A returned check is a check that is not paid by the financial institution on which it was drawn. The usual reason for a returned check is that the account on which it was drawn does not contain enough funds to pay for the full amount of the check.

What happens when check is returned?

A returned check is a check that the receiving bank does not honor. If you're the check writer, having a check boomerang means that your bank will not pay the person or business to whom you wrote it. And if you received the check, a returned check is one for which you won't get paid—at least not right away.

Can you go to jail for a returned check?

So, can you go to jail for cashing a bad check? Yes; you can face criminal check fraud charges if you knowingly cash a bad check.