How Long Is a Personal Check Good For?
Key takeaways
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
Can a bank legally refuse to cash an old check?
If a personal or business check is more than six months old, a bank can refuse to cash it.
Can I deposit a 1-year-old personal check?
Some banks may allow this, especially if you have a long-standing relationship with them.
Do personal checks expire automatically?
Generally, personal checks become stale when they’re six months old. After that, banks aren’t typically required to cash them.
What happens if I deposit an expired check?
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.
© 2026 Raisin SE. All rights reserved.
The Raisin name and logo are trademarks of Raisin SE. All other trademarks, logos, marks, and brand names are the property of their respective owners.
*APY means Annual Percentage Yield. APY is accurate as of April 27, 2026. Interest rate and APY may change after initial deposit depending on the terms of the specific product selected. Minimum opening deposit is $1.00.
Raisin is not an FDIC-insured bank, and FDIC deposit insurance only covers the failure of an insured bank.
Raisin is not an NCUA-insured credit union. NCUA deposit insurance only covers the failure of an insured credit union.
Raisin does not hold any customer funds. Customer funds are held in various custodial deposit accounts. Each customer authorizes the Custodial Bank to hold the customer’s funds in such accounts, in a custodial capacity, in order to effectuate the customer’s deposits to and withdrawals from the various bank and credit union products that the customer requests through Raisin.com. The Custodial Bank does not establish the terms of the bank or credit union products and provides no advice to customers about bank or credit union products offered by the applicable bank or credit union through Raisin.com. Each customer also authorizes the Service Bank to move funds among the various banks and credit unions at the customer’s request. First International Bank & Trust (FIBT), Member FDIC, is the Service Bank. Bell Bank and Starion Bank, each Member FDIC, are the Custodial Banks.
†Based on $250,000 in FDIC or NCUA insurance coverage per insurable category of ownership at each partner bank or credit union on the Raisin platform (each a "Product Bank"), when aggregated with all other deposits held by you at such Product Bank and in the same insurable category. Deposits made through Raisin will be eligible to receive deposit insurance from the FDIC or the NCUA (each a "Deposit Insurer") in accordance with and up to the maximum amount permitted by law at each Product Bank. Raisin is not a bank or credit union and does not hold any customer funds. Funds are held at FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank or credit union. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass through deposit insurance coverage to apply. Customers may choose to deposit funds with identically registered accounts at different Product Banks on the Raisin platform to be eligible for Deposit Insurer coverage up to $10 million for individual accounts and $20 million for joint accounts when at least 40 Product Banks are utilized. Please be aware, however, that any deposits you have at a Product Bank, whether through the Raisin platform or outside the Raisin platform, that you may hold in the same capacity (such as in an individual capacity or joint capacity) count toward the applicable Deposit Insurer's deposit insurance maximum amount, and any such amounts that you hold in the same capacity at a Product Bank that exceed the maximum insurance coverage by the applicable Deposit Insurer will not be insured. For more information on FDIC deposit insurance, please see here. For more information on the NCUA share insurance fund, please see here. You are solely responsible for monitoring the amount of funds you have on deposit at each a Product Bank, whether through the Raisin platform or outside the Raisin platform, to confirm that the deposits you hold in the same capacity at each Product Bank do not exceed the maximum deposit insurance coverage provided by the applicable Deposit Insurer.