A check is considered "stale-dated" if it is over six months old and has not cleared the bank. Standard banking policy is to refuse to cash checks over 180 days (6 months) old.

All staledated checks written from Federal budgets (60-xxxx budgets with revenue codes 93xx-xx or 9446-(01-60) should be cancelled and returned to the budget if the budget is still open. For all other budgets, State law requires UW to keep track of the stale-dated checks and report them to the State each year. Do not write these checks off as "void" checks.

How to stale-date a revolving fund check

Approximately once a year, stale-date checks that have not cleared the bank and over 6 months old.

Make a list of outstanding checks and include check numbers, check dates, dollar amounts, the name of the payee (including research subject) and the budgets to which they were charged.

Names of research subjects are usually confidential. However, each payee must be identified in order to report these checks to the State's unclaimed property files. The data sent to the State will not include information about the study, but only reference the UW as payor.

Add these checks back into your checkbook.
Write a new check for the total of the list to the University of Washington.

These checks should no longer be listed in your outstanding check list, but replaced on the list by the new check to the University. Once that check clears the bank, these checks are considered cleared. The list and the check should be sent to the Revolving Fund contact. Do not ask for reimbursement of this check.

Federally Funded Checks

Do not write a check to the University for any Federally funded checks. These checks should be listed as a credit on a reimbursement request to put the money back into the budget. If staledated checks clears the bank after the budget has been credited, reissue the payment and request reimbursement to that budget again.

How to replace a stale-dated check

Forward any request to replace and reissue a stale dated check to Financial Services.

What to do if a stale-date check clears the bank

Make a copy of the bank statement and note the stale-dated check that cleared the bank. Attach the statement to a voucher and explain that the check was stale-dated. List the voucher on the Departmental Revolving Fund Invoice Voucher and leave the budget and object code blank. This information will be completed by Financial Services.