How Long Is a Check Good For? (original) (raw)

Last Updated: Oct 23, 2024

There are deadlines to deposit checks, and after a set amount of time, outstanding checks can no longer be cashed. Several factors can influence how long a check is valid, including federal law and individual bank policies

Adam Frankel Written by Adam Frankel Contributor

Adam B. Frankel is a personal finance writer and financial adviser with over 30 years of experience. When he’s not managing money in the stock market, he teaches financial topics and other core concepts at local schools from elementary through high school.

Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Senior Editor

RaShawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team senior editor covering personal finance topics and insurance. She’s spent over a decade writing and editing articles about how to save money on travel, entertainment, household services and more.

Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Edited by RaShawn Mitchner Senior Editor

Our Research Process

Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated top banks and credit unions

Learn more about Marketwatch Guides

154 Institutions Monitored

Our team reviewed 154 of the country’s largest and most prominent financial institutions, from big banks like Chase and Bank of America to credit unions like Navy Federal Credit Union and PenFed Credit Union.

688 Products Studied

Total number of checking, saving, CDs, and money-market accounts that inform our review ratings.

719 Rates Tracked

The accounts with an annual percentage yield (APY) several times the national average rate receive the highest scores. Accounts with the lowest APY offering (under 1%) earn the least points.

10 Professionals Consulted

Before we began our research process, we consulted with financial advisors and industry experts to ensure our evaluations covered the banking product aspects that matter most to potential customers.

The MarketWatch Guides team will explain how long you have to cash different types of checks and the options you might have if your check is expired.

Key Takeaways

Most banks will honor a business or personal check for up to six months or 180 days from the issue date.
Each financial institution has its own policies and procedures for cashing checks.
Some check types — like certified checks, money orders and U.S. Treasury checks — have their own rules when it comes to how long a check is good for.
If you have an expired check, there may be a few options for claiming those funds.

Featured Checking Accounts

When Do Checks Expire?

When a check expires, it’s no longer valid as a form of currency, making that expired check worthless. According to the Uniform Commercial Code (a group of laws that set the framework for U.S. commercial transactions), after six months, it’s up to the bank that’s receiving the deposit to decide whether to accept a business check or personal check.

If you find an old check, you may be tempted to try to cash it. But if the date on it is more than six months ago, it’s likely considered a “stale check.” Your bank and the issuing bank may not honor it. When you try to deposit an uncashed check and it’s not accepted by the issuer, it can create problems for both you and the check writer.

Consider a homeowner who, in January, writes a 1,000checktoalandscapingbusinessforremovalofafallentreeandotherdebrisafterastorm.Ifthelandscaperdoesn’tdepositthecheckuntilSeptember,thehomeownermaynothavebeenbudgetingforthat1,000 check to a landscaping business for removal of a fallen tree and other debris after a storm. If the landscaper doesn’t deposit the check until September, the homeowner may not have been budgeting for that 1,000checktoalandscapingbusinessforremovalofafallentreeandotherdebrisafterastorm.Ifthelandscaperdoesn’tdepositthecheckuntilSeptember,thehomeownermaynothavebeenbudgetingforthat1,000 payment eight months later.

If the homeowner doesn’t have enough money in their bank account to cover the amount, the landscaper will have a bounced check due to insufficient funds. The homeowner’s bank might charge them a returned check fee, and the landscaper may be charged a fee by their own bank.

Checks have a limited lifespan to avoid these types of financial issues.

>> Related: Learn more about live checks

Validity Period of Different Types of Checks

A check’s expiration date can depend on what type of check it is. Most personal checks and checks written from business accounts (such as payroll checks) expire after six months. Checks from government agencies, such as tax refunds from the Department of the Treasury, expire after one year.

Other types of checks, like cashier’s checks, money orders and traveler’s checks, have varying policies on when they expire. That’s because with these types of checks, the money has already been withdrawn from the accounts that issued them. But they aren’t necessarily valid forever.

Here’s how long various types of checks are good for:

Personal and business checks: Six months
Tax refunds: One year
U.S. Treasury checks: One year
Cashier’s checks: Varies by bank and whether there’s a “Void by” date printed on the check
Traveler’s checks: Generally never, as long as the issuer is still in operation

Money orders usually don’t expire. But depending on which state it was purchased in and which company issued it, you may be assessed a service charge if you wait one to three years to cash it. This will be deducted from the amount of the money order.

Handling Expired Checks

The simplest way to avoid having an expired check is to deposit it right away. If getting to a bank branch isn’t convenient, you may be able to deposit your check at an ATM or through your bank’s mobile app. With mobile check depositing, you sign the check and then submit photos of the front and back of it in the app.

If you’ve been receiving your payroll check as a paper check, consider switching to direct deposit so the funds are automatically sent to your savings or checking account. There are many free checking accounts and online checking accounts that are also available for direct deposit. Also, there are some banks offering account promotions that can help you get started with your new checking account.

If you do have an old check that is past its expiration date or you haven’t received a check in the time frame you expected, you might have options for getting the funds. Reach out to the person or business the check came from and ask if they’ll issue a new check to replace the expired one. If it’s a missing payment, they may first want to stop payment on the original check (known as voiding) to prevent it from being cashed.

With some types of federal or local government checks, you may need to ask the agency that gave you the check to reissue it. For federal tax refund checks or others issued by the U.S. Treasury, you’ll need to contact the federal agency that authorized the payment. You can call the Bureau of the Fiscal Service at 1-855-868-0151 and select option two to have a representative help you identify which agency to contact.

>> Related: Learn more about the best savings accounts

FAQ: How Long Is a Check Good For?

In most cases, you can’t cash a two-year-old check. Personal and business checks typically expire after six months. A government-issued check will likely have a “Void by” date of a year or less. If you want to cash a two-year-old check, you’ll have to contact the party that issued it and ask for a replacement.

Most banks will honor a check for up to six months or 180 days after it was written. Exceptions include several types of government-issued checks, like tax refunds and U.S. Treasury checks, which are good for up to a year.

If a check is never cashed, it becomes worthless, and those funds are never withdrawn from the financial institution that issued it.

*Data accurate at time of publication

Editor’s Note: Before making significant financial decisions, consider reviewing your options with someone you trust, such as a financial adviser, credit counselor or financial professional, since every person’s situation and needs are different.

If you have feedback or questions about this article, please email the MarketWatch Guides team at editors@marketwatchguides.com .

Meet the Team

Learn more about Adam Frankel

RaShawn Mitchner Senior Editor

Learn more about RaShawn Mitchner