Frequently Asked Questions for Institutions and Agencies
Financial institutions can use the Treasury Check Verification System (TCVS).
To find a check in the TCVA, you need the routing transit number (RTN), check number and dollar amount.
Note: Treasury checks are valid for one year from the issue date. You should not accept a Treasury check that is older than one year.
A Treasury Disbursing Office issued the check.
Contact the Regional Financial Center that services the agency that authorized the check.
A Non-Treasury Disbursing Office issued the check.
Contact that office.
To see the status through TCIS, you need the payee's ID number and the date (month and year) of the check.
If a Non-Treasury Disbursing Office (NTDO) issued the check, you can see the status only if the NTDO reported issue information to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.
A stop payment must be placed on the check; you must submit an Unavailable Check Cancellation (UCC) within one year of the date the check was issued.
No. Once the system has processed the UCC or stop, it cannot be changed or deleted from the check record.
Send a letter with signature specimens of the payee and a copy of the check to:
Questioned Documents
Bureau of the Fiscal ServiceCustomer Service Branch
P.O. Box 51318
Philadelphia, PA 19115-6318
(Be sure to include your return address)
That depends. The Check Claims group must take its first action on a claim within 5 days after receiving a properly completed claim form.
The time to process a check claim is determined on a case-by-case basis. There are several actions that can be taken in processing a claim, such as requiring additional information from the bank of first deposit, the payee, or the issuing agency.
In addition, this process may require handwriting analysis, an investigative report by the U.S. Secret Service, and a refund from a financial institution.
Reclamation credits
Daily, after Treasury receives the money from the financial institution
Unavailable Check Cancellations (UCC)
Daily
Limited Payability Cancellation
Monthly
No. Agencies do not get interest on reclamations
Congress established the Check Forgery Insurance Fund (CFIF) to settle claims when a payee did not get a check and the original check was cashed fraudulently.