Yes, banks generally accept checks you print yourself when the check carries the same information as a bank-issued one: your name and address, the bank's name, a check number, the date, the payee, the amount in numbers and words, your signature and a legible routing, account and check number line. Banks can still apply their own rules, so test with one check before you rely on it.
What a printed check needs
- Your name and address as they appear on the account.
- The bank's name.
- A check number, in order.
- The date, the payee and the amount in numbers and in words, and the two should agree.
- A signature, by hand or a saved image if your bank allows it.
- A clear bank number line with the routing number, account number and check number.
Why some checks get rejected
- The bank number line is blurry, shifted or in the wrong font.
- The check prints too high, low or crooked, so a scanner cannot read it.
- The paper is too thin or glossy and jams or smears.
- The routing or account number has a typing mistake. Our routing number checker catches most typos in the routing number.
A simple test before you rely on printed checks
- Print a Test Print on plain paper and compare it with one of your bank's checks held to the light.
- Print one check on blank check stock and make it out to someone you trust.
- Ask them to deposit it the way they normally do, and confirm it clears.
- Ask your bank in writing if they have any rule about checks you print yourself.
Is it legal to print your own checks?
Printing your own checks for your own accounts is common and generally lawful. See our guide on whether it is legal to print your own checks. Protect check stock and account numbers: our fraud safety guide and check security features explain how.
Check Writer 123 lays out the check, writes the amount in words, and prints the bank number line, with a free Test Print so you can check alignment first. We cannot speak for every bank, so test with yours. Start the free trial to try it.