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What federal funds-availability rules cover
The Expedited Funds Availability Act (EFAA) addresses access to deposited funds. The Federal Reserve’s Regulation CC implements the act’s funds-availability and disclosure provisions and also contains check-collection and return rules. The published regulation is amended effective July 1, 2025: Federal Reserve: Regulation CC.
Regulation CC is a baseline, not a promise that every deposit will be available on the same schedule. Your account disclosure and the circumstances of the deposit matter. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau puts it this way: “The length of time a bank or credit union can hold funds depends on the date/type of deposit and the bank’s policies.” See the CFPB’s consumer explanation of deposit holds.
Current federal dollar thresholds
On July 1, 2025, inflation-adjusted Regulation CC thresholds changed and took effect for five years. The CFPB and Federal Reserve based the adjustment on a 21.8% increase in CPI-W from July 2018 through July 2023. The agencies’ threshold adjustment rule gives these current amounts:
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| Amount | What it applies to |
|---|---|
| $275 | Minimum amount subject to next-business-day availability for specified check deposits. |
| $550 | Cash-withdrawal amount under the applicable availability schedule. |
| $6,725 | New-account amount and large-deposit threshold. |
These are rule thresholds, not a statement that every deposit below a threshold is immediately available or that every deposit above it will be held. The applicable item, deposit method, schedule, and any exception still matter. The CFPB consumer page also displays older threshold examples; for current amounts, use the agencies’ July 2025 adjustment.
How to estimate when a deposit will be available
Regulation CC schedules are generally measured in business days after the banking day of deposit. Federal compliance guidance defines business days as Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. A bank’s banking day depends on when it is open for substantially all banking activities. A deposit made after the institution’s cutoff may count as received on the next banking day. Banks may also provide access sooner than the federal maximum. See the Federal Reserve’s Regulation CC compliance guide.
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The CFPB says cutoffs may be no earlier than 2 p.m. at a physical location and noon at an ATM or elsewhere. A deposit after the applicable cutoff can be treated as made the next business day. Check your institution’s specific cutoff and policy, especially for mobile check deposits, for which the institution may use a different timetable.
Deposit type and channel matter
Certain deposits receive next-business-day treatment under the federal framework, including cash deposited in person, qualifying electronic payments once received as defined by the rule, specified government and bank checks deposited through qualifying channels, and checks drawn on the same institution. Other checks generally follow the applicable schedule, subject to thresholds, deposit method, and exceptions. Because the category and channel matter, the item’s label alone is not enough to determine its release date.
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Compare deposits using the same facts
If you are tracking more than one deposit, compare each one by these factors rather than assuming they share a release date:
- What the deposit is, including whether a check is drawn on the same institution.
- The amount, including whether it crosses the $275 or $6,725 threshold relevant to the rule.
- How it was deposited: in person, at an ATM, electronically, or by mobile deposit.
- When it was made relative to the bank’s cutoff, banking day, weekends, and federal holidays.
- Whether an exception or a state-specific schedule may apply.
When a bank can extend a check hold
Regulation CC permits exception holds in specified circumstances. Federal Reserve compliance guidance identifies new accounts, large deposits, redeposited checks, repeatedly overdrawn accounts, reasonable cause to doubt a check’s collectibility, and emergency conditions. An exception generally allows a reasonable period beyond the ordinary schedule; the guidance gives general extra-time benchmarks but requires any longer delay to remain reasonable.
The check-hold exceptions described in the Federal Reserve guide do not apply to cash and electronic payments. Emergency conditions can affect check processing and availability.
What a hold notice should tell you
Notice requirements depend on how and when the deposit was made and when the institution decided to extend availability. A notice explaining the reason for the hold and the availability date is generally required when funds are held beyond the institution’s normal policy. If the deposit was not made in person to an employee, or the decision to extend availability was made after the deposit, notice is generally due by the first business day after the banking day of deposit. The exact timing is not identical for every hold.
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Why your state and account agreement may change the result
Federal rules establish a baseline, but some state laws require earlier availability for particular categories of deposits. Federal Reserve material on California’s funds-availability rules illustrates how state schedules and federal exceptions can interact; it does not establish the rule for every state. Your account disclosure also matters because an institution may promise faster availability than the federal maximum and may set policies for mobile or other deposits.
What to do if your deposit is still on hold
- Check the deposit details. Write down the date and time, channel, type of item, and amount.
- Read the hold notice and account disclosure. Note the stated reason and release date, and find the institution’s funds-availability policy.
- Ask the institution to explain the schedule. Ask which rule or policy applies, what banking day it treated as the deposit date, whether it invoked an exception, and how it calculated the release date.
- Compare the explanation with the relevant rule. Consider the deposit category, thresholds, cutoff, business-day calendar, any exception, and potentially applicable state law.
These factors can help you identify a discrepancy, but they do not by themselves establish that a particular hold is unlawful. The institution’s policy, deposit details, and notice are needed to assess an individual case.
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