How Long Do Cheques Last Before They Expire?

Checks serve as a traditional method of payment, allowing individuals and businesses to transfer funds securely. These instruments are not valid indefinitely and have a limited lifespan. Understanding how long a check remains active is important for both the person receiving and issuing payment, helping to ensure smooth financial transactions.

Understanding Check Validity Periods

A check not cashed or deposited within a certain timeframe is called a “stale-dated” check. For most personal and business checks, this period is six months, or 180 days, from the date written on the check. After this period, financial institutions are generally not obligated to honor the check.

Despite this, a bank may still choose to cash or deposit a stale-dated check if the issuer’s account has sufficient funds and is in good standing. This discretion is outlined in the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). The UCC specifies that banks are under no obligation to pay a check, other than a certified check, presented more than six months after its date, though they may do so in good faith.

Types of Checks and Their Lifespan

The lifespan of a check can vary depending on its type. Government checks, such as federal tax refunds or Social Security benefits, have a validity period of one year from their issue date. If one of these checks expires, the funds are still owed, and the recipient can request a replacement from the issuing federal agency. State and local government checks often remain valid for six months to a year.

Certain types of checks offer enhanced security and guarantee. Certified checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders are examples where funds are guaranteed by the issuing bank or institution. While traditional expiration dates do not always apply, these instruments can still become “stale” after a period, sometimes 90 days to a year for certified checks, or 60 to 180 days for some cashier’s checks, depending on the issuer’s policies. Money orders, particularly those issued by the U.S. Postal Service, generally do not expire, though other issuers may impose service fees on older money orders, reducing their value over time.

Some checks may include an explicit “Void After” date, indicating a specific, often shorter, expiration period like “Void after 90 days.” While this encourages prompt deposit, most banks will still honor such checks for the standard six-month period for personal and business checks. For post-dated checks, where a future date is intentionally written, the validity period begins from that future date, not the date the check was physically written.

Consequences and Actions for Expired Checks

When a check passes its typical validity period, the recipient may encounter difficulties. Banks are not obligated to accept stale-dated checks, and attempting to deposit one could result in the check being returned, potentially incurring a fee. If a check you received has expired, contact the person or business who issued it to request a new check. Issues may arise if the original issuer’s account has since changed or closed, or if they are no longer reachable.

For the person who issued the check, known as the drawer, funds for uncashed checks generally remain in their account. Regular reconciliation of bank statements is important to identify any outstanding checks that have not cleared. If a check remains uncashed, the drawer may consider placing a “stop payment” order with their bank, which prevents the check from being processed if it is eventually presented. This service involves a fee, and stop payments typically remain active for six months. It is important to act quickly, as a stop payment cannot be placed once the check has already cleared. In some instances, very old uncashed funds may become subject to unclaimed property laws, requiring the issuing entity to remit them to the state after a specified period, typically several years.