For how long should a check be valid?
 

Hey,
Last month I wrote a check to my school for a parking spot. I already have my parking spot and they have my check. It's been about a month now and they still haven't cashed my check. How long can they hold on to the check before it goes bad? It is annoying having my bank balance and my records ending up with two different figures. It's tempting to just stop payment on the check and see what happens since I know they do everything on paper and not computer.

six months

If it doesn't say, "Void afer xxx days," it's valid as long as they have it and the account is open.

You're both kinda right...

The check will be considered stale-dated after six months, but the financial institution still has the option to cash it. You could put a stop payment on it, but that very well could come back and bite you in the ass...

Call that department of your school that you wrote the check out to, and ask them when they'll cash it. (And like they said, six months.)