Comptroller of the Currency

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is the federal government agency responsible for chartering, regulating, and supervising national banks in the United States. The primary mission of the OCC is to ensure the safety and soundness of the national banking system. The OCC achieves this mission by employing a nationwide staff of examiners who conduct onsite reviews of national banks and continually supervise bank operations. The agency issues rules and legal interpretations concerning bank management, bank investments, bank lending activities, and other aspects of bank operations.

The OCC was established in 1863 under the National Currency Act. This act created a system of nationally chartered banks to issue standardized national bank notes. The OCC was established to administer the new banking system. The ...