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How Long is a Check Good For: When Do Checks Expire?
When it comes to checks, every bank has a limit for how long they will accept a check. Although this time limit varies according to the type of check and your individual bank’s policies, every check has an expiry date after it is signed.
So how long is a check good for? When do checks expire? In this blog post, we will find out how long checks last. We have mentioned the period of expiry for each check type. So read on.
How Long Is a Check Good For? Different Types of Checks and Their Expiry Periods
If you have not cashed an old check yet and are wondering whether it is still good, check with your bank to make sure it hasn’t expired yet. The period of expiry for personal checks, government checks, cashier’s checks, business checks, money orders, and U.S. Treasury checks varies.
How Long Is a Personal Check Good For?
When it comes to personal checks, they are good for 180 days or 6 months. The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) regulates U.S. banks to only accept personal or business checks from the last 180 days (6 months).
Most checks even come with pre-printed guidelines encouraging people to cash their checks soon. According to the UCC’s laws, banks are not obliged to accept checks older than 6 months.
However, the exact limit for how long a bank accepts a check depends on that individual bank. So make sure to cash your check as soon as possible before the account number changes or the payor ends up spending the amount.
How Long Is a Business Check Good For?
Business checks include checks that are written by a company to pay their employees or vendors. These checks are tied to the checking accounts of the company. Most business checks come pre-printed with the text “void after 90 days”.
However, this text is usually to encourage people to cash their checks as soon as possible. Such checks are still accepted by banks for up to 180 days.
How Long Is a Cashier’s Check Good For?
Cashier’s checks are official checks that are guaranteed and signed by banks. They are different from personal and business checks as they are used to handle larger transactions.
Since cashier’s checks are guaranteed by banks, it’s up to the bank to set the expiry limit for them. Some cashier’s checks come with a “void after 60/80/180 days” disclaimer. While others do not have an expiry.
However, make sure to cash or deposit your cashier’s checks as soon as possible. If your cashier’s check has expired, it can be hard to get a new check from the bank.
How Long Are Government Checks Good For?
The expiry date of local and state government checks depends on the specific state’s law. So they vary from state to state.
However, most government checks are good from 6 months to a year. Make sure to check your government check for information related to when it expires.
But if your government check has already expired, don’t worry! You can still reach out to your state to ask for a renewed check.
How Long Are the U.S. Treasury Checks Good For?
The expiry date of local and state government checks depends on the specific state’s law. So they vary from state to state.
However, most government checks are good from 6 months to a year. Make sure to check your government check for information related to when it expires.
But if your government check has already expired, don’t worry! You can still reach out to your state to ask for a renewed check.
All U.S. Treasury Checks are good for one year. So you have a year to cash your federal tax refund checks.
If your check is more than a year old and is expired, the government still owes you the money you are entitled to. However, you will need to request the issuer for a new check.
How Long Is a Traveler’s Check Good For?
A traveler’s check does not have an expiration date. As long as the issuing bank of the traveler’s check is in operation, you can cash or deposit your check at any time.
When Do Money Orders Expire?
Money orders as an alternate for checks for smaller transactions. They have no expiration date. However, do read any disclaimers provided by the money order issuer.
Money orders issued by the U.S.P.S. do not have an expiry and can be cashed whenever you want. But after 3 years of issuance, you will be charged a fee against your money order’s value by Western Union. So make sure to cash your money order soon before it becomes worthless.
Conclusion
No matter what type of check you have, it is best to deposit it as soon as you receive it to avoid any problems. While you can still get a replacement check for most of the expired checks, it is a huge hassle and can at times result in financial loss.
So it’s better to be safe than sorry. Now that you know the answer to “how long is a check good for”, make it a habit to deposit your checks as soon as you receive them.
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