How to Endorse a Check
Endorsing a check means signing the back to authorise it being paid. It takes five seconds and there are three ways to do it, which differ entirely in how much risk you are taking.
Where to sign
Turn the check over. At one end is a short section, usually about an inch and a half deep, marked with lines and the warning do not write below this line. Everything you write goes in that section.
Below the line is reserved for bank processing marks. Writing there can make the check unreadable to the scanner and get it rejected.
The three endorsements
| Type | What you write | Use it when |
| Blank | Your signature, nothing else | You are at the teller window, about to hand it over |
| Restrictive | "For deposit only" + account number + signature | Almost always — ATM, mail, or carrying it around |
| Special | "Pay to the order of [name]" + signature | Signing the check over to someone else |
Blank endorsement
Just your signature. This makes the check payable to whoever is holding it — which is fine across a counter and reckless anywhere else. A blank-endorsed check dropped in a car park can be cashed by the person who finds it.
Restrictive endorsement
Write For deposit only, your account number, then sign. Now the check can only be paid into that account, and finding it is worth nothing to a stranger. There is no situation where this is the wrong choice if you are depositing rather than cashing.
Special endorsement
Write Pay to the order of followed by the person's name, then sign. This transfers the check to them.
Be aware that many banks refuse third-party checks entirely, because they are a common fraud vehicle and the bank has no way to verify the first endorsement. Before signing one over, have the recipient confirm their bank will take it — otherwise you have made the check harder to deposit rather than easier.
Mobile deposits
Mobile deposit has its own requirement, and it is the single most common reason an image gets rejected. Sign the check, then write underneath:
For mobile deposit only at [your bank's name]
Some banks also print a checkbox on the back labelled "check here for mobile deposit". If yours does, tick it as well as writing the line.
After the deposit is confirmed, keep the paper check for a couple of weeks rather than destroying it immediately. If the image is rejected later you will need it, and writing VOID across it once the funds have settled prevents accidental double deposit.
Awkward cases
- Name misspelled. Endorse twice — once exactly as it appears on the front, then again correctly beneath.
- Made out to two people. If it says "and", both must endorse. If it says "or", either can.
- Made out to a business. Sign with the business name as written, your own name, and your title.
- A check for a child. The parent endorses with the child's name, then their own, and deposits to an account in the child's name.
Related
Once deposited, see how long a check takes to clear. If you are writing rather than receiving, see how to write a check.
Common questions
Where do I sign a check to deposit it?
On the back, in the short marked section at one end, above the line that says do not write below this line.
What should I write for a mobile deposit?
Sign it, then write "For mobile deposit only at [your bank]" underneath. Most banks require this wording and will reject the image without it.
Do I have to endorse a check to deposit it?
Usually yes, though many banks waive it for deposits into an account in the same name. Endorse anyway — it costs nothing and prevents a rejection.
Can I sign a check over to someone else?
Sometimes. Write "Pay to the order of [name]" and sign beneath. Many banks refuse third-party checks outright, so the recipient should confirm theirs will accept it first.
What if my name is misspelled on the check?
Endorse it twice: first exactly as written on the front, then again with your correct legal name.
Figures and rules in this article are checked against the official sources below. Where they disagree with us, they win.
