Hot Checks

Worthless checks are a drain on the bottom line of any business, whether it's large or small. The General Sessions Court Clerk, Edward L. Stanton, Jr., and the District Attorney General, Amy Weirich, are working together to stop Hot Check writers in Shelby County, Tennessee.

Follow these easy steps to get the law to help you collect:

  1. Notify the check writer with a certified letter giving them 10 days to pick up the bad check. The letter must be sent certified mail, return receipt. After 10 days have elapsed with no payment from the check writer, the merchant or individual can begin the process of prosecution through the Hot Check Unit.
  2. Submit a completed and sworn affidavit of complaint, available at the Clerk's Office, accompanied by a copy of worthless check (front and back), a copy of the 10 day letter, and a copy of the certified mail receipt, if required, to the General Sessions Court Clerk along with a $10 fee for each hot check.
  3. Affidavits of complaint can be filed at the General Session Court Clerk's East Office at 1075 Mullins Station, Room 115 or at our Criminal Justice Center Office at 201 Poplar, Room LL-81.

Please review the policy and procedures by clicking the link below. Not all returned checks qualify for the Hot Check program.

Shelby County Special Prosecution Units, White Collar Crime