs clarify that a separate post-SAR continuing-activity review is not required. Institutions may rely on reasonably designed risk-based monitoring controls. If an institution elects the legacy continuing-activity framework, FinCEN's prior guidance sets a 90-day review window with a filing deadline 120 calendar days after the prior related SAR.
What is the SAR dollar threshold for banks?
Generally, a transaction conducted or attempted by, at, or through the bank that involves or aggregates at least $5,000 in funds or other assets and meets the knowledge/suspicion standards in 31 CFR 1020.320(a)(2). Related SAR rules for other institution types can differ; confirm the rule that applies to your charter.
How long must SAR records be retained?
A bank must maintain a copy of any SAR filed and the original or business-record equivalent of supporting documentation for five years from the date of filing (31 CFR 1020.320(d)).
This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not legal advice, not a substitute for reading the regulation, and not a representation of how any particular regulator or examiner will interpret a specific set of facts. Where a rule is ambiguous, the tool applies the more conservative reading and says so. Confirm results against the current regulation text and your institution's counsel and disclosed policies before relying on them.
The 30-day SAR clock starts whether or not a case was opened.
Canarie turns SAR investigation, filing, and retention obligations into owned tasks with evidence capture, so BSA timeliness is provable when the examiner pulls the sample.