Your bank will cash checks drawn on its own accounts, but not all checks from other banks, and some it won't touch at all.
Banks have the right to refuse any check. In practice, most will cash a check drawn on another bank if you have an account there and the check is from someone you know or a legitimate business. But a check from a stranger, a very old check, a check with alterations, or one that looks forged — your bank can and will refuse it. The reason matters: your bank is protecting itself from fraud and from having to reverse the transaction later if the check bounces or turns out to be stolen.
The rules are different depending on whether the check is drawn on your own bank or another bank, whether you're depositing it or asking for cash, and how much money is involved. Understanding these rules saves you from standing in line only to be turned away.
Key Takeaways
- Your bank will almost always cash checks drawn on its own accounts if you have an account there, but may place a hold on the funds for one to five business days.
- Checks drawn on other banks can be refused for any reason, and your bank is not required to cash them even if the check is legitimate.
- Banks routinely refuse checks that are more than six months old, have visible alterations, lack a signature, or come from someone with no history at your bank.
- A check that appears forged, stolen, or suspicious will be refused and may be reported to law enforcement.
- If your bank refuses a check, you can deposit it instead of cashing it, try another bank, or ask the check writer to provide a different form of payment.
Checks drawn on your own bank
If the check is drawn on the same bank where you have an account, your bank will almost certainly cash it for you at the teller window. This is the easiest scenario. You hand over the check, show your ID, and walk out with cash — or the teller deposits it to your account and you withdraw the cash immediately.
Your bank may still place a hold on the funds, meaning the money won't be available for withdrawal for one to five business days, even though the check is drawn on the bank's own account. This happens less often than it used to, but it can happen if the check is large, if you're a new customer, or if the account the check is drawn from has insufficient funds. Ask the teller whether a hold will apply before you leave.
Checks drawn on other banks
A check drawn on another bank is treated as a third-party instrument. Your bank has no obligation to cash it. They can refuse for any reason or no reason at all. Some banks have a policy of cashing checks drawn on other banks for account holders; others refuse them outright. Call your bank's customer service line or ask at a branch to find out what their policy is.
If your bank does cash a check from another bank, they will almost always place a hold on it — typically five to ten business days. During that time, the check is being sent to the other bank for verification and payment. If the other bank refuses to pay (because the account is closed, the funds aren't there, or the check is fraudulent), your bank will reverse the deposit and charge you a fee, usually $25 to $35.
Reasons your bank will refuse a check
A check that is more than six months old (or sometimes called "stale-dated") will be refused by most banks. The date on the check is the cutoff. After six months, the bank assumes the check was lost or forgotten and won't process it.
A check with visible alterations — a crossed-out name, a different amount written over the original, a smudged or rewritten date — will be refused. Banks treat alterations as a sign of fraud, even if the alteration is innocent.
A check with no signature, an illegible signature, or a signature that doesn't match the account holder's signature on file will be refused. A check with a signature that appears forged will also be refused and may trigger a fraud investigation.
A check from someone you don't know or have no history with may be refused, especially if it's for a large amount. Banks are more cautious with unfamiliar names and new customers.
A check that appears to be stolen — because you found it, received it from someone who shouldn't have it, or the amount seems wrong — will be refused. If you suspect a check is stolen, do not attempt to cash it; report it to the bank that issued it.
Depositing instead of cashing
If your bank refuses to cash a check, you can ask whether they will deposit it to your account instead. Depositing is different from cashing: the bank credits your account with the amount, but the check still goes through the same verification process, and a hold is placed on the funds. If the check bounces, the bank reverses the deposit and charges you a fee.
Depositing is sometimes easier than cashing because the bank doesn't have to hand you physical cash. However, you still can't access the money immediately, and you still face the risk of a reversal if the check is bad.
What to do if your bank refuses
If your bank refuses to cash or deposit a check, you have several options. First, ask the teller or manager why they're refusing. If the reason is something you can fix — like the check is stale-dated and you can ask the writer for a new one — do that. If the check is legitimate and your bank simply has a policy against cashing third-party checks, try depositing it instead.
If your bank still refuses, you can take the check to another bank. Some banks are more lenient than others, and if you have an account at a second bank, they may cash it for you. You can also ask the person who wrote the check to provide a different form of payment: a wire transfer, an ACH transfer, a cashier's check, or a money order. These methods bypass the risk that a personal check presents.
As a last resort, you can cash the check at a check-cashing service, but these charge a fee — usually 1 to 3 percent of the check amount — and may refuse the check for the same reasons your bank did.
Holds and timing
Even when your bank cashes or deposits a check, the money may not be available immediately. Federal law allows banks to place holds on checks for up to five business days for checks drawn on accounts at the same bank, and up to ten business days for checks drawn on other banks. In practice, many banks clear checks faster than this, but they are not required to.
If you need the money urgently, ask the teller how long the hold will be before you hand over the check. If the hold is too long, ask whether the check writer can provide a wire transfer or ACH transfer instead, which typically clear within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cash a check at a bank where I don't have an account?
No. Banks will not cash checks for non-customers. If you don't have an account at the bank, you cannot cash a check there. You can deposit it at your own bank or use a check-cashing service, though both may charge fees or place holds on the funds.
What if the check is made out to someone else?
Your bank will refuse it. A check made out to another person is a third-party check, and most banks no longer cash them due to fraud risk. The person whose name is on the check must cash or deposit it themselves, or they can sign the back and write "Pay to the order of [your name]" to endorse it to you — but even then, many banks will refuse it.
Can my bank cash a check if the account it's drawn on is closed?
Not immediately. If the account is closed, the check will be sent to the other bank for processing, and the other bank will refuse payment. Your bank will then reverse the deposit and charge you a fee. Ask the check writer for a new check or a different form of payment.
How long does a check hold last?
Holds typically last one to five business days for checks drawn on your bank's own accounts, and five to ten business days for checks drawn on other banks. Some banks clear checks faster. Ask the teller for the specific hold time before you hand over the check.
What happens if I try to cash a check that's been reported stolen?
The bank will refuse it and may report the attempt to law enforcement. Do not attempt to cash a check you know or suspect is stolen. If you received a stolen check by mistake, contact the bank that issued it and report it.