Is my check local?

One of the most confusing things in banking is how fast your deposits become available to use. Local vs Non-local checks is not as straight forward as you think. Local means that the bank that the check was written on is in the same Federal Reserve Zone as the bank receiving the check. So a local check could be from another state. At the bottom of your personal check is a set of nine numbers (not the account number). This number is unique to your bank, like a bank serial number. It is good to familiarize yourself with your banks number. Once you know that you can identify which checks are not in your Federal Reserve Zone and possible delays of funds availability. Here is a great link with some details on the numbering system.