Rules and Regulations

The Check 21 Act is designed to foster innovation in the payments system and to enhance its efficiency by reducing some of the legal impediments to check truncation. Use the following links to review and better understand Check 21 legislation, regulations and amendments to regulations.

• Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (pdf)
  Review the details of the act intended to facilitate check truncation by authorizing substitute checks, to foster innovation in the check collection system without mandating receipt of checks in electronic form, and to improve the overall efficiency of the Nation's payments system, and for other purposes.
  
  
• ECCHO
  The Electronic Check Clearing House Organization (ECCHO) Operating Rules and Commentary – These Rules govern electronic check transactions, including the exchange and return of electronic images, between two depository institutions that are both members of ECCHO.
  
  
• ECCHO Rules Summary (pdf)
  Read this helpful overview and summary of ECCHO and the ECCHO rules.
  
  
• The Role of the Private Sector Rules and Federal Reserve System Rules (pdf)
  Examine the role of Check Image Rules in the inter-bank exchange of check images.
  
  
• Regulation J (pdf)
  Review final amendments to Regulation J that provide for the rights and obligations of banks and Reserve Banks relating to electronic items handled by Reserve Banks.
  
  
• Guide to Compliance with Regulation J
  Gain a better understanding how to comply with Regulation J.
  
  
• Regulation CC (pdf)
  Review the amendments to Subpart C of Regulation CC, which contains rules governing the collection and return of checks.
  
  
• Guide to Compliance with Regulation CC
  Gain a better understanding how to comply with Regulation CC.
  
  
• Operating Circular 3 (pdf)
  Review Federal Reserve Banks rules and regulations for the Collection of Cash Items and Returned Checks.
  
  
• Minimum Compliance Requirements
  Gain a quick understanding of the minimum requirements your institution must meet to comply with the Check 21 Act and associated regulation.
  
  
• Use of Check Images by Customers of Financial Institutions
  Understand the treatment of check images under the Check 21 Act, and laws and regulations generally applicable to electronic records including the use of check images, as opposed to original checks, by banks and their customers. (pdf)
  
  
• TIFF Tag Discussion Summary
  Read through discussions by the CheckImage Collaborative Legal Work Group on issues relating to uses and changes of TIFF Tags. (pdf)