To cash a two-party check, look at the payee line first: if the names are joined by “and,” both people must endorse it and both typically must be present at the bank; if they’re joined by “or,” either person can sign and cash it alone. The safest place to take it is a branch of a bank or credit union where at least one payee already has an account, with government-issued photo ID in hand.
“And” Versus “Or” Controls Everything
The single word between the two names decides whether you need the other payee. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, a check payable to “Person A and Person B” can only be cashed, deposited, or signed over with both payees cooperating. A check payable to “Person A or Person B” lets either payee handle it alone.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-110 – Identification of Person to Whom Instrument Is Payable
When the wording is unclear—names stacked on separate lines with no conjunction, separated by a slash, or joined by “and/or”—the law treats the check as if it said “or,” so either payee can process it independently.1Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-110 – Identification of Person to Whom Instrument Is Payable Banks sometimes read ambiguous checks more cautiously than the UCC requires, so if you aren’t sure how yours will be treated, call the bank before you try to deposit it.2Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Must Both My Spouse and I Endorse a Check Made Out to Both of Us?
The same rule applies when one or both payees are businesses. “Jane Doe and ABC Roofing, Inc.” needs both endorsements; “Jane Doe or ABC Roofing, Inc.” needs only one.
How to Endorse It
For an “and” check, both payees sign the back, each writing their name exactly as it appears on the front. For an “or” check, one signature is enough.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Do Both My Spouse and I Have to Sign the Back of a Check Made Out to Us? Sign in the endorsement area at the top of the back of the check, roughly the first inch and a half, so the bank’s processing stamps have room below your signatures.
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID: driver’s license, passport, state ID card, or military ID. Some banks ask non-customers for a second form of ID, so call ahead if you don’t have an account there.
Signing the Check Over to One Person
If the two payees agree that the money should go to just one of them, or to a third person, they can use a special endorsement. On the back of the check, write “Pay to the order of [recipient’s name],” and then both original payees sign below that line. The check is then payable only to the named recipient, who endorses it to complete the deposit.4Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 3-205 – Special Indorsement; Blank Indorsement; Anomalous Indorsement Not every bank will accept a specially endorsed check, so confirm with the receiving institution before writing anything on the back.
Where to Take It
A Branch of the Bank or Credit Union
The most straightforward option is walking into a branch where at least one payee has an account. For a joint “and” check, most banks want both payees at the teller window so their IDs can be matched against the signatures on the back. An existing account relationship gives the bank more confidence the check is legitimate and makes approval more likely.
You can also take the check to the issuing bank, whose name is printed on the front. That bank can verify the funds directly and may cash it on the spot, though it will usually charge non-customers a fee. Credit unions follow similar rules but generally require the depositing payee to be a member, and some require every payee on a joint check to be a joint owner on the receiving account.
Mobile Deposit and ATMs Are Risky for Joint Checks
Mobile deposit and ATM deposit work fine for solo checks but often fail with two-party “and” checks. With no teller to verify both identities, many banks flag or reject joint checks deposited through automated channels. Some major banks limit mobile deposits of multi-payee checks to joint accounts where both names are on the receiving account. A check that clears at first can still be reversed later during manual review, and you’ll typically get hit with a returned-item fee.
If you go this route anyway, photograph the fully endorsed front and back, enter the amount, and pick the destination account. Expect a longer hold than you’d get at a teller window.
Check-Cashing Stores
Third-party check-cashing services will process some two-party checks but charge fees that commonly run between 1% and 5% of the face value. Many states cap these fees, but caps vary. These stores also tend to require both payees to appear in person with ID, and some refuse two-party checks outright because of fraud risk.
Don’t Wait Too Long
A bank has no obligation to honor a check presented more than six months after the date on its face.5Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 4-404 – Bank Not Obliged to Pay Check More Than Six Months Old If you need time to coordinate with the other payee, that six-month window is your outer limit; past it, you’ll likely need to ask the issuer for a replacement.
Expect a Hold on the Funds
Even once the check is accepted, the money may not be available right away. Federal rules let banks hold deposited check funds for two business days for local checks and up to five for nonlocal checks, and they can extend the hold further under a “reasonable cause to doubt collectibility” exception that adds another five to six business days.6eCFR. 12 CFR 229.13 – Exceptions When a bank places an extended hold, it must tell you in writing.
Longer holds are more likely on large amounts, on accounts open less than 30 days, on accounts with a history of overdrafts, and any time the bank questions whether the endorsements are valid. Depositing in person with both payees and both IDs present gives you the best shot at a shorter hold.
Insurance Claim Checks With a Mortgage Lender
The most common two-party check most people ever see is a homeowner’s insurance settlement made out to both the homeowner and the mortgage lender, because the lender has a financial interest in the property being repaired. You can’t simply endorse it and deposit it into your own account.
The lender will generally ask you to endorse the check and send it to their loss-draft department along with the adjuster’s repair estimate and your contractor’s bid. The lender deposits the funds into a restricted account and releases them in stages as work is completed and verified by inspection. Insurance proceeds the lender holds must sit in an interest-bearing account for your benefit.7Fannie Mae. Insured Loss Events Large claims can take weeks or months to fully disburse, so plan your repair timeline around the lender’s process and stay in contact with the loss-draft team.
When the Other Payee Won’t Sign
A joint “and” check can’t be cashed without both signatures, so a co-payee who refuses to endorse freezes the money. This comes up with disputed insurance claims, divorces, and contractor-subcontractor disagreements. A few practical options:
- Ask the issuer to void the check and reissue it to one payee, if the other person has no legitimate claim to the funds.
- Negotiate a written agreement spelling out what each side gets from the proceeds, then endorse together.
- File suit, often in small claims court, asking a judge to order the co-payee to endorse or to award you the funds directly. Weigh the cost of litigation against the check amount before going this route.
When a Co-Payee Has Died
If one of the two payees has died, the surviving payee can’t just sign both names. For federal government checks such as joint Treasury refund checks, the executor or administrator of the deceased payee’s estate endorses in their representative capacity, for example, “John Smith by Jane Smith, executor of the estate of John Smith.” The bank processes the check without requiring court documents at deposit, though Treasury can ask for proof later. If no executor has been appointed, the check has to go back to the issuing agency, which decides whether payment is still owed and to whom.8eCFR. 31 CFR 240.15 – Checks Issued to Deceased Payees
For private checks, rules vary by state, but the approach is similar: the estate’s legal representative endorses on behalf of the deceased, usually using letters testamentary or letters of administration from a probate court. Some states allow a small estate affidavit for lower-value estates, though banks and insurers don’t always accept them. Opening a limited probate estate is often the most reliable way to get past a stuck check.
Don’t Forge the Other Signature
Signing the other payee’s name is forgery, even if you’re convinced you’re entitled to the whole amount. On a federal government check, forging an endorsement carries up to 10 years in prison, or up to one year if the check is worth $1,000 or less.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 510 – Forging Endorsements on Treasury Checks or Bonds or Securities of the United States On a private check, federal bank fraud charges can apply, with fines up to $1,000,000 and up to 30 years in prison, on top of state forgery laws.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1344 – Bank Fraud The bank can also reverse the deposit and pull the funds back out of your account, and the other payee can sue you for the full amount.