I received a personal check from my employer. I do not have an account at her bank and was told I needed two forms of ID. Why?
The bank has a responsibility to verify the identity of the individual cashing a check. Apparently, the bank in question doesn't feel that a single piece of identification is sufficient.
It's also possible that the bank has a two-tiered ID policy. It may have a short list of acceptable forms of ID that it will accept alone and another list of ID documents (often these are IDs without photos or not issued by a governmental body) from which an individual must provide at least two. Other banks may require a second ID if the primary ID doesn't show a current address or doesn't agree with an address shown on the check.
The short version is that the bank must protect itself from liability if it cashes a check with a forged endorsement, and it's up to the bank to determine what it will accept for ID.
BankingQuestions.com is a free service made possible by the generous support of our advertisers. Advertisers are not responsible for site content. Please help us keep BankingQuestions.com FREE by supporting our advertisers. When you see an ad for a product or service you may have an interest in, click through to learn more.
Accounts
Article
Q&A
Podcast
Video
Blog
Discussions
PDF
Powerpoint
The bank has a responsibility to verify the identity of the individual cashing a check. Apparently, the bank in question doesn't feel that a single piece of identification is sufficient.