How Long Does a Check Take to Clear?
A check you deposit must be available by the second business day after the day you deposit it, and the first $275 by the next business day (12 CFR 229.10(c), 229.12(b)). Those are the longest a bank may hold an ordinary check. A bank can hold longer only for a reason the rule lists, such as more than $6,725 deposited in one day; then the usual limit is the seventh business day (12 CFR 229.13). Weekends and bank holidays do not count.
A deposit made on a weekend, on a bank holiday, or after the bank's cut-off hour counts as made on the next banking day (12 CFR 229.19(a)(5)). The cut-off can be no earlier than 2:00 p.m. at a branch and noon at an ATM.
When the money must be available
| What you deposit | Available by | Example: deposit Mon, Nov 16, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| The first $275 of the day's check deposits | Next business day | Tue, Nov 17, 2026 |
| U.S. Treasury checks, and checks drawn on your own bank in the same state or check-processing region | Next business day | Tue, Nov 17, 2026 |
| Cashier's, certified, teller's and state or local government checks, and postal money orders, handed to a teller | Next business day | Tue, Nov 17, 2026 |
| Personal, payroll and business checks, and the teller-only checks above when deposited another way, such as at an ATM | Second business day | Wed, Nov 18, 2026 |
| Any check under an exception hold | Usually the seventh business day | Wed, Nov 25, 2026 |
Next business day. The bank must release these "not later than the business day after the banking day on which the funds are deposited" (12 CFR 229.10(c)(1)). The $275 is the amount in effect since July 1, 2025; older pages still say $225.
Second business day. Every other check must be available "not later than the second business day following the banking day on which funds are deposited" (12 CFR 229.12(b)). The bank may delay cash withdrawals of that money, and wires or cashier's checks paid from it, by one more business day, but it must let you take out $550 in cash by 5:00 p.m. on the day the money is due (12 CFR 229.12(d)).
Seventh business day. When a bank uses an exception, it must release the money within a reasonable period, which the rule sets at five more business days for most checks (12 CFR 229.13(h)(4)). It must tell you why and when the money will be available (12 CFR 229.13(g)).
The example is a check handed to a teller before the cut-off on a day the bank is open. Last updated: October 31, 2026 (U.S. Central time).
Find the dates for your deposit
Most checks by Wed, Nov 18, 2026
The first $275, and government, cashier's and same-bank checks, by Tue, Nov 17, 2026.
With an exception hold: by Wed, Nov 25, 2026, 9 calendar days after the deposit.
No bank holiday falls inside these dates.
Dates follow the Federal Reserve holiday calendar, which banks use. They are the latest the law allows; many banks release money sooner.
When a bank can hold a check longer
The two-day limit does not apply in these cases (12 CFR 229.13):
- Large deposits: the part of one day's check deposits above $6,725. The first $6,725 keeps the normal dates.
- Redeposited checks: a check that was returned unpaid and deposited again.
- Repeated overdrafts: for six months after the last of them.
- Reasonable cause to doubt the check will be paid. The bank must say why.
- Emergencies, such as a computer failure or a suspension of payments by another bank.
New accounts are different. For the first 30 calendar days after an account is opened, the two-day limit and the $275 rule do not apply to ordinary checks, and the rule sets no deadline for them (12 CFR 229.13(a)). Treasury, cashier's, certified, teller's and government checks still follow the next-day rule up to $6,725 a day; anything above that is due by the ninth business day.
Check holds around holidays, November 2026 to December 2027
A weekday bank holiday inside the hold moves the date one business day later, which is three calendar days when the move crosses a weekend. Each row is a check handed to a teller before the cut-off.
| Deposited | Next-day funds | Most checks | Holiday in the way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov 10, 2026 | Thu, Nov 12 | Fri, Nov 13 | Veterans Day, Nov 11 |
| Wed, Nov 25, 2026 | Fri, Nov 27 | Mon, Nov 30 | Thanksgiving, Nov 26 |
| Thu, Dec 24, 2026 | Mon, Dec 28 | Tue, Dec 29 | Christmas, Dec 25 |
| Wed, Dec 30, 2026 | Thu, Dec 31 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 | New Year's Day, Jan 1 |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | Tue, Jan 19 | Wed, Jan 20 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan 18 |
| Fri, Feb 12, 2027 | Tue, Feb 16 | Wed, Feb 17 | Washington's Birthday, Feb 15 |
| Fri, May 28, 2027 | Tue, Jun 1 | Wed, Jun 2 | Memorial Day, May 31 |
| Thu, Jun 17, 2027 | Fri, Jun 18 | Mon, Jun 21 | None: Juneteenth is on Saturday, Jun 19 |
| Fri, Jul 2, 2027 | Tue, Jul 6 | Wed, Jul 7 | Independence Day, observed Mon, Jul 5 |
| Fri, Sep 3, 2027 | Tue, Sep 7 | Wed, Sep 8 | Labor Day, Sep 6 |
| Fri, Oct 8, 2027 | Tue, Oct 12 | Wed, Oct 13 | Columbus Day, Oct 11 |
| Wed, Nov 10, 2027 | Fri, Nov 12 | Mon, Nov 15 | Veterans Day, Nov 11 |
| Wed, Nov 24, 2027 | Fri, Nov 26 | Mon, Nov 29 | Thanksgiving, Nov 25 |
| Thu, Dec 23, 2027 | Fri, Dec 24 | Mon, Dec 27 | None: Christmas is on Saturday, Dec 25 |
| Thu, Dec 30, 2027 | Fri, Dec 31 | Mon, Jan 3, 2028 | None: New Year's Day 2028 is on Saturday |
Saturday holidays do not move for banks. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal offices close the Friday before, but the Federal Reserve and banks stay open. So Fri, Jun 18, Fri, Dec 24 and Fri, Dec 31, 2027 are business days for a check hold, and the last three rows lose no day. A Sunday holiday does move, to the Monday. Each month's count on both calendars is on how many work days in a month.
A check deposited on Sat, Nov 14, 2026 counts as deposited Mon, Nov 16, so most checks are available Wed, Nov 18, four calendar days later. The same check deposited Mon, Nov 16 after the cut-off counts on Tue, Nov 17 and is available Thu, Nov 19.
Questions
Does available mean the check has cleared?
No. The dates on this page are when the bank must let you use the money. The check can still come back unpaid after that, for example if it bounces or turns out to be fake, and the bank can then take the amount back from your account (UCC 4-214). Wait longer before spending money from a check you are not sure about.
How long does a mobile check deposit take to clear?
Your bank's funds availability policy says how it treats mobile deposits, including the cut-off hour, so check that policy in your banking app.
How long does a cashier's check take to clear?
The next business day when you hand it to a teller and the check is made out to you, and the second business day at an ATM (12 CFR 229.10(c)(1)(v), (c)(2)). A bank can still use an exception hold if it has reason to doubt the check.
How long does a $10,000 check take to clear?
The first $6,725 by the second business day, or the next business day for a cashier's or government check. The other $3,275 can be held under the large-deposit exception, usually until the seventh business day (12 CFR 229.13(b), (h)(4)).
How do I count business days for other deadlines?
Use the business days calculator. For card refunds, see how long do refunds take; for bank holidays and transfer days, see bank days.
Sources: 12 CFR 229.2, 229.10, 229.12, 229.13 and 229.19 (Regulation CC, eCFR as of October 1, 2026); dollar amounts adjusted July 1, 2025 (89 FR 43737). Holidays follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule. This page explains timing rules; it is not legal advice.