To sign a check for deposit, flip it over and sign inside the 1.5-inch strip on the trailing edge of the back. For most deposits, write “For Deposit Only” and your account number above your signature; for a phone deposit, write “For Mobile Deposit Only” instead. Save a plain signature by itself for the moment you’re standing at the teller window or ATM, because once a check carries only your signature, anyone holding it can cash it.
Where to Sign
Turn the check over and look at one end. You’ll usually see faint lines or an “X.” Federal check-processing rules reserve a 1.5-inch strip along the trailing edge (the left side when the check is face-up) for your endorsement.1eCFR. 12 CFR 229.35 – Indorsements The rest of the back belongs to the bank’s processing stamps.
Keep everything, including any restrictive language, inside that zone. Writing that spills onto the front or across the bank’s processing area can get the check delayed or rejected.
The Three Ways to Endorse
Every endorsement falls into one of three types, and each one gives different instructions to the bank and to anyone else who ends up holding the check.
Blank Endorsement
Just your signature. Nothing else. That converts the check into a bearer instrument, meaning whoever has it can deposit or cash it.2Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement Fine if you’re already at the teller or standing at the ATM. Risky anywhere else. Don’t sign this way at home and then walk the check to the bank.
Restrictive Endorsement
Write “For Deposit Only” above your signature, and add your account number underneath. That locks the funds to that specific account: a thief who finds the check can’t walk into a branch and cash it. This is the safest choice for everyday use, and the one to reach for automatically if a check arrives in the mail or you need to hold onto it for any length of time before depositing.
Special Endorsement
To transfer a check to someone else, write “Pay to the order of [name]” and then sign below. Only the named person can then deposit it, and they’ll need to endorse it too.2Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement Once you sign it over, you can no longer deposit it yourself. Most banks are cautious about accepting these “third-party” checks, so the recipient should confirm their bank will take it before you sign.
Signing for a Mobile Deposit
If you’re depositing through your bank’s app, the endorsement is different. Most banks require “For Mobile Deposit Only” written above your signature, and some ask for the bank’s name or your account number as well. Check your bank’s specific instructions in the app before you sign; the wording is not universal.
The reason banks are strict about this comes from Regulation CC. When a check carries a restrictive endorsement tying it to a mobile deposit at one bank, and someone then tries to deposit the paper original at a second bank, the second bank absorbs the loss.3eCFR. 12 CFR Part 229 – Availability of Funds and Collection of Checks (Regulation CC) Skip the language and the app may reject the image outright.
After a successful mobile deposit, hang onto the paper check until the funds clear, then destroy it so no one can deposit it a second time.
If Your Name Is Misspelled on the Front
You can still deposit the check. Sign the back twice: first using the misspelled version exactly as it appears on the front, then again with your correct legal name directly below.4Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-204 – Indorsement Keep both signatures inside the endorsement area. The same two-signature approach works if the check uses a nickname or a maiden name that doesn’t match your ID.
Joint Checks: “And” Versus “Or”
When a check names more than one payee, the small word between the names controls who has to sign.
- “And” (John and Jane Doe): both payees must endorse before the check can be deposited.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 alone.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do Both My Spouse and I Have to Sign the Back of a Check Made Out to Us
- No word between names, “and/or,” or a slash: bank policies vary. Some treat this the same as “and.” Ask your 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 settlements, tax refunds, and legal settlement checks often use “and.” If one payee isn’t available to sign, there’s no workaround. Both signatures have to be there.
Signing on Someone Else’s Behalf
Sometimes the person named on the check can’t sign it. The right endorsement depends on why.
A Check Made Out to a Business
An owner, officer, or employee with signing authority endorses on the company’s behalf. The endorsement has to show the signer is acting for the business, not personally. A typical format is the company name, then the signer’s name and title: “ABC Corp, by Jane Smith, Treasurer.”7Cornell Law Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-402 – Signature by Representative If the endorsement doesn’t clearly identify the business and the signer’s representative capacity, the signer can be held personally liable on the check.
Power of Attorney
If you hold power of attorney for someone, endorse with the payee’s name, then your name and “attorney-in-fact.” The standard format is “[Payee’s Name], by [Your Name], Attorney-in-Fact.” Your bank will likely want a copy of the POA document on file before it accepts the deposit.
A Check Made Out to Someone Who Has Died
The executor or administrator of the estate handles the endorsement, and the check goes into the estate’s bank account, not a personal one. For federal government checks, the endorsement must show the representative’s capacity, for example: “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 before processing the deposit.
What If You Forgot to Sign
If you drop an unendorsed check into a teller deposit, the deposit isn’t necessarily lost. Under the UCC, a bank that accepts an unendorsed check for deposit into a customer’s 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 Many banks will either add the endorsement or call you in to sign. ATMs and mobile apps are stricter; they typically reject an image that shows no signature on the back.
Two Things a Signature Won’t Fix
A third-party check (one signed over to you with a special endorsement) is legally valid, but many banks won’t take one, or will only take one if the original payee is present. Call your bank before assuming your endorsement is enough. Plan on a branch visit rather than mobile deposit.
A check more than six months old is a separate problem. Banks are not required to honor a check presented more than six months after its date.10Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (LII). Uniform Commercial Code 4-404 – Bank Not Obliged to Pay Check More Than Six Months Old If you’re holding a stale check, ask the issuer for a replacement rather than signing and hoping.