How to Write a Check
Fill out a personal check field by field, in the right order, sign it last, and leave no space anyone could use to change the amount.
You will fill in a check's six fields in the right order, sign last, and leave no gap where someone could add a digit or a name.
With Venmo, Zelle, autopay, and tap-to-pay, a request to write a check can feel like being asked to send a telegram.
Checks still come up in a handful of places: rent to a landlord who takes no digital payments, a security deposit on an apartment, some government fees and court payments, a contractor's invoice, a wedding or graduation gift, and a donation you want a paper trail for.
A check has six fields, and each one has a specific purpose and placement.
A checkbook from your bank account. If you do not have one, order checks through your bank, or ask a branch to print counter checks for you on the spot. You also need a pen with dark ink (black or blue). Never use pencil, as it can be erased and altered.
Write the date in the top right corner
The date field is in the upper right area of the check, usually on a line labeled Date. Write the current date in month/day/year format. You can write it numerically (05/01/2026) or longhand (May 1, 2026). Use the actual current date. Post-dating a check (writing a future date to delay processing) does not prevent a bank from paying it early. There is one way to protect a post-dated check. Under UCC 4-401, if you give your bank notice of the post-dated check, describing it clearly, the bank is liable for your losses if it pays before the date. The notice lasts 6 months, the same as a written stop-payment order, so ask your bank what it charges for one. Without that notice, ask the recipient to hold the check until the date.
Fill in the "Pay to the Order of" line
This is the long line in the upper portion of the check. Write the full legal name of the person or organization you are paying. For an individual, use their full name as it appears on their bank account (John A. Smith, not Johnny). For a business, use the official registered business name. If you are unsure about the exact name, ask the recipient how they want it written. Spelling and formatting matter here. If the name does not match the name on the recipient's account, their bank can refuse the deposit or hold it to verify it. For married couples, make the check payable to one person unless they specifically ask for both names. Writing two names connected by "and" requires both people to endorse the check, which complicates depositing. Connecting them with "or" lets either person deposit it.
Write the amount in numbers in the small box
The dollar box is the small rectangle to the right of the payee line, usually with a dollar sign already printed. Write the exact payment amount in numbers. Include cents after a decimal point. For example, $1,250.00 or $84.50. Write the numbers as far left in the box as possible and draw a line after the cents to fill any remaining space. That leaves no room to add a digit in front of or after the amount.
Good to know: A check written for $50.00 with a gap in front of the 5 can become $950.00 with one added digit. Start at the left edge of every field, not just the amount box.
Write the amount in words on the long line
Below the payee line is a long line where you write the dollar amount in words. This is the legal amount. If the numbers in the box and the words on this line disagree, the written words win. That rule is UCC 3-114, which ranks handwritten terms above printed ones and words above numbers. Write dollars as words and cents as a fraction over 100. For example, write "One thousand two hundred fifty and 00/100" for $1,250.00 and "Eighty-four and 50/100" for $84.50. Draw a line from the end of your writing to the word "Dollars" printed at the end to fill unused space.
Add a memo
The memo line is in the bottom left corner. It is not required, but fill it in anyway, because it records what the payment is for. Write a brief description like "May rent," "Wedding gift," or an account number if paying a bill. Some billers require you to write your account number here so they can match the payment to your account. The memo does not change who gets paid or how much. The exception is a note like "paid in full" on a check for a disputed bill, which under UCC 3-311 can settle the whole dispute once the payee cashes it. Write that only when you mean it.
Sign the check on the bottom right line
Sign only after every other field is filled in. A signed check with blank fields lets anyone who finds it write in any payee and any amount. The signature line is in the bottom right corner. Sign your name exactly as it appears on your bank account signature card (the one you signed when you opened the account). Your signature is what authorizes your bank to pay the check, so never hand one over unsigned.
Heads up: If a signed check is lost or stolen before the payee deposits it, call your bank, place a stop payment on it, and confirm the order in writing. A written stop-payment order lasts 6 months, while one given by phone lapses after 14 days.
Record the check in your register or app
After writing the check, record the check number, date, payee, and amount in your check register (the small booklet included in your checkbook) or in your banking app. Subtract the amount from your available balance immediately, even though the recipient may not deposit the check for days or weeks. This prevents overdrafts from spending money you have already committed to the check. If you bank online, look in your alert settings. Some banks and credit unions offer an alert that tells you when a specific check clears your account, so you can see which payments have gone through. Keep your register up to date. A bounced check (insufficient funds) can cost you a returned-check fee from the payee and an NSF fee from your bank. The bank fee is far less universal than it used to be. As of 2023 the CFPB found that nearly two-thirds of banks holding over $10 billion in assets had eliminated NSF fees entirely, including 27 of the 30 banks that earned the most from overdraft and NSF fees in 2021. Look up what your own bank charges.
If a check you wrote has not cleared and the payee says it never arrived, place a stop payment on it before you write a replacement, so the money cannot go out twice. Keep unused checks locked away, because each one carries your routing and account numbers, and a thief can forge the rest. If an employer or biller asks for a voided check next, our guide on how to void a check shows how to mark one without covering those numbers. To see where each check fits in your month, our guide on how to make a budget sets up the categories.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Do not use white-out or correction tape, because a bank can refuse a check that looks altered. For a small error such as the date, cross it out with a single line, write the correction above it, and initial the change. For a wrong payee or amount, void the check by writing "VOID" in large letters across the front and start a new one. Record the voided check in your register.
Not at any bank. The recipient can deposit the check at their own bank or cash it at the bank the check is drawn on (your bank). Some grocery stores and check-cashing businesses also cash checks for a fee. The recipient endorses the check by signing the back before depositing or cashing it.
UCC 4-404 says a bank is under no obligation to pay a check presented more than 6 months after its date, but that it may still charge your account if it pays in good faith. So an old check is not automatically dead, and you cannot rely on it bouncing either. If you have written a check that has not been cashed in over 6 months, contact the payee. If they still need the money, place a stop payment on the old check with your bank, then write a new one. US Treasury checks (tax refunds) follow a different rule and must be cashed or deposited within 1 year of their issue date.
Some employers and billers ask for a voided check to set up direct deposit or automatic payments. They need the routing and account numbers printed on the bottom of the check. Write "VOID" in large letters across the front, keeping clear of the numbers along the bottom, and provide it. The void prevents anyone from using it as an actual payment. If you do not have checks, ask your bank for a direct deposit form with your routing and account numbers instead.
There are three sets of numbers printed in magnetic ink along the bottom. From left to right, the first set (9 digits) is your bank's routing number, which identifies the bank. The second set is your account number. The third set is the check number, which matches the number printed in the top right corner. These numbers are what the banking system uses to route the money from your account to the recipient's.
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How to Make a Budget
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How to Write a Check
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How to Void a Check