How Long Is a Personal Check Good For?
Explore expiration timelines, bank policies, and how to handle old checks.
Under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), banks are not required to honor checks that are more than six months old.
While banks are not obligated to accept checks older than six months, they do have the discretion to honor them in good faith.
If you forgot to cash a check, you may want to contact the payer and ask for a new check.
Do personal checks expire?
While many personal checks don’t have an actual expiration date printed on them, most banks generally consider personal checks “stale” after six months.
Why checks don’t have a printed expiration date
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is typically used instead of individual expiration dates so there’s a more consistent rule around whether old checks can be cashed.
What “stale-dated” means
Stale-dated checks are checks that were dated at least six months ago and not cashed.
How long is a personal check usually good for?
The standard 6-month rule
Banks generally cash personal checks that are less than six months old.
Why 6 months is the industry norm
The UCC generally requires banks to honor checks that are less than six months old, assuming there are sufficient funds and no other issues. This provides more consistency for banks and customers along with less confusion about when checks are no longer able to be cashed.
Is 6 months a legal requirement?
The 6-month rule doesn’t apply to every type of check, so it’s not necessarily a legal requirement.
Can you cash or deposit a check after 6 months?
It depends on the bank
Banks are allowed to cash a stale check, but they’re not required to cash it if it’s older than six months.
Factors that influence acceptance
Acceptance of a check may depend on several factors, including your account history with the bank or if the check isn’t significantly older than six months.
Checks that are more likely to be rejected
If the payer’s account doesn’t have the funds, their account is closed, or the bank suspects fraud, the check may be more likely to be rejected.
Types of checks and their expiration rules
Personal checks
Banks generally treat personal checks as valid for up to six months, though policies can vary.Stale checks can be a sign
Business checks
Business checks can typically be cashed for up to six months as well.
Government checks
Expiration rules for local government checks may depend on your state’s laws. Some may have an expiration date listed right on the check itself. U.S. Treasury checks are typically valid for up to one year from the issue date.
Cashier’s checks and money orders
There’s really no universal rule on when cashier’s checks expire. Some may have a stated expiration date while others may not expire at all. Meanwhile, money order expiration dates vary according to state laws and the policies of the issuing organization. You may also have to pay fees on money orders the longer they go uncashed, which could significantly decrease their value over time.
What happens if a personal check is too old?
Bank refusal
Your bank may deny a request to cash a stale check.
Returned or rejected deposits
A bank may agree to accept the stale check, but the payer’s bank may reject it if the account is closed or there’s not enough money to cover the check. This could result in a returned deposit fee.
isk of stop payments
The payer might put a stop payment on the check if it hasn’t been cashed, making it invalid.
What to do if you have an expired personal check
Contact the check writer
You could get in touch with the person or organization that wrote you the check to see if they’d reissue it.
Request a replacement payment method
You could ask if they can reissue the check or arrange for you to get the money another way — like direct deposit.
Don’t try to alter the check
Altering a check without permission can be illegal and may be considered fraud.
What if you’re the one who wrote the check?
Old checks still carry risk
Banks can choose to cash stale checks, so there’s a risk your check might still be cashed, even after six months or more goes by.
When to issue a stop payment
If you suspect the check got lost or potentially stolen, you can ask your bank to issue a stop payment.
Why banks are cautious with old checks
Fraud prevention
Older checks may raise fraud concerns in some situations.
Account balance uncertainty
An account may have been closed or may not have enough funds to cover a stale check.
Regulatory compliance
Banks may choose to deny stale checks to stay more consistent with regulations and policies.
Tips to avoid issues with personal checks
Deposit checks promptly
Depositing a check soon after receiving it can help reduce the risk of it becoming stale.
Use mobile deposit quickly
Mobile deposits make deposits more convenient, which may mean you’ll be more likely to deposit the check immediately.
Communicate with the issuer
If you plan to cash an older check, you may want to communicate with the issuer before trying to cash it.
Consider modern alternatives
Signing up for direct deposit with your employer or for tax refund checks can be an easy way to avoid stale checks.
Bottom line
Most banks will typically honor personal and business checks if they’re less than six months old. After that, the check is considered stale and banks may deny your request to cash it. You may avoid issues with stale checks by taking steps such as depositing checks right away and monitoring your own account to keep tabs on whether a check you wrote was cashed.
While Raisin doesn’t offer checking accounts, it does provide access to a marketplace of high-yield saving products that can help support your financial goals. Raisin’s Marketplace compares multiple products in one spot so you can find the best option for your financial needs.
Frequently asked questions
If a personal or business check is more than six months old, a bank can refuse to cash it.
Some banks may allow this, especially if you have a long-standing relationship with them.
Generally, personal checks become stale when they’re six months old. After that, banks aren’t typically required to cash them.
It depends on how old the check is, and it depends on your bank’s policies. Your bank might honor it, they might refuse to deposit the check, or they may hold it so they can verify that the check is still valid.
The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.
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