Legal Definitions - Register of the Treasury

Definition: The Register of the Treasury is an officer of the U.S. Treasury who has several important duties:

• Keeping accounts of money received and spent by the government
• Recording public debts
• Preserving records of payments made with vouchers and certificates
• Recording warrants drawn on the Treasury
• Signing and issuing government securities
• Supervising the registry of vessels under federal law

For example, if the government spends money on a new road, the Register of the Treasury would record how much money was spent and where it came from. They would also keep track of any debts the government owes and make sure that payments are properly recorded. Additionally, if someone wanted to buy a government bond, the Register of the Treasury would be responsible for issuing the bond and keeping track of who owns it.