Most banks will not accept a check that is torn, water-damaged, or missing a piece, but the rules vary by bank and by how bad the damage is
A small tear in the corner or a crease from being folded in a wallet usually will not stop a deposit. A check that is ripped in half, has a large piece missing, or is so water-damaged that the routing number or account number is illegible will almost certainly be rejected at the ATM and likely rejected by a teller too.
The reason is straightforward: banks use automated scanning equipment to read the magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) line at the bottom of the check — the string of numbers that tells the bank where to pull the money from. If that line is damaged or unreadable, the machine cannot process the check. Even if a teller can read it with their eyes, the bank's back-end system may refuse it because the scan failed.
Your best move is to contact the person or business who wrote you the check and ask for a replacement. That takes a few days but avoids the hassle of trying to deposit a damaged check and having it bounce back.
Key Takeaways
- Banks scan the magnetic numbers at the bottom of checks with machines, so any damage that makes those numbers unreadable will cause a rejection.
- Minor damage like small tears or creases usually will not stop a deposit, but major damage like a check torn in half almost certainly will.
- If your bank rejects a damaged check, ask the person who wrote it to issue a replacement check instead of trying to deposit the original again.
- Some banks allow you to photograph checks for mobile deposit, which may work even if the physical check is slightly damaged, but the image still has to be clear enough to read.
- If you wrote the check and the recipient says it is damaged, you can stop payment on the original and issue a new one through your bank.
What happens when you try to deposit a damaged check at an ATM
ATM deposit slots are the strictest about check condition. The machine scans the check immediately, and if the MICR line does not read cleanly, the ATM will reject it and return it to you on the spot. You will see an error message like "Unable to process check" or "Check cannot be read."
This is actually helpful because you find out right away instead of waiting days for the check to come back through the banking system. Take the rejected check and either ask for a replacement or try depositing it with a teller instead, though the teller may refuse it for the same reason.
Depositing a damaged check with a bank teller
A teller has more discretion than an ATM. If the damage is minor — a small tear, a water stain that does not obscure the numbers, a bent corner — a teller may accept it and manually enter the routing and account numbers into the system. Some banks have policies that allow this; others do not.
The teller will look at the check and make a judgment call. If they accept it, they will usually note on the deposit slip that the check was damaged. The check will still go through the normal clearing process, and the receiving bank will scan it again. If their system also rejects it, the check will bounce back to your bank, and you will not receive the funds.
Do not assume a teller's acceptance means the deposit will go through. Always ask the teller directly: "If this check does not scan at the receiving bank, will it come back to me, or will the deposit just fail?" That way you know what to expect.
Mobile deposit and damaged checks
If your bank offers mobile deposit — taking a photo of the front and back of a check with your phone — a slightly damaged check may work better than depositing the physical copy. The photo does not have to be perfect, but it does have to be clear enough that the bank's system can read the MICR line and the amount written on the check.
The advantage is that you are not feeding a physical damaged check through a machine. The disadvantage is that if the image is blurry or the damage makes the numbers hard to see in the photo, the deposit will still be rejected. Test the photo before you submit it: zoom in on the MICR line and the amount box and make sure both are legible.
What to do if your bank rejects a damaged check
First, do not keep trying to deposit the same damaged check. Each failed attempt creates a record, and some banks flag repeated deposit attempts as suspicious activity.
Instead, contact the person or business who wrote the check. Explain that the check arrived damaged and ask them to issue a replacement. Most people and businesses will do this without argument — it takes them a few minutes to write a new check or reissue it electronically.
If the check was from a business and they refuse to reissue it, ask them to provide a receipt or written confirmation that they issued the original check. You can then use that as proof of payment if there is a dispute later.
Stopping payment on a check you wrote that is damaged
If you wrote a check and the recipient tells you it arrived damaged, you can contact your bank and place a stop payment on that check. This tells your bank to refuse the check if it ever shows up for deposit, even if the damage somehow gets repaired or the recipient tries to deposit it anyway.
Stop payment costs money — usually between $25 and $35 per check, depending on your bank — so only use it if the recipient is not cooperating or if you are worried the damaged check might be altered or misused. In most cases, simply issuing a new check is faster and cheaper.
To place a stop payment, call your bank's customer service line or log into your online banking portal. You will need the check number, the amount, the date you wrote it, and the name of the recipient. The stop payment usually takes effect within a few hours and lasts for six months.
Checks damaged by the postal service or during delivery
If a check arrived damaged because it was wet, crushed, or torn in the mail, the sender is not responsible — but you still need a replacement. Contact the sender and let them know the check arrived in bad condition. Include a photo if you have one. Most senders will reissue without hesitation.
If the sender is unresponsive or refuses to reissue, you have limited options. You cannot force them to send another check, and a damaged check is not a legal substitute for payment. If the money was owed to you for work or goods, you may have a claim against them, but that is a separate legal matter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I tape a ripped check back together and deposit it?
Taping a check back together does not change the fact that it is damaged. The bank's scanning equipment will still have trouble reading it, and even if a teller accepts it, the receiving bank's system may reject it. A replacement check is always the better option.
What if the check is ripped but I can still read all the numbers?
If you can read the numbers, a teller might accept it, but the bank's automated system may still reject it during processing. The MICR line at the bottom has to scan cleanly — the machine does not just read what is visible to the human eye. Ask the teller whether they think it will clear before you leave the bank.
Do all banks have the same rules about damaged checks?
No. Some banks are stricter than others, and some tellers use more judgment than others. Your bank's policy is in the deposit agreement or account terms, but the easiest way to know is to ask a teller directly before you try to deposit a damaged check.
Can I deposit a check that got wet but dried out?
It depends on how wet it got and whether the ink or the MICR line is smudged or faded. If the numbers are still clear and dark, a teller may accept it. If the ink is faded or smeared, the scanning equipment will have trouble reading it. Show it to a teller and ask before you commit to the deposit.
What if the bank accepted my damaged check but it bounced weeks later?
If a teller accepted a damaged check and it was rejected during processing, your bank should notify you that the deposit failed. The funds will not be added to your account. If you already spent the money based on the deposit, you may have overdraft fees. Contact your bank and ask whether they can waive the fees given that they accepted the damaged check initially.