We work hard to share thorough research and our honest experience with products and brands. Of course, personal finance is personal so one person’s experience may differ from someone else’s, and estimates based on past performance do not guarantee future results. As such, our advice may not apply directly to your individual situation. We are not financial advisors and we recommend you consult with a financial professional before making any serious financial decisions. They are a type of check that has already been paid by you and is secured by the bank or financial institution that helped issue and certify the check. Often official checks like this will have when they expire written somewhere on the check.

• Therefore, it’s crucial to handle checks with care and avoid any alterations that could raise suspicion.
• A government-issued check will likely have a “Void by” date of a year or less.
• If the check is damaged, torn, or has been altered in any way, it may be deemed invalid by the bank.
• Factors like the time of year, the type of residence (think a studio versus a two-bedroom or a pet-friendly versus a non-pet-friendly place), and the location influence this timeline.

In most cases, this is a way to nudge people to cash checks in a timely manner. Most banks still honor personal checks for a full six months (180 days) after the issue date. When a check expires, it’s no longer valid as a form of currency, making that expired check worthless. When you write a check that goes uncashed, you may wonder what to do. You still owe the money, even if nobody deposits the check.

What Happens If You Wait Too Long To Deposit A Check?

Whether you can convince the check writer to issue a new check will depend on your relationship with them. Asking for a new check is also helpful for the check issuer. If they wrote you this check more than 6 months ago, then they were probably expecting you to cash or deposit that check by now. If you successfully deposit the old check 7 or more months later, their accounts might not be ready for those funds to be taken out.

• We also considered account flexibility, simplicity and user-friendliness, both for in-person as well as online banking.
• Dealing with an expired check can be frustrating, but there are steps you can take to resolve the situation.
• Before cashing a check after the requested time frame, consider the reason for the payer’s request.
• Some landlords might even accept references from previous landlords or proof of income as an alternative.

That said, financial pros do, so individuals make the same check-writing mistakes again and again, so here are a few faux pas to avoid when writing checks. To spread your financial wings a bit more, keep reading to learn exactly how to write a check, common mistakes to avoid when writing a check and beyond. While checks may not necessarily expire like perishable goods, several factors can affect their validity. A state check or a local government check does eventually expire. In general, government checks will be good for 6 to 12 months. Have you lost, misplaced, or forgotten about a check you need to deposit?

What happens during the approval process?

Cashier’s checks are considered “official checks” that are backed by an issuing bank. We gave priority to accounts that charged low or no monthly maintenance fees, as well as minimal service charges and penalty fees. We evaluated accessibility in terms of low (or no) minimum balance requirements, availability of customer service options, customer feedback and user reviews.

Best High-Yield Online Savings Accounts of January 2024

Waiting too long could also result in the payer stopping payment on the check. Capital One offers the convenience of a big, national bank with the low fees and attractive interest rates that rival those of many newer, online-only financial institutions. The short answer https://personal-accounting.org/how-long-are-checks-good-for/ is no, you can’t cash a check at any bank. If you have a bank account, it’s best to cash a check at your bank. For others, it may seem as antiquated as using a rotary phone. In some cases, you may need to endorse the expired check and send it back to the issuer.

FAQ: How Long Is a Check Good For?

This article will answer other questions you might have about the use of checks. Do personal checks expire more quickly than company-printed checks? If you do have an old check that is past its expiration date or you haven’t received a check in the time frame you expected, you might have options for getting the funds. Reach out to the person or business the check came from and ask if they’ll issue a new check to replace the expired one.

Other Products & Services:

Other types of checks can take longer to expire or may not expire at all. Some banks may allow you to deposit a check that’s gone stale if they believe the funds will be available. But it may help to keep in mind that if there aren’t enough funds to cover the check, you could run into issues with a bounced check and related fees.

Note that a nonrefundable service fee may be deducted from the principal amount if you don’t cash a money order within one to three years, depending on the state of purchase. If you have a stale-dated check, reach out to the issuer to ask about a replacement check. In some cases, the funds may be turned over to the state as unclaimed funds if enough time has passed. If the bank does refuse the check contact the company to see how you can get a replacement check issued. They may want proof the check can’t be cashed so they don’t have to worry about paying you twice.