How to Sign/Endorse a Check Over to Someone Else

You have a check payable to you, but you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to deposit the check, or you don’t want to cash it yourself. Now what? Follow these steps on the process.

One of your options is to sign the check over to someone else. Because the check is currently payable to you, you’ll need to ensure that the third party and their bank can accept a signed-over check, also known as a “third-party check,” and endorse the check by signing the back of it.

The following steps detail the process of signing over a check to a third party:

1. Plan before endorsing a check to someone else.

You’ll need to designate who you’d like to sign your check over to. This could be another person, group of people, or a company. The process of cashing or depositing a third-party check can be tricky, so it’s important to carefully plan the transaction ahead of time.

2. Confirm the person/entity will accept a signed-over check.

Make sure to touch base with your choice recipient of the signed-over check and confirm that they are willing to accept the check. It is very important that both involved parties agree when moving through the process.

3. Ensure the person's/entity's bank will accept the check.

The person or entity that you choose to sign the check over to will need to ensure that their bank will accept the check, as a bank is not obligated to do so. This should be confirmed before the check is endorsed to avoid causing confusion with multiple signatures.

4. Sign the back of the check in the top section of the endorsement area.

Every check has an area on the back that reads “Endorse Check Here.” This is where you will sign your name as it appears on the front of the check. Understanding how to properly endorse a check will create a smoother and more positive experience when signing over a check to someone else.

5. Write “Pay to the Order of” and the third party's name below your signature.

It’s important to write the name of the person that you are signing the check over to in the endorsement area under your signature. This signals to the bank that you are endorsing the transfer of ownership for the check.

6. Give the check to the third party to be cashed.

The check is now ready to be deposited by your designated third party. It is a good idea to accompany the third party to the bank when the check is deposited to provide proof of identification.

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