Uncashed check dormancy periods by state
Each row was read from the cited unclaimed property statute, or for some states the state unclaimed property office's own published dormancy table, holder guidance or rules, on the official state site on the date shown beside it: how many years after it became payable an uncashed vendor (accounts payable) check is presumed abandoned, the same for an uncashed payroll check, and the annual report date for business holders. Outstanding checks that stay on a bank reconciliation month after month are the kind of property these periods cover. Rules change, so open the source link for the current text. This is general information, not legal advice.
The rows were checked on October 19 and 20, 2026, and rules change. The calculator runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
What the table shows
Worked out from the rows above each time the page loads, each figure counted a second way. Only the members with a row are counted.
Not yet covered
These have not been read from an official source yet. Missing means not checked yet, not "no rule".
When a row's period runs out for one uncashed check
Arithmetic on the row: the row's years added to the check date, and the whole calendar days between that date and the as-of date. It does not apply the conditions in the row's notes.
Periods and dates from the cited statutes only; each law has its own conditions, exceptions, and notice steps. General information, not legal advice. Mathproven is not affiliated with any legislature or agency whose statutes are cited here.
What gets checked
- Every row carries a citation (the statute, or the state unclaimed property office's published table, holder guidance or rules), a link to the official state site it was read from, and the date it was checked; where the payroll period or the report date was read on another page, that page is cited and checked too. A state appears only when its official source was opened and read; all 50 states and the District of Columbia now have a row, and a state without one would be listed as not yet covered.
- Every period is a whole number of years from 1 to 10, every row says which paragraph each period comes from, and every report date is a real day of the year.
- The end date is written out a second way (same month and day, the year moved on) and counted back by the row's years to the check date. A February 29 check falls on February 28 in a year without one.
- The days from the as-of date are counted a second way, by adding up whole years and months, and counted back from the end date to the as-of date.
- The period used is checked against the table row for the state and kind of check, and a warning shows when the row notes a rule for checks between businesses that the date leaves out.
How it works
- Find the state. Type a state name, code, or citation in the filter, or click a column heading to sort. Each row shows the years for a vendor check and for a payroll check, the paragraph each comes from, the annual report date, notes, and the sources.
- Open the source. Each row links the official state pages the figures were read from, with the date they were checked, so the wording can be read in full.
- Enter one check. Pick a covered state and the kind of check, then enter the check date and an as-of date. The page adds the row's years to the check date and counts the whole calendar days between that end date and the as-of date, with its checks.
- Read what the table shows. Below the table, a few sentences are worked out from the rows each time the page loads: the most common periods for vendor and payroll checks, how they compare, and the report dates. Each figure is counted a second way, with its own check.
Worked example
Two made-up uncashed checks in North Carolina (NC), counted from an as-of date of Monday, October 19, 2026: a vendor check dated August 16, 2021 and a payroll check dated December 31, 2025.
| Check | State and kind | Check date | Row's period | Period runs to | From the as-of date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Made-up vendor check | North Carolina (NC), vendor | 2021-08-16 | 5 years | 2026-08-16 | 64 days before |
| Made-up payroll check | North Carolina (NC), payroll | 2025-12-31 | 1 year | 2026-12-31 | 73 days ahead |
The vendor check: 5 years after August 16, 2021 is August 16, 2026, which is 64 days before the as-of date. The payroll check: 1 year after December 31, 2025 is December 31, 2026, 73 days ahead of the as-of date. Each end date counts back to its check date, and each day count is worked out a second way and counted back to the as-of date.
The example uses made-up names and numbers.
Questions
Is every state covered?
Yes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have a row, each read on an official state site: the unclaimed property statute, or the state unclaimed property office's own published dormancy table, holder guidance or rules. A state without such a reading would be listed under Not yet covered instead of being guessed.
What counts as a vendor check here?
An uncashed check a business wrote from its accounts payable to a supplier or other payee. Where the law has a paragraph for checks a business issues, the row uses it; otherwise the row uses the law's period for property not listed elsewhere, and the row names the paragraph. Where a row comes from a state office's published table, it uses that table's entry for vendor checks. North Dakota (ND) sets 2 years for checks, and Ohio (OH) 1 year for funds owed to suppliers.
Why are some payroll periods longer than one year?
Most of the sources read set 1 year for wages. Delaware (DE) and Mississippi (MS) set 5 years; Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), Missouri (MO) and New York (NY) have 3 years; and Pennsylvania (PA) sets 2 years. Each row shows the figure its cited source sets and where it comes from.
What does the calculator count from?
The check date entered. The laws count from when the property became payable or was issued, which for most checks is the check date, and they add conditions such as notice to the owner, rules for checks between businesses, and amount floors. Those are summarized in the notes and are not applied by the calculator.
How current is the table?
Each row shows the date its sources were read. Legislatures change these rules, so the linked official page is the place to confirm the current wording.
This tool calculates and checks numbers. It is not legal, tax, or medical advice.
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