Ask a friend or relative who has a bank account to endorse the check and cash it. If the check is bad, though, your friend or relative's account will be debited for the check's amount. Use a check-cashing service. Many of these services will not cash personal checks, which they consider too risky. Most require a photo identification and will charge a fee, sometimes based on the type and amount of the check.
Few states regulate check-cashing services, so fees can vary widely.
For people who do not maintain a checking account or who prefer not to make payments with cash, money orders often serve the same function as personal checks. Personal money orders, sometimes called register checks, can be purchased at banks and some retail establishments. They are usually issued in smaller amounts and are cheaper than cashier's checks. Often, only the amount is filled in at the time the money order is issued. Until the blanks for the payee's name, the date, and the purchasers signature are filled in, the money order is as risky as cash to the purchaser.