How to Void a Check
Void a check for direct deposit or automatic payments. Write VOID in black ink clear of the numbers at the bottom, leave it unsigned, keep a copy, shred any original you keep, and see what to send if you have no checkbook.
You will end up with a voided check that shows your routing and account numbers and cannot be used to pay anyone. VOID is written large across the front in black ink, the numbers along the bottom stay readable, and the check is never signed.
Employers, landlords, and billers ask for one when you set up direct deposit or automatic payments, because the check gives them your numbers without typos. Before you tear one out, ask whether a direct deposit form from your bank will do instead. FAQ 3 below lists that and the other options if you have no checkbook.
To fill in a check as a payment, use our guide on how to write a check.
A blank check from your checkbook A pen with indelible black ink A phone or scanner for making a copy A shredder or scissors for disposal
Start with a blank check
Pull a blank check from your checkbook. A voided check should not have anything filled in beforehand, so leave the date, payee, amount, and signature lines empty. If you do not have a checkbook, FAQ 3 below covers the alternatives. A direct deposit form from your bank, a counter check, or a bank verification letter can take its place.
Use a pen with indelible black ink
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the American Bankers Association recommend pens with indelible black ink for checks, because that ink is harder for a criminal to wash off. On a voided check, it keeps the word VOID in place. Do not use a pencil, which erases, or a highlighter.
Good to know: If a check of yours is stolen or altered, the Postal Inspection Service says to report it right away to your bank, your local police department, and the Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455. Ask your bank for copies of the fraudulent checks.
Write "VOID" in large letters across the front
Keep clear of the numbers printed along the bottom edge, because whoever receives the check needs them. Then write the word VOID in large capital letters across the front, big enough to cover the payee line, amount line, and date area. You want "VOID" to be unmistakable. Anyone who looks at this check should immediately see that it cannot be used for payment.
Heads up: The routing number is the nine-digit number at the bottom left, and your account number follows it. Those two are what the employer or biller copies to set up your direct deposit or automatic payment.
Leave the check unsigned
Your signature is what authorizes your bank to pay a check, so a voided check has no use for one. If someone asks why it is unsigned, tell them a voided check is not a payment. It only shows your routing and account numbers.
Make a copy for your records
Before you hand the check over, take a photo or make a photocopy. Store it somewhere safe, like a password-protected folder on your phone or computer. Also record the voided check number in your check register (or a simple note) with the date and what you used it for. This helps you keep track of every check in your book, even the ones that were never cashed.
Submit the voided check
Before you hand over the paper original, ask whether a clear photo or scanned PDF will do. Then give the voided check, or the image, to your employer, landlord, or whoever requested it. If you are submitting it electronically, use a secure method. Upload it through your employer's HR portal or a secure file-sharing service. Do not send a voided check as a plain email attachment. If email is the only option, encrypt the file or use a password-protected PDF. If you are setting up a budget with automatic bill payments, your bank or service provider may also ask for a voided check during enrollment.
Shred the original after use
Do not put a voided check in the recycling bin or the regular trash. Even with VOID written across it, the account details on the bottom are still readable. If you handed over the paper original, there is nothing left to destroy. If you sent a photo or scan, shred the original once the other party confirms the deposit or payment is set up. Use a cross-cut shredder if you have one. If not, tear the check into small pieces and throw away the pieces with the routing and account numbers separately from the rest.
If the employer or biller says the numbers are hard to read, void a fresh check and keep VOID clear of the bottom edge, or send a direct deposit form from your bank instead. If your first direct deposit or automatic payment does not arrive, compare the routing and account numbers on their form with the ones on your check before you call your bank. If a withdrawal you did not set up appears on your statement, report it to your bank right away. FAQ 2 below gives the 60-day deadline.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Yes, but it depends on whether you still have the check. If the check is in your hands, write "VOID" in large letters across the front, over the details you filled in, and record it in your check register. If you have already given the check to someone, ask for it back so you can void it, or contact your bank to place a stop payment order right away. A stop payment only works if it reaches your bank in time to act before it pays the check. Expect a fee for a stop payment. The amount varies by bank, so check your bank's fee schedule.
A voided check cannot be cashed or deposited at a bank. The routing and account numbers at the bottom are still readable, though, and someone who has them can try to set up an ACH withdrawal from your account without your permission. Every check you write carries the same numbers. Give voided checks only to the employer or company that asked for one, send them through a secure channel, and shred the original once it is no longer needed. Read your statements, and report any withdrawal you did not authorize to your bank right away. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says to do it within 60 days after your bank sends the statement showing it. If you wait longer, you could have to pay for unauthorized withdrawals made after those 60 days.
You have several alternatives. Check whether your bank offers a direct deposit authorization form through its online banking portal or mobile app. You can also visit your bank branch and ask for a counter check (a temporary blank check they print on the spot), then void it normally. A bank verification letter on official letterhead with your routing and account numbers works too. Ask whoever requested the check whether one of these will do instead. In a 2022 post, Nacha, which writes the rules for the ACH network that carries direct deposits, says the whole point of a voided check was to give payroll your account and routing numbers. It adds that banks show those numbers in online and mobile banking, and that its own staff set up direct deposit through a payroll portal with no voided check.
No. Under UCC 4-404, a bank does not have to pay a regular check presented more than 6 months after its date. A voided check is never presented for payment, so it has no expiration date. It shows the right numbers as long as the account is open and its routing and account numbers have not changed. If you voided one months ago and both conditions hold, it works.
Voiding is something you do to a check you still hold. You write "VOID" across it, and it can no longer be used as a payment. A stop payment is an order to your bank not to pay a check you have already handed over. Under UCC 4-403, the order must reach your bank in time for it to act before it pays the check. A stop payment lasts 6 months and can be renewed in writing for another 6 months at a time, but an order given by phone or in person lapses after 14 days unless you confirm it in writing. Expect a fee, and check your bank's fee schedule for the amount. To cancel a check you have already handed over, ask the payee to give it back so you can void it, or place a stop payment.
Master Your Money
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How to Write a Check
How to Save Money
How to Negotiate a Salary
How to Calculate Tip
How to Void a Check
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