Bad Check Notices

When you receive a bad check, State law governs what type of notice must be sent before a criminal or civil action may be commenced.  Download the notice required by your State.  Free law summaries are available for all States.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas

• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina

• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Bad Check Notices FAQ

What is a bad check? A "dishonored check" (also known as a "bounced check" or "bad check") is a check which the bank will not pay because there is no such checking account, or there are insufficient funds in the account to pay the check. In order to attempt the greatest possible recovery on a dishonored check, the business owner or any other person given a dishonored check may be required by state law to notify the debtor that the check was dishonored. Please see the form preview and law summary link for more information.

Why is sending a bad check notice important? State law closely governs procedures for obtaining reimbursement and penalty fees after receiving a bad check. If the proper procedures are not timely followed, one may be unable to collect the full amount of reimbursement and penalties to which they may otherwise be entitled. 

What types of notices are available from USFL? State law typically mandates what information and directives must be included in a bad check notice. Some states have both criminal and civil bad check notices. Whatever the rules and format for such notices in your state, USLF has researched the law and created a state specific form complying with the laws of your state. Be sure to use our convenient "preview" feature to view the form before placing your order. Law summaries are available for free when you click the state name.