To cash a check, you need an unexpired government-issued photo ID, your signature endorsing the back of the check, and a bank or business willing to cash that particular type of check. What do you need to cash a check beyond those basics depends on who the check is from, who it’s made out to, and where you take it.
The ID You’ll Be Asked For
Expect to show an original, unexpired government photo ID. Banks ask routinely as a security measure, and federal law requires an institution to verify and record your identity on any cash transaction over $10,000.1Cornell Law School. Federal 31 C.F.R. § 1010.312 – Identification required
Commonly accepted documents include:
- Valid driver’s license
- Current United States passport
- Military identification card
- State-issued identification card
How to Endorse the Check
An endorsement is the signature that transfers the right to payment to whoever is cashing the check. For a check made out to a specific person, both the physical check and that person’s signature are needed to negotiate it.2Cornell Law School. Uniform Commercial Code § 3-201 – Negotiation Sign in the designated area on the back.3Cornell Law School. Uniform Commercial Code § 3-204 – Indorsement
You have a choice about how to endorse:
- A blank endorsement is just your signature. The check then becomes payable to whoever holds it, so losing it between endorsement and the counter is risky.
- A special endorsement names a specific person the check is being transferred to, and that person must sign before it can be negotiated again.4Cornell Law School. Uniform Commercial Code § 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement
- A restrictive endorsement, such as “for deposit only” above your signature, limits what can be done with the check. Many institutions will refuse to hand over cash when this restriction is written on the back.
If your name is misspelled on the front of the check, you can sign the misspelled version, the correct version, or both. The person cashing the check is allowed to insist you sign both.3Cornell Law School. Uniform Commercial Code § 3-204 – Indorsement
Where You Can Cash It
The issuing bank, meaning the bank that holds the account the money is drawn from, is often the most direct option. A bank where you have your own account will also cash checks, with fees set by that bank’s own policies and sometimes tied to your account type.
Many large retailers and grocery stores cash checks at the customer service desk, though they often limit the service to specific types such as payroll or government checks. Each store sets its own maximum amount and its own fees. These counters are useful outside normal banking hours.
Specialized check-cashing outlets handle these transactions as their main business and tend to keep the most flexible hours. They are typically regulated by state law, which may require licensing and cap the fees they can charge.
At the Counter
You hand over the check and your ID. The teller or clerk checks the signature against your ID, confirms the funds are available, deducts any fee, and gives you the balance in the denominations you ask for. A check that is badly damaged or has unreadable numbers along the bottom may be turned away.
Keep the receipt. It records the fee charged, the date and time, and a transaction number, which matters if the payment is later disputed.
If the Check Was Signed Over to You
A third-party check is one the original payee has signed over to someone else. To do this properly, the original payee uses a special endorsement that names you as the new person authorized to receive the money.4Cornell Law School. Uniform Commercial Code § 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement You then sign below to complete the chain.
Even with the endorsements done correctly, many banks and stores refuse third-party checks as a matter of internal policy because of fraud risk. Those that do accept them may require the original payee to come in with you, both of you carrying ID. Call ahead before you make the trip.