May 15, 2026
Written by Catherine Hiles
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Certified Financial Education Instructor®
Catherine Hiles, CFEI®, originally hails from the U.K. and currently resides in Ohio, where she writes about finance, parenting, pets, home improvement, and more. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys running, reading, and hanging out with her husband, two young children, and energetic dog.
Most personal checks are valid for up to six months (180 days) before they expire.
Some checks, like government and cashier's checks, may be valid longer, but it's best to cash or deposit them as soon as possible.
To avoid expired or lost checks altogether, consider using direct deposit or mobile check deposit for faster, safer access to your money.
For any expired check, you can contact the issuer to request a replacement.
If you've found an old check tucked away in a drawer, you're probably wondering how long it's good for. The short answer is that most personal checks expire after six months, but the timeline depends on the type of check you have. Let's break down the details so you know exactly what to do.
Personal checks are generally good for 6 months from the date they're written. After that, they're considered "stale checks," and federal law doesn't require banks or credit unions to process them.
Every bank and credit union handles stale-dated checks differently. Some may still process them if they believe funds are available in the account to cover the payment. However, some may refuse to honor the check. To be safe, it's best to deposit or cash the check before the six-month period is up.
Yes, checks can expire – but the timing depends on the type. Here's a breakdown of when different checks expire:
Type of check | Shelf life |
|---|---|
Business check | 6 months (sometimes 90 days or 1 year) |
Cashier's check | Varies by bank (60–90 days or no expiration) |
Certified check | No set expiration |
Federal tax refund check | Payments are made electronically |
Money order | Typically never expires |
Personal check | 6 months |
State or local government check | Around 1 year (varies by state) |
Traveler's check | Never expires |
Treasury check | 1 year from issue date |
Personal checks expire after six months. Federal law doesn't require banks and credit unions to accept personal checks older than that.
A personal check is a paper slip signed by you that instructs your bank to transfer a specific amount from your checking account to the payee.
Business checks (such as employer paychecks or vendor checks) also expire after six months.
In some cases, businesses may print "void after 90 days" on their checks. But your bank may still honor it if you deposit it within six months. Check with your employer to find out how long payroll checks are valid.
Cashier's checks are useful for ensuring a check won't bounce or for securely making or receiving large payments. Some banks may include language on a cashier's check that voids it after 60 or 90 days, while others don't specify a time limit.
Some states have laws that specify when a cashier's check will be returned to the bank. California is one example: cashier's checks older than three years will be turned over to the California State Controller's Office.
A certified check is a personal check that a bank has certified to guarantee funds are available. These checks don't typically expire, but they may be turned over to your state if they're not cashed in a certain time frame.
In the past, you could choose to have your tax refund deposited electronically into your account or have the IRS mail you a paper check. However, as of Sept. 30, 2025, the IRS began phasing out paper checks for federal tax refunds, aiming to issue future refunds electronically.
Set up direct deposit with the IRS and get your tax refund up to five days early1 when you direct deposit with Chime® and file directly through the IRS.
Treasury checks are considered "stale" one year after issuance. They can be reissued only within six years of the original check date.
State and local government checks, such as tax refunds and benefit payments, are typically valid for six to 12 months.
This timeframe can vary by state. If you find an old state or local government check, contact the issuing agency to determine whether it's still valid.
Money orders are a secure form of payment. They are prepaid, which means they won't bounce due to insufficient funds.
Since money orders are prepaid, they typically never expire, and you can cash them out anytime. Double-check any rules around fees or money order expiration before cashing.
Although traveler's checks are mostly obsolete, they never expire. If you have an old traveler's check lying around, you should be able to cash it as long as the issuing financial institution is still operating.
Follow these steps if you're holding onto an expired check.
If your check has already expired, you can request a replacement from the person, company, or organization that issued it. Depending on their procedures, they might ask you to return the expired check or pay a stop payment fee.
If you don't want to wait around for a paper check, ask the issuer if they can send payment electronically instead. An ACH or other digital payment will arrive in your bank account faster, and you won't have to worry about depositing a check before it expires.
Once you've received your new payment, dispose of the old check. It's best to shred or tear the check into small pieces to protect your account number and other sensitive information.
The answer to "How long can you wait to cash a check?" varies by type, but the simplest way to prevent your check from going stale is to deposit or cash it as soon as possible.
If you have an older check, contact the issuer first to confirm whether it's still valid. If not, ask if they could re-issue it.
With Chime, you can set up direct deposit to get paid up to two days early,2 or use mobile check deposit to skip the trip to the bank. These fee-free3 features can help you get paid faster and keep your money moving.
No, a 2-year-old check is well past the standard six-month expiration window. Contact the issuer to request a replacement.
If a check is never cashed, it will eventually expire, and the funds remain in the issuer's account. Contact the issuer to request a new check before it goes stale.
Most personal checks become stale after six months from the date they were written. Other types, like traveler's checks and money orders, may never expire.
Your bank may refuse to process it, since federal law doesn't require it to honor checks older than six months. Contact the issuer for a replacement rather than depositing an expired check.
Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
Chime is not FDIC-insured. The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A. are the FDIC-insured members. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through deposit insurance coverage to apply. FDIC deposit insurance limit is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category.
Chime Checkbook: While Chime doesn’t issue personal checkbooks to write checks, Chime Checkbook gives you the freedom to send checks to anyone, anytime, from anywhere. See your issuing bank’s Deposit Account Agreement for full Chime Checkbook details.
By clicking on some of the links above, you will leave the Chime website and be directed to a third-party website. The privacy practices of those third parties may differ from those of Chime. We recommend you review the privacy statements of those third party websites, as Chime is not responsible for those third parties' privacy or security practices.
Opinions, advice, services, or other information or content expressed or contributed here by customers, users, or others, are those of the respective author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A. (“Banks”). Banks are not responsible for the accuracy of any content provided by author(s) or contributor(s).
APPLE and the Apple Logo are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. GOOGLE PLAY and the Google Play Logo are registered trademarks of Google LLC. Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Chime does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice. You should check with your legal, financial, or tax advisor for advice specific to your situation.
Third-party trademarks referenced for informational purposes only; no endorsements implied.
Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at FCTI® ATMs in a 7-Eleven® or Speedway, or any Allpoint® or Visa® Plus Alliance ATM participating in the Allpoint network.
Once the retailer accepts your cash, the funds will be transferred to your Chime account. You may use your barcode, debit card, or Chime Card to deposit cash. Cash deposit fees may apply if using a retailer other than Walgreens and Duane Reade. Cash deposits using a barcode or debit card are deposited to your Checking Account. If you have the Chime Card, those funds will be automatically swept to your Chime Card Secured Deposit Account. Cash deposits using your Chime Card first go to your Chime Card Account, then transferred to your Chime Card Secured Deposit Account. Cash deposits are not payment for any Chime Card balance due.
Licenses
Chime Capital, LLC, Nationwide Multistate Licensing System ("NMLS") ID 2316451
Chime Payments, Inc., Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (“NMLS”) ID 2538752
Address: 101 California Street, Floor 5, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States.
No customer support available at HQ. Customer support details available on the website.
© 2013-2026 Chime Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.
Chime® is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.