Illinois banks to provide free cash checking for stimulus checks

The Illinois Department of Professional and Financial Regulation worked with banks to provide services for unbanked Illinoisans seeking to cash their stimulus checks without incurring check cashing fees. The banks provided this service during the first round of stimulus checks and IDFPR secured the same agreement for the second round of stimulus checks.

The FDIC estimates that more than 22% of Illinois households are underbanked or unbanked. Many of these Illinois households will once again be receiving paper stimulus checks and will have few check cashing options that won’t incur fees.

At Bank of America, First Midwest, Fifth Third, Huntington, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase and U.S. Bank, Illinoisans will be able to cash their stimulus checks without incurring fees in order to ensure these funds go toward the food, housing and necessities.

In order to ensure proper social distancing and everyone has the proper identification to cash their federal stimulus check, individuals interested in these options should contact the banks listed above or email IDFPR at ILBanks@illinois.gov to set up an appointment.