With most financial transactions taking place through mobile apps or online platforms, it can be easy to forget about a check you receive. This is especially true if the check is for a relatively small amount or for something out of the ordinary that simply falls off your radar after enough time passes.
But when do checks expire? This timeline may be longer than you think, but you should understand what recourse you have if you fail to cash or deposit a check before its expiration date. Read on to learn everything to know about when checks expire and your options when they do.
How long is a check good for?
The type of check will determine its expiration date. Each type — including cashier’s checks, certified checks, government checks, personal checks and money orders — has its own expiration guidelines.
Blank checks generally don’t expire, as long as the associated account is still active.
How long are different types of checks good for?
If you want to cash or deposit a check and aren’t sure whether it’s valid, these guidelines can help.
Personal checks: Personal checks typically expire after six months. After that, they are considered “stale,” and banks are not legally obligated to accept them.
Business checks: Checks from businesses are also valid for up to six months or 180 days.
Certified checks: Certified checks typically don’t expire but may be subject to state unclaimed property laws. These checks also require the issuing bank to set aside the funds for payment.
Cashier’s checks: Cashier’s checks have expiration dates that vary based on local laws. If a cashier’s check has an expiration or void date printed on it, try to cash or deposit the check before then.
Government checks: Government checks, including tax refunds or benefits payments, typically expire between six months and one year. If your government check has expired, you can contact the issuing agency and request a replacement.
Money orders: Money orders generally don’t expire. However, the bank may charge a fee to cash a money order that is more than a year old. You can find the fee in the terms and conditions on the back of your money order. Fees are generally around $2 per month and start after a year.
How to handle expired checks
If you have a check that has expired, this doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. You can take a few steps to cash or deposit the check or get it reissued to you.
According to Howard Dvorkin, certified public accountant and chairman of Debt.com, expiration dates on checks are a lot like expiration dates on food in that “neither are legally binding.”
This means you can try to deposit the check, Dvorkin said. “You’re not committing a crime by doing so,” he said.
The bank isn’t required to cash a stale check after six months but can do so at its discretion.
Financial adviser Daniel Cieniewicz of Hyperion Financial recommends contacting the person or business who initiated the check. Often, the issuer can verify that the check hasn’t been cashed, and you may be able to receive a new one if it has expired.
“It’s best to keep the old check so you have details, specifically the check number,” Cieniewicz said. “Ideally, a check will be reissued and should be cashed upon receipt.
If possible, you could also head to the issuing bank to see if it will cash the check upon receipt. In that scenario, the institution may be able to verify funds availability on the spot and cash the check for you.
What to do with a stale check
If you have a stale check, call your bank and the issuing bank to find out their policies. If your bank will accept the check and it’s for a large amount, contact the issuer before you cash or deposit it to make sure the funds are still available.
Just cashing a stale check might not work out how you think, Dvorkin said. You may end up being out the money if the issuer doesn’t have the funds — and you’ll pay a bank fee.
That’s why it can make more sense to go back to the issuer of a stale check, such as a business, and ask for a new one instead. “They won’t be happy about the extra work, but stale checks that stay on their books also create a lot of paperwork and headaches,” Dvorkin said.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
If you deposit an expired check, several different scenarios can unfold. The first is that your bank and the issuing bank honor the check. Your bank might reject the check and you’ll need to ask for a replacement, or your bank might accept the check and the issuing bank might reject it. In that case, the funds will be removed from your account and your bank may charge you a fee. If the underlying funds are no longer in the issuer’s account, the check can bounce and you will be out the money and potentially owe a bank fee.
You may or may not be able to cash an expired check at a check-cashing store. It depends on the type of check and the store’s policies.
Electronic checks are usually sent directly to a person’s account and do not have the chance to expire. For electronic checks that require your authorization, the type of check determines the expiration date.
If a check has instructions to void after 90 days, this doesn’t mean you can’t cash it. Most banks will honor personal and business checks for up to six months. A stale-dated check, also called a stale check, is a check with an issue date older than six months. Financial institutions aren’t legally required to cash stale checks.
You may be better off asking for a new check if you have a stale, or expired check. That said, this all depends on the willingness of the company or person who wrote you the check to provide you with a new one.
