A personal or business check that’s older than six months is technically considered stale, but that doesn’t mean it’s void, a bad check or that your bank won’t honor it. It simply means the financial institution has the option to refuse the check. If the business owner fails to deposit his business checks in the bank within the notified time on them, they become stale dated checks stale. An important point here to note is even if these checks become stale, it does not imply they have become void and cannot be encashed. The only condition in this situation is the financial institution has a right over the refusal of the check. Personal checks are typically good for 6 months (180 days), but business checks, government checks, U.S.
- Generally, a “stale check” (also called a “stale-dated check”) is an uncashed check that’s more than six months old.
- In basic terms, a check becomes stale if it has been in one’s possession for 180 days or more and has not been cashed or deposited.
- The six-month rule applies regardless of what is printed on the check.
- We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team.
- If a check you wrote is approaching the six-month mark but still hasn’t been cashed, you’ll be able to spot it so that you can get in touch with the recipient.
Banks are still allowed to process a stale check as long as the institution deems the funds are good. A Federal Reserve regulation says a bank doesn’t have to deposit a check if it has reason to doubt that it’ll be able to collect the money from the paying bank. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Bankrate’s editorial team writes on behalf of YOU — the reader.
Data inconsistencies and payment channels
Losing a check or delaying its deposit can result in it becoming stale-dated. In fact, GlobalBanks IQ even helps non-resident, foreign & offshore entities open bank accounts. Below are a few of the most common questions we receive from people looking into what slate-dated checks are. If you have further questions you would like to ask our team, don’t hesitate to get in touch. It’s important to read the fine print as provided by the issuer.
So, whether you’re reading an article or a review, you can trust that you’re getting credible and dependable information. Our mission is to provide readers with accurate and unbiased information, and we have editorial standards in place to ensure that happens. Our editors and reporters thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate. We maintain a firewall between our advertisers and our editorial team. Our editorial team does not receive direct compensation from our advertisers.
The Check Book – UCC 3 & 4 Training
A stale check is also referred to as a “stale-dated check” or an “expired check.” The length of time that a check is considered to be valid may vary from state to state. Also, the issuers of checks sometimes note a time limit on their checks’ validity on the face of the check. States have different rules about when businesses must report unclaimed property, and the period before checks are considered unclaimed can vary.
- When a check is stale-dated, the recipient of the check will need to inform the issuer of the check and request that they provide them with a new check for the payment.
- Just like with the federal checks, you’re still entitled to what the government owes you.
- If you wrote someone a check and you’ve been waiting an unusual amount of time for it to be cashed, you may want to contact them to make sure the check hasn’t been stolen or lost.
- If the stale check is returned for any reason, then a person’s bank may charge a fee for returning the check to the person.
- Making the call may be awkward, but accidentally slapping your grandma with a hefty overdraft fee is worse.
- Visit the unclaimed property website and click on the “Holders” tab to report the property for further instruction.
You can learn more about GOBankingRates’ processes and standards in our editorial policy. No bank in the United States has any obligation to cash checks that are more than 180 days old. However, this does not necessarily mean that all is lost if an expired check resurfaces.
How do I know if a check has gone stale?
Making the call may be awkward, but accidentally slapping your grandma with a hefty overdraft fee is worse. Ask for a new check if the old one is past the six-month mark. If you have a problem with a stale or expired check, it’s best to consult with a financial lawyer who can advise you on the best course of action. LegalMatch.com can connect you to a lawyer who can explain the legal remedies available to you and what your best option might be. Another solution is to contact the person or business that wrote the check and ask them if they would issue another check to replace the stale one.
The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. If you try to cash a stale check or someone tries to deposit a stale-dated check that you’ve written, here are a few things to look out for. There are a few ways you can determine if a check is stale-dated, whether you received the check or have concerns about a check you’ve written. Our in-house research team and on-site financial experts work together to create content that’s accurate, impartial, and up to date. We fact-check every single statistic, quote and fact using trusted primary resources to make sure the information we provide is correct.