Substitute Checks
Our office will accept a legal copy of the check, which is called a “Substitute Check”. This is a digital copy of the front and back of a paper check that provides the same legal protections and obligation as the original, including serving as proof of payment. Using digital copies allows banks to process payments faster and more efficiently than they could in the past.
Your bank may send you substitute checks but is more likely to provide either a line item statement or an image statement that has photocopies of the fronts and backs of cancelled checks grouped on a page. These are NOT substitute checks. If you need an actual copy of a substitute check it can be requested from the bank, who will probably charge you a fee for this service.
Substitute checks from your bank are the only exception to the requirement that the County Attorney’s office have the original check for collection and prosecution of a hot check case.
Because of this fee, our office is collecting the full $30.00 merchant fee on all returned checks. This will allow the Merchant to cover the added expense of obtaining the Substitute check from the bank.
Return to County Attorney Main Hot Check Page