Quick answer

To void a check, take a blank check from your checkbook and write VOID in large letters across the front with a blue or black pen. Cover the payee line, amount box and signature line, but leave the routing, account and check numbers at the bottom readable. Don’t sign it. Then write “VOID” next to that check number in your check register.

Writing VOID only works on a check you still have. To cancel a check you already gave or mailed to someone, ask your bank for a stop payment.

What is a voided check?

A voided check is a real check from your account with the word VOID written across it, so nobody can fill it in and cash it. It still shows your bank’s routing number, your account number and the check number, printed in the MICR line at the bottom.

That is why employers, payroll providers and billers ask for one. A voided check is a simple way to give them the correct numbers to set up:

Direct deposit of your paycheck or benefits
Automatic payments, such as rent, a loan or a utility bill
Vendor payments sent to your business by ACH

People also void checks to cancel one they filled in by mistake, or a sheet of check stock that printed wrong. If you’re new to checks, our guide to writing a check covers each part of the form.

A voided check. VOID covers the payee, amount and signature areas, while the MICR line at the bottom stays clear. Sample illustration, not real account numbers.

How to void a check, step by step

Use a pen, not a pencil. Blue or black ink can’t be erased. Avoid a thick marker that could bleed over the numbers at the bottom.
Write VOID across the front in large letters, big enough to cover the payee line, the amount box and the signature line. Some people write VOID once in each of those spots instead. Either way works.
Leave the bottom line alone. The routing number, account number and check number need to stay readable, especially if the check is for direct deposit.
Don’t sign it. A voided check never needs a signature.
Record it. Write “VOID” next to that check number in your check register or accounting software, so the gap in your check numbers makes sense when you reconcile.
Keep a copy. If you are handing the check over, take a photo or copy first. If you are voiding a mistake, keep it with your records or shred it.

Voiding a check for direct deposit

Attach the voided check to your employer’s or payroll provider’s direct deposit form, or upload a photo if their system asks for one. They read the routing and account numbers from it, so check that both are easy to read. You can confirm which bank a routing number belongs to with our free bank routing number lookup.

Two things to check first:

Savings accounts don’t usually have checks. For direct deposit to savings, get the routing and account numbers from your bank instead.
The routing number on your checks isn’t always the one for electronic deposits. Some banks and credit unions use a different routing number for direct deposit and ACH. Your bank’s website or app will list it.

No checkbook? Alternatives to a voided check

Many people no longer have paper checks. Most employers accept one of these instead. Ask before you send it.

Option	Where to get it
Direct deposit form or letter from your bank	Many banks let you download a pre-filled form with your routing and account numbers from online banking or the app.
Bank letter	Ask at a branch for a letter on bank letterhead showing your account details.
Counter check	A single check printed at the branch with your account details, often for a small fee. Void it like any other check.
Typing the numbers in	Many payroll systems only need the routing number, account number and account type entered online.

Voiding a check you already wrote

Writing VOID only helps while the check is still in your hands. If you have already given or mailed it, or it was lost or stolen, you need a stop payment from your bank.

Contact your bank right away. Have the check number, amount, date and payee ready. The stop payment has to reach the bank before it pays the check.^[1]
Put it in writing. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, a written stop-payment order lasts six months and can be renewed. An oral order lapses after 14 days unless you confirm it in writing.^[1] Banks may have their own procedures and time limits.^[2]
Expect a fee. Most banks charge for stop payments. Check your bank’s fee schedule.^[2]
Then write a new check if you still owe the payment, and void the old check number in your records.

Lost a signed blank check? Stop payment on it right away. The CFPB suggests this for any signed check that is lost or missing its payee.^[2]

Voiding misprinted checks when you print your own

If you print checks on blank check stock, a misprint is different from a spoiled pre-printed check. Check printing software such as MultiCHAX prints your bank name, routing number and account number on the stock along with the payment. So a sheet that jammed or printed out of line still has a complete MICR line on it.

Write VOID across the misprinted check, or shred it if you don’t need it for your records.
In your accounting software, use the Void command rather than deleting the check. Void keeps the check number and payee in your history with a zero amount, so your audit trail has no unexplained gaps.
Reprint the payment on a new sheet. It will usually take the next check number, so record which number replaced the misprint.
Store blank stock and voided checks somewhere locked. Our guide to preventing check fraud covers more ways to keep check stock secure.

For help with alignment so fewer checks misprint in the first place, see how to print your own checks.

Why businesses ask customers for a voided check

Voided checks also protect businesses that accept check payments remotely. With CHAX check by phone software, a business takes a customer’s authorization and bank details, prints a check draft on blank check stock, and deposits it. Asking the customer to send a voided check with their signed authorization form, whenever they can, makes each draft safer to deposit:

The numbers are right the first time. The routing and account numbers come straight from the customer’s own check, not from a phone call or a handwritten form. That means fewer drafts returned because of one wrong digit.
The names can be matched. Staff can compare the name and address printed on the voided check with the person who signed the authorization.
The paper trail is stronger. A remotely created check is only valid when the account holder authorized it. Under Federal Reserve Regulation CC, the bank that accepts the deposit guarantees that authorization, and deposit agreements usually pass that responsibility on to the business.^[4] A signed authorization kept with a voided check from the same account is good evidence if a payment is ever disputed.

Example: A property management company collects monthly rent with CHAX. It sends each new tenant an authorization form and asks them to return it with a voided check. Staff enter the routing and account numbers from the voided check into CHAX, check that the name on the check matches the tenant, and file the voided check with the signed form. If the tenant later questions a payment, the company can show both.

A voided check doesn’t replace authorization. The customer still has to approve each payment or the recurring schedule. For payments taken during a telemarketing call, the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule requires express verifiable authorization, such as a signed form or a recorded call.^[3] Voided checks show full account numbers, so keep them locked up or in a secure system, just like the authorization forms.

Is it safe to give someone a voided check?

A voided check can’t be cashed, but it does show your routing and account numbers. Every check you write shows the same numbers, so the risk is similar. Still, give a voided check only to an employer, payroll provider or biller you trust, and send it through their secure portal rather than plain email when you can. Watch your statements for payments you didn’t authorize, and report them to your bank quickly.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to sign a voided check?

No. Leave the signature line blank. A voided check is only used to show your account information.

Can I use any check from my checkbook?

Yes, as long as it’s from the account you want the money deposited to or taken from. Note the check number in your register so you don’t wonder later where it went.

Can I make a voided check myself if I don’t have checks?

Use one of the alternatives instead: a direct deposit form from your bank, a bank letter or a counter check. Ask the person requesting the voided check which they accept.

Can a voided check be cashed or “un-voided”?

A check clearly marked VOID should not be accepted for payment. But writing VOID on a check that has already left your hands won’t stop it being presented. For that you need a stop payment from your bank.

What does a voided check look like?

It looks like a normal blank check with VOID written in large letters across the front, and the routing, account and check numbers still readable at the bottom. See the example image above.

Sources

Last reviewed November 2026. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Bank procedures vary, so check with your bank.

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How to Void a Check (With an Example)