Banks generally must make the first $275 of a day’s check deposits available the next business day, with the rest of an ordinary check available by the second business day. (The Federal Reserve notes there are no longer any nonlocal checks.) Longer holds are allowed for new accounts, repeatedly overdrawn accounts, the part of a day’s deposits over $6,725 and a few other cases, and the bank must send you a written notice. If you need funds faster than a hold allows, wire transfers and ACH payments are not check deposits and don’t follow the check-hold schedule.
Federal Funds Availability Rules (Regulation CC)
Regulation CC is the federal rule that sets how long a US bank can hold a deposited check. Banks can release funds faster than these times, but outside the exceptions below they cannot hold them longer.
| Check Type | First $275 | Full availability |
|---|---|---|
| Other checks | Next business day | By the 2nd business day |
| Cashier’s, certified or teller’s check deposited in person to a bank employee (to the payee’s account) | Next business day | Entire amount by the next business day |
| Part of a day’s deposits over $6,725 | Not covered | The schedules above don’t apply; the bank sets the timing |
| New accounts (first 30 calendar days) | The $275 rule doesn’t apply | For Treasury, cashier’s and certain other checks, the amount over $6,725 by the 9th business day; other checks aren’t on the standard schedule |
| Repeatedly overdrawn accounts (six months after the last overdraft) | The $275 rule doesn’t apply | The schedules don’t apply; the bank sets the timing |
The $275 next-business-day floor is a federal minimum for ordinary check deposits, but the exceptions in the table can remove it. A bank may make funds available sooner than the law requires, and a deposit made after the bank’s cutoff time counts as made on the next business day. For federal holidays that interrupt the business-day count, see bank holiday schedule.
Hold Times by Bank
Every US bank works within the same Regulation CC framework, and each publishes its own funds availability policy in its deposit agreement. This site does not list bank-by-bank hold schedules because banks don’t publish a comparable table; check your bank’s funds availability policy or the notice it gives you at deposit. For bank-specific mobile deposit rules and limits, see Chase mobile deposit limit, Bank of America mobile deposit limit, and Wells Fargo mobile deposit limit.
Extended Hold Scenarios
Banks can extend holds beyond the standard schedule in specific cases. When they do, they must give you a written notice that states the reason and when the funds will be available.
| Scenario | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| Account less than 30 days old (a new account) | The $275 rule doesn’t apply; for Treasury, cashier’s and certain other checks, the amount over $6,725 is available by the 9th business day |
| Part of a day’s deposits over $6,725 | The standard schedules don’t apply to the excess |
| Repeatedly overdrawn account | The schedules don’t apply for six months after the last overdraft |
| Check the bank has reasonable cause to believe is uncollectible | The schedules don’t apply; the bank must tell you the reason |
| Check redeposited after being returned unpaid | The schedules don’t apply (with limited exceptions) |
| Emergency conditions beyond the bank’s control | The schedules don’t apply until a reasonable time after the emergency ends |
A bank may treat an account as repeatedly overdrawn if its balance was negative, or would have been negative if items were paid, on six or more banking days in the past six months, or on two or more banking days by $6,725 or more. Six overdrawn days in six months is not unusual for someone managing a tight budget, and it can put every check deposit on a bank-set timeline for six months. See how to avoid overdraft fees for the full range of options.
Business Day Calendar: How to Count Your Hold
“Business days” under Regulation CC exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays. The day of deposit counts as day zero; the hold clock starts on day one (the next business day after deposit).
| Deposit Day | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Monday |
| Thursday | Friday | Monday (next week) | Thursday |
| Friday | Monday | Tuesday | Friday |
| Day before a holiday | Day after holiday | +1 business day | +4 more |
The Friday case is the most impactful: a check deposited on Friday afternoon (before cutoff) has day 1 on Monday, day 2 on Tuesday, and the fifth business day (the limit for a deposit at another bank’s ATM) doesn’t arrive until the following Friday — effectively 7 calendar days. For 2026 federal holidays that extend this further, see bank holiday schedule.
Sample Hold Calculation
Scenario: You deposit a $7,000 personal check via mobile on Tuesday before the cutoff, and it is the only check you deposit that day.
| Amount | Available On |
|---|---|
| First $275 | Wednesday (next business day) |
| Next $6,450 (the rest of the first $6,725) | Thursday (2nd business day) |
| $275 over $6,725 | Set by the bank; the Regulation CC schedules don’t apply to it |
If the same check were $5,000 instead of $7,000, nothing would be over $6,725, so the whole amount would follow the standard schedule.
How to Avoid Check Holds Entirely
The most reliable way to eliminate holds is to receive funds electronically rather than by paper check.
| Strategy | Hold Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wire transfer | Immediate | Sender pays a bank fee; see wire transfer time |
| ACH direct deposit | Same day or next day | No hold; see ACH transfer time |
| Zelle | Minutes | No hold; see Zelle limits for per-transaction caps |
| Cashier’s, certified or teller’s check deposited in person | Next business day | Regulation CC requires next-business-day availability for these when deposited in person to a bank employee |
| Branch deposit | Same Regulation CC schedule | A bank may release funds sooner than the rule requires, but a branch deposit of an ordinary check isn’t guaranteed to be faster than mobile |
If you’re regularly receiving large checks — from a contractor, a property sale, or a one-time payment — it’s worth asking the sender to wire the funds or pay via ACH. The sender’s wire fee may be cheaper than the cost of not having access to your money for a week. For a broader guide to getting money in and out of bank accounts quickly, see when does direct deposit hit.
For related deposit topics, see mobile check deposit limits by bank, how to increase your mobile deposit limit, why mobile deposit was rejected, ATM withdrawal limits by bank, and bank fees comparison.
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