Can You Use a Check With an Old Address on It?

You’ve just moved, rent is due tomorrow, and your landlord only takes paper checks. The ones that still list your old address.

You can use them. Banks process checks by the routing and account numbers, not the printed address, so what matters is whether the account behind those numbers is still open.

Yes, you can use a check with an old address on it

The address printed on the check isn’t what’s used to move your money. The routing number identifies your bank or credit union, and the account number identifies your account. As long as both point to an open account with enough money to cover the check, the old address won’t stop it from clearing.

And that’s the only real risk: Writing a check on a closed account, or one you know won't clear, is a crime in every state. The laws vary. California, Florida, and New York all treat it as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the amount. But they share one requirement: You have to have known. An accidental overdraft isn't the same thing as a bad check, though you'll still owe the fees. Your state attorney general’s office can tell you what applies where you live.

Read more >> What Happens When Your Bank Account Goes Negative?

When an old address on a check is an issue

A bank goes by the check's numbers, but a store or check-cashing service may compare the check with your ID before accepting it. If the addresses don't match, it can turn the check down. Before you pay anywhere other than your landlord or a bill, ask whether it'll take the check.

Read more >> How to Read a Check

How to update your address on your checks

Leave the old address alone. Crossing it out and writing in the new one can make a check look altered, which can slow it down or get it rejected. To make sure the recipient has your new address, include a short note with the check.

To get checks with your new address, update your address with your bank first so statements reach you too. Then order new checks through online banking or at a branch.

Read more >> How to Fill Out a Check

Bottom line

An old address won't stop a check from clearing, as long as the account behind it is open.

On-time rent can still go unrecorded, though: It doesn't show up on your credit report unless something reports it. Kikoff's Rent Reporting sends your on-time rent payments to Equifax and TransUnion, and you can add up to two years of past rent for a one-time $50 fee. Plans start at $5 a month.