What is a Worthless Check?
Under Florida law, any checks returned “NSF” (non-sufficient funds), “Account Not Found” or “NSF Unless Otherwise Indicated is a worthless check subject to prosecution under Florida’s criminal statutes. Checks stamped “Refer To Maker” or Uncollected Funds” may require additional investigation before being charged criminally. Checks Stamped “Stop Payment” may be subject to criminal prosecution, but are typically legitimate means of dealing with a contractual dispute. They are commonly resolved in a small claims court civil suit. Checks returned “Unauthorized Drawer’s Signature(s)” are usually forgeries signed by someone other than the owner of the checking account. These checks should be presented to the Sheriff’s Office or local authorities for investigations. Florida law gives the authority to prosecute the crime of passing worthless bank checks to the State Attorneys of Florida’s 20 Judicial Circuits. The proper judicial circuit for the prosecution of this crime is usually the circui
