How long does a check take to clear business days? Under Regulation CC, your bank must make the first $275 of a check deposit available by the next business day, and the full amount follows by the second business day.
What changes this timeline is where your deposit falls in the week. A check deposited on a Saturday or the day before a public holiday does not start the clock until the next banking day.
Sending money electronically instead? See how bank transfers are counted differently.
Use the Add Business Days to a Date calculator to count forward from your exact deposit date.
How Long Does a Check Take to Clear Business Days?
Banks measure clearing time in banking days, not calendar days. A banking day is any day your bank is open to the public for its normal functions. Weekends and public holidays are not banking days.
Under Regulation CC, the first $275 of a check deposit is typically available by the next business day. The rest of the deposit is usually available by the second business day. This applies to standard checks deposited at a bank branch or through mobile deposit, before your bank’s stated cutoff time.
Deposits made after the cutoff time count as if they happened the next banking day. A check deposited at 6pm on a Tuesday, after a 3pm cutoff, is treated as a Wednesday deposit for hold purposes.
What Is Regulation CC?
Regulation CC is a federal rule that controls how quickly banks must make your deposited funds available. It comes from the Expedited Funds Availability Act and is enforced by the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Before this rule existed, banks held customer money for as long as they wanted after a check deposit. Regulation CC sets maximum hold times so you know when your funds are actually usable.
Every bank must give you a written funds availability policy when you open an account. If a bank holds your check longer than the standard schedule allows, it must tell you why and when the funds will be released. The Federal Reserve publishes the full compliance guide if you want the complete regulatory text.
Why Is a Check Deposited on Saturday Treated as Monday?
Saturday is not a banking day for most financial institutions, even if the branch lobby is open. That means a check deposited on Saturday does not start the clearing clock until Monday.
Here is what that looks like in practice. You deposit a check on Saturday, June 6. Monday, June 8 becomes day one for hold purposes. The first $275 is available by Tuesday, June 9. The full amount is typically available by Wednesday, June 10.
Use the Add Business Days to a Date calculator to count forward from your actual deposit day and confirm when your funds should clear.
How Does a Public Holiday Shift Your Check’s Clearing Date?
Public holidays work the same way as weekends. If a bank holiday falls right after your deposit, it pushes the start of your hold period back by a day.
Say you deposit a check on the Friday before a Monday holiday. Since Monday is not a banking day, your clock starts Tuesday instead. The first $275 becomes available Wednesday, and the full amount is typically available Thursday.
This is easy to miss when counting on your fingers or using a regular calendar. A business days calculator factors in weekends and public holidays automatically, so you are not guessing which days count.
Next-Day vs 2-Day vs Extended Holds
Not every check follows the same schedule. The table below breaks down the most common scenarios and how long your funds actually take to clear under Regulation CC.
| Deposit Scenario | Funds Available |
|---|---|
| Standard check, before cutoff, business day | First $275 next business day, full amount by 2nd business day |
| Check deposited Saturday | Clock starts next business day |
| Check deposited day before a public holiday | Clock starts next business day after the holiday |
| New account (opened 30 days or less) | Up to $6,725 next-day, remainder held longer |
| Large deposit (over $6,725 in one day) | Amount above $6,725 held up to 5 extra business days |
| Exception hold (any of six categories) | Generally available no later than the 7th business day |
When Can Banks Hold Your Check Longer?
Regulation CC allows banks to extend the standard hold schedule under six specific circumstances:
- New account (opened 30 days or less ago)
- Deposit over $6,725 in a single day
- Redeposited check
- Account repeatedly overdrawn in the past six months
- Check the bank has reasonable doubt about collecting
- Deposit made during a declared emergency
When a bank uses one of these exceptions, it sends a hold notice explaining why and stating the exact date your funds will be released. Regulation CC generally permits an extension of up to five business days for most checks, one extra business day for checks drawn on the same bank where you deposited them, and up to six business days for deposits made at an ATM your bank does not own. Even under an exception hold, your funds are generally available no later than the seventh business day after deposit.
How to Calculate Your Check’s Availability Date
Say you deposit a check on Thursday, August 6. Your bank’s standard hold applies since none of the six exceptions fit your account. The first $275 becomes available Friday, August 7. The full amount is typically available Monday, August 10, since Saturday and Sunday do not count as banking days.
If your deposit lands near a weekend or a public holiday, plug your deposit date into the Add Business Days to a Date calculator and count forward the number of business days your bank’s policy requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How long does a check take to clear business days? | Most checks clear within one to two business days. Regulation CC requires the first $275 to be available by the next business day and the full amount by the second business day, unless an exception hold applies. |
| Does Regulation CC apply to all banks and credit unions? | Yes. Regulation CC applies to all federally insured banks and credit unions in the United States. |
| Why is my check taking longer than 2 business days to clear? | A large deposit, a new account, or a check your bank doubts often explains a longer hold. Your bank must notify you in writing if one of these exceptions applies to your deposit. |
| Does a check deposited on a public holiday count as that day? | No. Public holidays are not banking days. A check deposited on or right before a holiday does not start the clearing clock until the next banking day. |
| What happens if I deposit a check for more than $6,725? | The first $6,725 follows the standard availability schedule. The amount above that threshold is subject to an additional hold, generally up to five extra business days. |
| What if a check I deposited bounces after it appeared to clear? | Availability under Regulation CC is not a guarantee the check is good. If it later bounces, your bank reverses the deposit and charges your account, even after the funds showed as available. Contact your bank right away, since overdraft or returned-item fees often apply. |
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Last updated: August 2026.