To sign a check for deposit, flip it over, find the 1.5-inch strip along the short edge on the back, and write “For Deposit Only” followed by your account number above your signature. Sign your name exactly as it appears on the front of the check. That restrictive endorsement is the safest default because it locks the funds to your account and blocks anyone else from cashing the check if it’s lost.
Where to Sign on the Back
Turn the check over and look for a short section marked with lines or an “X” near one end. Industry standards reserve a 1.5-inch strip along the trailing edge, which is the left side when the check is face-up, for your endorsement.1eCFR. 12 CFR 229.35 – Indorsements The rest of the back is reserved for the bank’s processing stamps.
Keep everything, including any restrictive language above your signature, inside that strip. Writing that spills outside the zone or onto the front can cause the bank to reject the check or delay it.
Which Endorsement to Use
You have three basic options, and the right one depends on what you want to happen with the check.
Restrictive Endorsement (Safest for Deposits)
Write “For Deposit Only” and your account number above your signature. The bank must then deposit the check into that account; nobody can walk it into a branch and cash it. This is the option to use any time you’re mailing a check to your bank, dropping it in a night deposit, or carrying it around before you get to a teller.
Blank Endorsement (Only at the Bank)
A blank endorsement is just your signature, nothing else. That turns the check into a bearer instrument, meaning anyone holding it can deposit or cash it.2Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement Wait until you’re standing at the teller window or ATM before you sign this way.
Special Endorsement (Signing It Over)
To transfer the check to someone else, write “Pay to the order of [recipient’s name]” and sign below it. That person then has to endorse it before depositing.2Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement Once you add a special endorsement you give up your own right to deposit it, and many banks are cautious about accepting these.
Signing for a Mobile Deposit
Most banks now require specific wording when you deposit a check by phone. Write “For Mobile Deposit Only” above your signature; some banks also want their name or your account number added. If you skip the wording, the app may reject the image outright.
The rule comes from Regulation CC: a check endorsed for mobile deposit shifts the loss for any duplicate deposit onto a second bank that later takes the paper original.3eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC) Check your bank’s mobile deposit instructions for the exact language it wants.
After you submit the image, hold onto the paper check until the deposit clears. Then destroy it so it can’t be deposited a second time.
If Your Name Is Misspelled on the Check
If the front of the check has your name wrong, sign the back twice: first with the misspelled version, then with your correct legal name directly below.4Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-204 – Indorsement Both signatures need to fit inside the endorsement strip. The misspelled signature matches the payee line; the correct one matches your ID.
Do the same thing if the check uses a nickname, a maiden name, or any variation that doesn’t match your identification.
Checks Made Out to More Than One Person
The word between the names controls who signs.
- “And” (John and Jane Doe): both payees have to endorse.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do Both My Spouse and I Have to Sign the Back of a Check Made Out to Us
- “Or” (John or Jane Doe): either payee can endorse and deposit it alone.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do Both My Spouse and I Have to Sign the Back of a Check Made Out to Us
- “And/or,” or no connector at all: bank policies vary. Some treat unclear wording the same as “and.” Call the bank before you try to deposit.6HelpWithMyBank.gov. I Received a Check Payable to Both My Spouse and Me. Do Both of Us Have to Endorse the Check
Insurance claim checks, tax refunds, and settlement checks are often issued with “and” between names. If one payee can’t sign, there’s no workaround: the check waits.
Signing on Someone Else’s Behalf
Business Checks
An owner, officer, or employee with signing authority endorses on the company’s behalf. Make it clear the signature is representative: company name, then the signer’s name and title, for example, “ABC Corp, by Jane Smith, Treasurer.”7Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-402 – Signature by Representative Without that clarity, the signer can be held personally liable on the check.
Power of Attorney
If you hold power of attorney for the payee, endorse as “[Payee’s Name], by [Your Name], Attorney-in-Fact.” The bank will usually want a copy of the POA document on file before it will process the deposit.
Checks to a Deceased Payee
The executor or administrator handles the endorsement, and the check goes into the estate’s account rather than a personal one. For government-issued checks, federal rules require the representative’s capacity to appear in the endorsement, such as “John Jones by Mary Jones, executor of the estate of John Jones.”8eCFR. 31 CFR 240.15 – Checks Issued to Deceased Payees Expect the bank to ask for letters testamentary or letters of administration.
A Note on Third-Party Checks
If someone signs a check over to you using a special endorsement, that’s legally permitted, but many banks are wary of these third-party checks because they can’t easily verify the original payee’s consent. Some refuse them outright, some require both parties present, and some impose holds or dollar caps. Call your bank first, plan on visiting a branch in person, and bring ID.
If You Forgot to Sign
A deposit without an endorsement isn’t automatically dead. A bank that takes an unendorsed check for deposit into your account becomes the holder and can supply the missing endorsement itself.9Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 4-205 – Depositary Bank Holder of Unindorsed Item In practice, tellers often process the deposit and either sign for you or call you in. ATMs and mobile apps are stricter and usually reject an unsigned check on the spot.