Can you put an expiration on a check

If somebody worries that a check got lost, they may decide to stop payment—an order not to pay a check that has been issued, but not cashed—on that check. That said, stop payments are one situation when it may actually work in your favor to deposit a stale-dated check—because stop payment orders eventually expire.

A bank may not be liable for a stop payment if you fail to provide enough information to identify the check or if you do implement the stop payment order early enough.

Whether or not that restriction is valid depends on several factors. Your bank may ultimately decide to ignore those instructions and process a check anyway.

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. After that, leave the money alone or set it aside somewhere else for the inevitable day that you have to make good on the payment. Check with an attorney for specific guidance, and remember that a bank might accept the deposit and try to pull funds from your account at any time.

At some point, you may have to turn the funds over to the state for safekeeping. For instance, if a check says "good for days" on the front, then it becomes stale-dated days after it's written. There isn't a law against cashing old checks as long as there wasn't a request to stop the payment, but it's up to each financial institution whether or not it wants to cash the check.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Is This Allowed? Legal Information Institute. Department of the Treasury. Western Union. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Perhaps it will be easier to make the check to John Cash or Katie Price.

This is convenient, but also requires precaution. To prevent fraud, the amount of a check is written twice; once in numerical form and once fully spelled out. If the two amounts do not match, the written form is always the one accepted. A check numerically written as To be considered valid, every check requires a signature.

Signatures are your first line of defense against fraud, so make sure yours is unique and distinguishable. Write your checks in blue or black non-erasable ink only. Checks must be scanned by your institution and scanners may not pick up colored inks or pencil. All checks have two or more series of numbers printed at the bottom which tell your institution where the check is coming from. A check cannot be processed if any of these numbers are missing or damaged.

When presenting a check for cash or deposit, you must sign the back of the check exactly as your name appears on the front and be sure to have a valid ID. If a check is written to your maiden name and you have legally changed your name, you will sign with your maiden name first and then with your married name. If there are any errors on a check you have received, go back to the issuer and request a replacement.

Do not ever make changes to a check, alterations are not accepted. After a lot of time has passed, the money may not be available, says Stukey, since many people keep enough in checking for just a month's expenses. By quietly depositing this check, you could accidentally empty the check writer's account. Wouldn't it be awful if your great-aunt's kind gesture were rewarded with a hefty overdraft fee?

Overdraft challenges may not be the only concern when cashing an old check without the knowledge of the person who wrote it. You also run the risk of the account number or routing numbers having been changed over the many months that have elapsed.

If it's a larger amount, give the check writer a call and ask if it would still be acceptable to cash it, says Sue Fox, the founder of Etiquette Survival, a professional development company in Pleasanton, Calif. If the bank then rejects the check, it's fine to call the check writer and ask for a new one to cash.

And in the future, remember it's always best practice to cash a check right away to avoid any problems. And one last note: Be sure to send a thank-you card to the person who wrote you the check as a follow-up.

And this time, be quick about it.