---
kind: "section"
citation: "12 U.S.C. § 5003"
title: "12"
title_heading: "Banks and Banking"
number: "5003"
heading: "General provisions governing substitute checks"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/12/5003"
units:
  - "Chapter 50 — Check Truncation"
---

# §5003. General provisions governing substitute checks

- (a) **No agreement required—** A [person](/usc/12/5002.md?p=14) may deposit, present, or send for collection or return a [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) without an agreement with the recipient, so long as a [bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=2) has made the warranties in [section 5004 of this title](/usc/12/5004.md) with respect to such [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16).
- (b) **Legal equivalence—** A [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) shall be the legal equivalent of the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) for all purposes, including any provision of any Federal or [State](/usc/12/5002.md?p=17) law, and for all [persons](/usc/12/5002.md?p=14) if the [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16)—
  - (1) accurately represents all of the information on the front and back of the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) as of the time the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) was truncated; and
  - (2) bears the legend: “This is a legal copy of your [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6). You can use it the same way you would use the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6).”
- (c) **Endorsements—** A [bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=2) shall ensure that the [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) for which the [bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=2) is the [reconverting bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=15) bears all endorsements applied by parties that previously handled the [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) (whether in electronic form or in the form of the original paper [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) or a [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16)) for [forward collection](/usc/12/5002.md?p=10) or return.
- (d) **Identification of reconverting bank—** A [bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=2) shall identify itself as a [reconverting bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=15) on any [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) for which the [bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=2) is a [reconverting bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=15) so as to preserve any previous [reconverting bank](/usc/12/5002.md?p=15) identifications in conformance with generally applicable industry standards.
- (e) **Applicable law—** A [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) that is the legal equivalent of the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6) under [subsection (b)](#b) shall be subject to any provision, including any provision relating to the protection of [customers](/usc/12/5002.md?p=9), of part 229 of title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the [Uniform Commercial Code](/usc/12/5002.md?p=19), and any other applicable Federal or [State](/usc/12/5002.md?p=17) law as if such [substitute check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=16) were the original [check](/usc/12/5002.md?p=6), to the extent such provision of law is not inconsistent with this chapter.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 108–100, § 4, Oct. 28, 2003, 117 Stat. 1180.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (e), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 108–100, Oct. 28, 2003, 117 Stat. 1177, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5001 of this title and Tables.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective at the end of the 12-month period beginning on Oct. 28, 2003, see section 20 of Pub. L. 108–100, set out as a note under section 5001 of this title.