How to Deposit a Joint Check

A check is a negotiable instrument made payable to one or more parties.

A check is a negotiable bank instrument that can be made payable to one party or jointly to multiple parties. The parties named on a check must endorse it before it can be deposited. An endorsement is simply the legal banking term for a signature. Generally, you may withdraw funds from an account within one to five business days after a deposit.

Instructions

1. Have all parties named on the pay line sign the back of the check. Sign the names exactly as they appear on the line. Sign only in the area of the check specified for endorsement.

2. Write the words "deposit only" below the endorsement. Write the deposit account number below the words "deposit only."

3. Fill out a bank deposit slip. Write the deposit account number, the check amount, the date, and the account owners' names on the deposit slip.

4. 

   A teller will provide a receipt as proof of the deposit.

   Present the endorsed check with the completed deposit slip to a bank teller where the deposit account is located. Ask the teller for a receipt upon completion of the transaction. Keep the bank receipt as proof of the deposit.

References

• Cornell University Law School: Uniform Commercial Code - Article 3