To endorse a check, flip it over and sign your name in the short strip near the left end of the back marked “Endorse Here.” That signature alone is enough to make the check negotiable, but how you endorse a check should match what you plan to do with it: a plain signature turns it into something close to cash, while adding a short instruction like “For Deposit Only” above your name keeps the funds locked to your account. The wording you add, and the names already on the front, decide who else has to sign and how the bank will process it.
Where to Sign and How to Write Your Name
The endorsement area is on the back of the check near the left edge when you look at the front. Most checks print a line or a shaded box labeled “Endorse Here” to mark it. The first 1.5 inches from that edge is reserved for your endorsement; the rest of the back is for bank processing stamps. Keeping your signature inside that zone avoids problems during clearing.
Sign your name exactly as it appears on the “Pay to the Order of” line on the front. If the check writer misspelled your name, sign the misspelled version first, then sign your correct legal name directly below it. That satisfies both the bank’s identity-matching software and your actual identification. Use permanent ink, not pencil.
Many banks also want your account number written below your signature, especially for ATM deposits or checks mailed in. This helps route the funds correctly even if the deposit slip gets separated from the check.
Three Ways to Endorse a Check
Under the Uniform Commercial Code, there are three main endorsement types, and each one controls what happens to the check after you sign it.
Blank Endorsement
A blank endorsement is just your signature, nothing else. Once you sign it this way, the check becomes payable to whoever physically holds it and can be negotiated by transfer of possession alone.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement That makes a blank-endorsed check essentially the same as cash. If you drop it on the way to the bank, anyone who finds it could potentially cash or deposit it. Save the blank endorsement for the moment you’re standing at the teller window or ATM.
Restrictive Endorsement
A restrictive endorsement adds instructions that limit how the check can be used. The most common version is writing “For Deposit Only” above your signature, often with your account number. This tells the bank the check can only go into your account, so even if someone else gets hold of it, they can’t cash it or redirect the funds.2Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-206 – Restrictive Indorsement If you’re mailing a check to your bank or won’t deposit it right away, this is the safest choice.
Special Endorsement
A special endorsement names a specific person as the new payee. You write “Pay to the order of” followed by that person’s name, then sign below. Once you do this, only the person you named can negotiate the check, and they’ll need to endorse it themselves before depositing or cashing it.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement This is the mechanism behind signing a check over to someone else.
You can also add “without recourse” above your signature. That disclaims your liability if the check later bounces, so the person you transferred it to can’t come after you for the money.3Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-415 – Obligation of Indorser It’s mostly used in business settings. The recipient’s bank may apply additional scrutiny or a longer hold on a check endorsed this way.
Endorsing a Check for Mobile Deposit
Mobile deposits need a more specific restrictive endorsement than an in-person deposit. A 2018 amendment to Regulation CC requires remotely deposited checks to carry a restrictive endorsement showing they were deposited via mobile capture. Most banks ask you to write “For Mobile Deposit Only at [Bank Name]” above your signature. The exact wording varies, so check your bank’s app instructions before you snap the photo.
This endorsement exists to prevent duplicate deposits. Without it, someone could photograph the same check and submit it to multiple banks. Many mobile deposit systems will reject a check image that lacks the required language, and depositing the same check at two institutions can trigger a fraud investigation regardless of intent.
Signing a Check Over to Someone Else
To transfer a check, use a special endorsement: write “Pay to the order of [new recipient’s name]” in the endorsement area, then sign below. The new recipient then endorses the check themselves and deposits it normally.
The practical problem is that many banks refuse third-party checks altogether. No law requires a bank to accept them, and the fraud risk makes most institutions cautious.4HelpWithMyBank.gov. Can the Bank Refuse to Cash an Endorsed Check Before you try, call the recipient’s bank to confirm they’ll take it. Some banks will only accept third-party checks if both the original payee and the new recipient show up together at the branch with valid identification. Others won’t take them at all.
Endorsing Checks With Two Names
When a check names two or more payees, the word connecting those names controls who has to endorse it. If the check says “John and Jane,” both people must sign. If it says “John or Jane,” either one can endorse and deposit the check independently.5Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-110 – Identification of Person to Whom Instrument is Payable
If the check is ambiguous, written as “John and/or Jane” or “John Jane” with no conjunction, the UCC treats it as an alternative payee situation, so either person can endorse it on their own.5Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-110 – Identification of Person to Whom Instrument is Payable This comes up often with insurance claim checks, joint tax refunds, and settlement checks. Insurance loss checks regularly name the homeowner, the mortgage company, and sometimes a contractor, and gathering all the required endorsements can take weeks.
Endorsing a Check Made Out to a Business
When a check is made out to a business, an authorized person signs on the company’s behalf. Under the UCC, the key is making the representative capacity unambiguous. If the signature clearly shows the person is signing for the business, that person avoids personal liability on the instrument. If the capacity is ambiguous, the signer could be held personally liable to a holder in due course.6Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-402 – Signature by Representative
The safest format is to write the business name, then sign your own name with your title, for example, “ABC Corp / Jane Smith, Treasurer.” Most banks require this format to process business check deposits. If the check is drawn on the business’s own account, the signer won’t be personally liable even without noting a title, but tellers may still ask for one as part of verification.6Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-402 – Signature by Representative
A quick boundary worth knowing: the endorsement itself only authorizes the bank to collect the funds. It doesn’t control how long you’ll wait for the money to clear, and it doesn’t fix a check that’s gone stale or been forged. Those are separate questions with their own rules.