A bank check is good for six months from the date written on it

After six months, a check is considered stale and most banks will refuse to cash or deposit it. The six-month window is a standard practice across U.S. banks, though some banks may honor older checks at their discretion. The date on the check is what matters — not when you received it or when you plan to use it.

If you try to deposit or cash a check after six months, the bank will likely return it unpaid. The person who wrote the check (the payer) may not even be notified that their old check was rejected, so they might think the payment went through when it did not. This creates confusion and can leave bills unpaid or payments undelivered.

Some checks carry an explicit expiration date printed on them — usually for payroll checks or government benefit checks — and those expire sooner than six months. Always check the fine print on the front or back of the check before depositing it.

Key Takeaways

  • A standard personal or business check expires six months after the date written on it, and banks are not required to cash or deposit checks older than that.
  • The six-month clock starts from the date on the check itself, regardless of when you received it or how long you have held it.
  • Some checks — including payroll checks, government checks, and cashier's checks — may have shorter expiration periods printed on them.
  • If a check is rejected as stale, the payer is usually not notified, so you should contact the person who wrote it to request a replacement.
  • Depositing a stale check does not harm your account, but the deposit will be returned and the funds will not reach your account.

Why banks reject checks older than six months

The six-month rule exists because a check is a written instruction to pay, and banks assume that if you have not cashed it within six months, something has changed. The payer's account balance may have shifted, the account may have been closed, or the check may have been lost or forgotten. After six months, the bank has no way to know whether the payment is still valid or intended.

Banks are not legally required to honor checks older than six months, though the Uniform Commercial Code (which governs check law in all U.S. states) does not forbid it. Each bank sets its own policy. Some large banks strictly enforce the six-month rule; others may cash an older check if the account holder approves it. Smaller banks and credit unions sometimes have more flexibility.

If you deposit a stale check, the deposit will be returned to you, usually within a few business days. The check will be marked "stale dated" or "post dated" (though post-dated checks are a different issue). Your bank will not charge you a fee for depositing a stale check, but the funds will not be added to your account.

Checks with shorter expiration dates

Not all checks follow the six-month rule. Some types of checks have printed expiration dates or shorter validity windows:

  • Payroll checks: Most employers print an expiration date on the back, often 90 days or 180 days from the date issued. Some state laws set a shorter window.
  • Government checks: Social Security checks, tax refund checks, and unemployment benefit checks typically expire one year from the date issued, though some states enforce shorter periods.
  • Cashier's checks: These bank-issued checks usually expire 90 days to one year after issue, depending on the bank.
  • Traveler's checks: These do not expire, but the issuer (American Express, Visa, or another company) must still be in business to honor them.
  • Money orders: Most money orders are good for one to three years, depending on the issuer.

Always read the fine print on the back of a check before depositing it. If an expiration date is printed there, that date takes priority over the standard six-month rule.

What to do if you have a stale check

If you discover that a check is older than six months, contact the person or organization that issued it and ask for a replacement. Bring the original check with you or have the check number and amount ready. Most payers will issue a new check at no charge, though they may ask you to return the old one or sign a statement saying you did not cash it.

If the check was from an employer, contact the payroll or accounting department. If it was from a government agency, call the agency directly — Social Security, the IRS, your state's unemployment office, or your local housing authority. If it was from a business or individual, a phone call or email is usually enough.

Do not attempt to alter the date on a check or deposit it under a false date. That is check fraud, and it can result in criminal charges. Banks use automated systems to detect altered checks, and the payer's bank will catch the discrepancy when they process it.

How banks detect stale checks

When you deposit a check, your bank scans the date and compares it to the current date. If the check is more than six months old, the bank's system flags it automatically. The check is then either rejected at the point of deposit (if you are depositing in person) or returned a few days later (if you deposited by mail or mobile app).

Some banks use imaging technology that reads the date on the check; others rely on manual review if the date is unclear. Either way, the six-month threshold is built into most banking systems, so you will not be able to slip an old check through undetected.

If you deposit a stale check by mobile app or ATM, you will not know it was rejected until the deposit is returned to your account, which usually takes two to five business days. If you deposit in person at a teller window, the teller may catch it immediately and tell you the check cannot be processed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a bank cash a check that is older than six months if the account holder says it is okay?

Yes, some banks will honor an older check if the account holder (the person who wrote it) approves it. However, banks are not required to do this, and most large banks refuse to process checks older than six months under any circumstances. Call your bank and ask whether they will make an exception; if they will, the account holder will need to contact their bank to authorize it.

What if I deposited a stale check and it was rejected — will my bank charge me a fee?

No. Depositing a stale check does not trigger an overdraft fee or any other penalty. The check will simply be returned unpaid, and the funds will not be added to your account. However, if you were counting on that money and your account balance drops below zero because of other transactions, you could face overdraft fees for those separate transactions.

How do I know if a check has an expiration date printed on it?

Look at the back of the check, usually in the upper right corner or along the top edge. Government checks, payroll checks, and cashier's checks often have a line that says "void after [date]" or "expires [date]". If you do not see anything printed on the back, the standard six-month rule applies.

If I write a check and someone does not cash it for six months, am I still responsible for the payment?

Legally, yes — you issued the check as a promise to pay, and that obligation does not disappear after six months. However, if the check is never cashed, the money stays in your account. If the recipient contacts you about the stale check, you should issue a replacement. If they do not contact you, you may want to reach out to confirm whether they still need the payment.

Can I deposit a check that is dated in the future?

Technically, yes, but most banks will not process it until the date on the check arrives. A check dated in the future is called a post-dated check, and it is treated differently from a stale check. Your bank may hold it until the date passes, or they may reject it outright. Ask your bank about their policy on post-dated checks before depositing one.