How Long Is a Check Valid? 6 Months, 1 Year or Never

The short answer

Personal and business checks: six months

Section 4-404 of the Uniform Commercial Code says a bank is under no obligation to its checking account customer to pay a check, other than a certified check, that is presented more than six months after its date. The same section lets the bank pay it anyway and charge the account, as long as it acts in good faith.

So a check older than six months is not void. It is stale, and the bank can choose. The OCC's HelpWithMyBank glossary defines a stale-dated check as one presented 180 days (6 months) or more after the issue date. The two ways of counting are close but not identical:

Do not plan around the last day. Deposit a check as soon as you can, and if it is getting close to six months, ask your bank before you rely on the money. The days between dates calculator counts how old a check is from the date on its face to today.

If the bank refuses a stale check, ask the writer for a replacement, and ask them to void the old one or stop payment on it so it is not paid twice.

Certified and cashier's checks

A certified check is a personal check that the bank has certified, or guaranteed, to be good. Section 4-404 leaves certified checks out of its six-month rule.

A cashier's check is drawn on the bank's own funds, not on a depositor's account. HelpWithMyBank says that a customer generally cannot stop payment on a cashier's check and that the bank must honor it when it is presented. If an old cashier's check is refused somewhere, go to the issuing bank, since it is the one that owes the money.

Losing a cashier's check is harder than letting it age. The bank will require an indemnity bond for the amount of the check, and it may make you wait 30 to 90 days before it issues a replacement.

U.S. Treasury checks: one year

Federal payments by paper check, such as a paper tax refund, are drawn on the U.S. Treasury. Under the Competitive Equality Banking Act, the Treasury Financial Manual says, these checks must be negotiated no later than one year from the date of issuance. The checks carry the printed legend VOID AFTER ONE YEAR above the disbursing officer's signature.

A Treasury check dated March 16, 2026 has to be cashed or deposited by March 16, 2027. After that the check is cancelled, but the IRS manual notes that the one-year limit does not affect the underlying obligation. The payee asks the agency that issued the payment, such as the IRS for a refund, and the disbursing office can certify a new payment from the same funds.

Behind the scenes, the Treasury cancels uncashed checks in bulk. The manual calls this a limited payability cancellation, and the money is credited back to the issuing agency on the second business day of the thirteenth month after issue. That is why a check past its year cannot simply be deposited late: once it is cancelled, only the agency can send the money out again. If you find an uncashed federal check in a drawer, check the issue date first and call the agency right away if the year has passed.

Postal money orders: never

USPS says domestic money orders never expire and do not accrue interest. One money order can be for up to $1,000 within the United States. You can cash one free at a Post Office with a primary photo ID, and most banks and some stores cash them too.

A lost or stolen postal money order is a different matter: USPS charges a $23 processing fee for a replacement, confirming a loss or theft can take up to 30 days, and an investigation up to 60 days.

Money orders from other sellers follow their own terms, so check the seller's receipt or ask the seller.

Stopping a check instead

If you wrote a check and want to be sure it is never paid, a stale date is not protection: the bank may still pay it in good faith. Place a stop payment order instead. HelpWithMyBank says a written stop payment order often expires after six months and can be renewed for another six, and an oral order not confirmed in writing ends after 14 calendar days. Your deposit account agreement sets the exact policy.

An old check in hand

1. Look at the type. Treasury check, money order, cashier's check or ordinary check: each follows a different rule above.
2. Count the days. Under six months for an ordinary check, under a year for a Treasury check, and you can deposit it normally.
3. Ask before you deposit a stale one. The bank may take it, or it may come back unpaid later.
4. Get a replacement if refused. From the writer for a personal check, from the issuing bank for a cashier's check, from the paying agency for a Treasury check.

Once a check is deposited, a separate question starts: how long the bank can hold the funds. The guide on how long a bank can hold a check covers those deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Cornell LII: UCC § 4-404, Bank not obliged to pay check more than six months old (no duty to pay an uncertified check presented more than six months after its date; may pay in good faith)
• HelpWithMyBank.gov (OCC) glossary: stale-dated check presented 180 days (6 months) or more after issue; certified check; cashier's check drawn on the bank's funds
• HelpWithMyBank.gov: Can I put a stop payment order on a cashier's check? (generally no; the bank must honor it when presented)
• HelpWithMyBank.gov: Why do I need an indemnity bond to replace a lost cashier's check? (bond for the amount; 30 to 90 day wait)
• HelpWithMyBank.gov: Can the bank pay a check after I place a stop payment on it? (written order often expires after six months, renewable; oral order ends after 14 calendar days)
• Treasury Financial Manual, Volume I, Part 4, Chapter 7000 (Treasury checks must be negotiated no later than one year from issuance under CEBA; VOID AFTER ONE YEAR legend; recertified payment)
• IRS Internal Revenue Manual 21.4.2, Refund Trace and Limited Payability (one-year CEBA limit on Treasury checks does not affect the underlying obligation; the agency may certify a new payment)
• USPS: Money Orders (domestic money orders never expire; up to $1,000 each; fees; $23 replacement fee; cashing at a Post Office)

General information based on the sources above, not tax, legal or financial advice.

Written by Tobias. Updated October 30, 2026.