Large deposits (those greater than $5,000) can be held for a “reasonable period of time,” between two and seven business days, depending on the type of check.
Most checks take two business days to clear. Checks may take longer to clear based on the amount of the check, your relationship with the bank, or if it's not a regular deposit. A receipt from the teller or ATM tells you when the funds become available.
According to banking regulations, reasonable periods of time include an extension of up to five business days for most checks. Under certain circumstances, the bank may be able to impose a longer hold if it can establish that the longer hold is reasonable.
Essentially, any transaction you make exceeding $10,000 requires your bank or credit union to report it to the government within 15 days of receiving it -- not because they're necessarily wary of you, but because large amounts of money changing hands could indicate possible illegal activity.
Deposits of $5,000 or less usually clear within 3 business days. Deposits of more than $5,000 usually take 4 business days to clear. The first $200 of the total check deposits will be available no later than the first business day after the deposit, usually available immediately.
Depositing a big amount of cash that is $10,000 or more means your bank or credit union will report it to the federal government. The $10,000 threshold was created as part of the Bank Secrecy Act, passed by Congress in 1970, and adjusted with the Patriot Act in 2002.
Banks place holds on checks to make sure that the check payer has the bank funds necessary to clear it. In addition to protecting your bank, a hold can protect you from spending funds from a check that is later returned unpaid. That's important because it could help you avoid accidental overdrafts and related fees.
Banks don't place restrictions on how large of a check you can cash. However, it's helpful to call ahead to ensure the bank will have enough cash on hand to endorse it. In addition, banks are required to report transactions over $10,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.
Usually within two business days for personal checks; up to seven for some accounts. Usually one business day for government and cashier's checks and checks from the same bank that holds your account.
Depositing a Large Check or Cash
When depositing a large check or amount of cash, you'll complete a deposit slip at your bank, like you would for smaller amounts. Note the amount for cash and for checks, if any, and the overall amount in the appropriate boxes.
1 Sometimes there are circumstances that cause a check deposit to be placed on a temporary hold of up to seven business days. We place the hold to protect you from fraud, overdrafts, or fees that may occur if we were to make funds available immediately and the check is returned to you.
Go to your local bank or credit union. Take your check to a friend or family member's bank or credit union. Go to the bank or credit union that issued the check to cash it. Go to any bank or credit union to cash a check.
If your bank places a hold on a personal check you deposited, ask if it's possible to remove the hold. Perhaps the funds arrived from the paying bank, and there is no more risk to the bank. Your bank might be willing to speed things up, especially if you don't have a history of bouncing checks or making bad deposits.
What is a large deposit? A “large deposit” is any out-of-the-norm amount of money deposited into your checking, savings, or other asset accounts. An asset account is any place where you have funds available to you, including CDs, money market, retirement, and brokerage accounts.
Reasons your check might take longer to clear
Your check could take longer than one business day to clear for a number of reasons: Amount of the check: If the check is for a large amount, then a bank may hold the check for longer because of the greater risk the bank assumes by accepting it.
As mentioned, the laws around deposits of more than $10,000 were created to deter terrorist activities and financially motivated crimes such as money laundering. According to the Bank Secrecy Act, the company or individual receiving the money has no more than 15 days from when the cash was received to file a report.
Why Do Banks Hold Funds? Banks can hold deposited funds for various reasons, but, in most cases, it's to prevent any returned payments from your account. In other words, the bank wants to make sure that the deposit is good before giving you access to the money.
Cashing in Your Settlement Check With Your Bank
Generally, a bank can hold funds: For up to two business days for checks against an account at the same institution. For up to five additional days for other banks (totaling seven days)
Checks Involving Two Banks
If your check names two banks, call the drawee bank. Explain your situation to the bank representative. Tell the representative you have a $30,000 settlement check that you need to cash. Ask when you can cash it and what information you will need to provide to do so.
Large Cash Deposits
Taxpayers that receive more than $10,000 in cash from a single transaction are required to report the deposit to the IRS. Even if you receive more than $10,000 through several installments, you still have to report it if the deposits are all related to one transaction.
This requires financial institutions to report to the federal government any withdrawals of $10,000 by a depositor in a single day. The purpose of the BSA is to help the government monitor financial transactions that may be a signal of illegal activity like money laundering, purchases of illegal goods, or terrorism.
Contact Your Bank
You can ask your bank to provide an explanation for the hold or sometimes even to release the hold. In most cases, you won't be able to do anything about the hold though, and because all banks have them, you can't switch banks to avoid them either.
When in doubt, call the bank that the check is drawn on to see if you can get any information about the check—and ask if it has cleared. Don't call the number printed on a check, since it may go to a scammer. Instead, look up the bank's number on the bank's official website.
Can a bank release a pending deposit early? Some banks can release a pending deposit early for a fee if you ask them. This will only generally apply to deposits that are likely to be authorized, such as a payroll check from your employer.