I have a government issued check made out to my husband and myself. We both signed the back, but my bank would not let me deposit it, because my account is not a joint account. Is this correct procedure?
The bank isn't obliged to accept that check, or any check, for that matter, for deposit. Call your bank branch manager to find out whether the problem isn't as big as it seems. It may be that the bank simply needs to verify your husband's signature. If that's the case, arrange a time for you and your husband to go to the bank together, so that his identification can be verified to the bank's satisfaction.
The bank is undoubtedly attempting to protect itself from a forged endorsement claim. A surprising number of joint tax refund checks are forged by one or the other payee. Such a claim could come back to the bank as long as eighteen months after the check is deposited.
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The bank isn't obliged to accept that check, or any check, for that matter, for deposit. Call your bank branch manager to find out whether the problem isn't as big as it seems. It may be that the bank simply needs to verify your husband's signature. If that's the case, arrange a time for you and your husband to go to the bank together, so that his identification can be verified to the bank's satisfaction.