How long are issued checks good for

The Uniform Commercial Code UCC , tells banks that they are under no obligation to accept personal, or even business checks for that matter if the check is more than days old.

When you bring an old check to the bank, you're taking a chance. It could be accepted, rejected, or held until the teller can speak to the person who wrote it. According to Bankrate , some banks will process old checks if they believe the funds are still available to cover the payment. However, government regulations make clear that banks do not have to deposit a check if they have any doubt about being able to collect the cash from the issuing bank.

It's also worth noting that cashier's checks , in case you've got one of those stashed away as well do not necessarily follow the same expiration rules as personal checks. The guidelines are slightly vaguer, as there isn't necessarily a specified expiration date. Often these types of checks are backed by the bank that issued them and as such should be valid as long as the bank is still in business. Check with the issuer first and then with the state.

While checks may not have a fixed expiration date, they can become stale after a certain amount of time. You may not be able to cash or deposit a stale-dated check. So, when you receive a check, cash or deposit the check promptly. This step helps avoid problems and reduces risks such as bounced checks. It also makes bookkeeping easier for the payer.

Friend's Email Address. Your Name. Your Email Address. Send Email. Eric Huffman Published July 6, In this article :. Money Market vs Savings: Which is Better? Share this Article Like this article? Email it to a friend! A bank may not be liable for a stop payment if you fail to provide enough information to identify the check or if you do implement the stop payment order early enough.

Whether or not that restriction is valid depends on several factors. Your bank may ultimately decide to ignore those instructions and process a check anyway. When you write a check that goes uncashed, you may wonder what to do. You still owe the money, even if nobody deposits the check. After that, leave the money alone or set it aside somewhere else for the inevitable day that you have to make good on the payment.

Check with an attorney for specific guidance, and remember that a bank might accept the deposit and try to pull funds from your account at any time. At some point, you may have to turn the funds over to the state for safekeeping. For instance, if a check says "good for days" on the front, then it becomes stale-dated days after it's written.

There isn't a law against cashing old checks as long as there wasn't a request to stop the payment, but it's up to each financial institution whether or not it wants to cash the check. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way. However, banks can still choose to accept your check. Sometimes banks will still process an old check as long as the institution believes the funds are good. A Federal Reserve regulation says a bank does not have to deposit a check if it has reason to doubt that it will be able to collect the money from the paying bank. The UCC guidelines that allow banks to deny checks after six months do not apply to certified checks.

However, a certified check that sits for too long may be subject to state abandoned property laws. Checks issued by the U. Treasury such as federal tax refund checks are void one year after the issue date. You must contact the IRS for a reissue if you find an old refund check sitting in the back of your desk drawer. The fee varies from bank to bank. The fee might even be higher for international checks. A court decision in the case of Aliaga Medical Center, S. Harris Bank N. You could end up responsible for the deposit item return fee if the reason she wrote the notice was because the funds would no longer be available after those 90 days.

Someone who wrote a personal check is probably not prepared for the hit his checking account balance will take if you cash it months later.