How to Endose a Check for a Minor

If a minor can write her own name, she can endorse a check.

If your baby, toddler or teenager has received a gift in the form of a check from a loved one, it must be endorsed to be valid at a bank. Endorsing a check for a minor is similar to signing your own check to be deposited or cashed at a bank. However, the process becomes a little tricky if you don't know how to endorse the check properly based on the age of the minor.

Instructions

1. Have the minor sign the back of the check if she is able. Any child that can write her name legibly can print or sign her name on a check. Have the minor sign her name above the wording "Do Not Write, Stamp, or Sign Below This Line" or "Endorse Here."

2. Print the minor's name on the back of the check if he cannot sign his own name. Sign your name and write "Parent/Guardian" below it.

3. Write "For Deposit Only" next to or below the minor's signature, if the child has a bank account. Fill out a deposit slip and deposit the check into the bank account. If the minor doesn't have her own bank account, present the check for cash at the bank.

4. Print "Minor By" next to your signature on the endorsement line if you want to deposit the check into your own personal bank account.

Tips & Warnings

• If the child is too young to endorse the check or your name differs from your child's, bring a copy of his birth certificate to the bank for verification.

• The signature must match the name spelled out on the front of the check. For instance, if the name on the check includes a middle initial, the signature on the back must also include the initial.

References

• Banking Questions: Endorsing a Check For a Minor

Resources

• Parents: Money Management-Teaching Teenagers Money Management