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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82039</law_id><section_number>8.3A-104</section_number><catch_line>Negotiable instrument</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.01-382</reference><reference>8.2-103</reference><reference>8.3A-103</reference><reference>8.3A-106</reference><reference>8.3A-115</reference><reference>8.4-104</reference><reference>8.9A-102</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="8.3A">Commercial Code &#x2014; Negotiable Instruments</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions and Definitions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> Except as provided in subsections (c) and (d), &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">negotiable instrument</span>&#x201D; means an unconditional promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span> to pay a fixed amount of money, with or without interest or other charges described in the promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span>, if it: <a id="paragraph-293951" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="a1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> is payable to bearer or to <span class="dictionary">order</span> at the time it is issued or first comes into <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of a holder; <a id="paragraph-293952" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#a1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="a2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> is payable on demand or at a definite time; and <a id="paragraph-293953" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#a2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="a3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> does not state any other undertaking or instruction by the person promising or ordering payment to do any act in addition to the payment of money, but the promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span> may contain (i) an undertaking or power to give, maintain, or protect <span class="dictionary">collateral</span> to secure payment, (ii) an authorization or power to the holder to confess <span class="dictionary">judgment</span> or realize on or dispose of <span class="dictionary">collateral</span>, (iii) a <span class="dictionary">waiver</span> of the benefit of any <span class="dictionary">law</span> intended for the advantage or protection of an obligor, (iv) a term that specifies the <span class="dictionary">law</span> that governs the promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span>, or (v) an undertaking to resolve in a specified forum a dispute concerning the promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span>. <a id="paragraph-293954" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#a3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> &#x201C;Instrument&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">negotiable instrument</span>. <a id="paragraph-293955" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> An <span class="dictionary">order</span> that meets all of the requirements of subsection (a), except paragraph (1), and otherwise falls within the definition of &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">check</span>&#x201D; in subsection (f) is a <span class="dictionary">negotiable instrument</span> and a <span class="dictionary">check</span>. <a id="paragraph-293956" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> A promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span> other than a <span class="dictionary">check</span> is not an instrument if, at the time it is issued or first comes into <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of a holder, it contains a conspicuous statement, however expressed, to the effect that the promise or <span class="dictionary">order</span> is not negotiable or is not an instrument governed by this title. <a id="paragraph-293957" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="e"><p><span class="prefix-number">e.</span> An instrument is a &#x201C;note&#x201D; if it is a promise and is a &#x201C;draft&#x201D; if it is an <span class="dictionary">order</span>. If an instrument falls within the definition of both &#x201C;note&#x201D; and &#x201C;draft,&#x201D; a person entitled to enforce the instrument may treat it as either. <a id="paragraph-293958" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#e"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="f"><p><span class="prefix-number">f.</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Check</span>&#x201D; means (i) a draft, other than a documentary draft, payable on demand and drawn on a bank or (ii) a cashier&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span> or teller&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span>. An instrument may be a <span class="dictionary">check</span> even though it is described on its face by another term, such as &#x201C;money <span class="dictionary">order</span>.&#x201D; <a id="paragraph-293959" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#f"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="g"><p><span class="prefix-number">g.</span> &#x201C;Cashier&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span>&#x201D; means a draft with respect to which the drawer and drawee are the same bank or branches of the same bank. <a id="paragraph-293960" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#g"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="h"><p><span class="prefix-number">h.</span> &#x201C;Teller&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span>&#x201D; means a draft drawn by a bank (i) on another bank, or (ii) payable at or through a bank. <a id="paragraph-293961" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#h"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="i"><p><span class="prefix-number">i.</span> &#x201C;Traveler&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span>&#x201D; means an instrument that (i) is payable on demand, (ii) is drawn on or payable at or through a bank, (iii) is designated by the term &#x201C;traveler&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">check</span>&#x201D; or by a substantially similar term, and (iv) requires, as a condition to payment, a countersignature by a person whose specimen signature appears on the instrument. <a id="paragraph-293962" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#i"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="j"><p><span class="prefix-number">j.</span> &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Certificate of deposit</span>&#x201D; means an instrument containing an acknowledgment by a bank that a sum of money has been received by the bank and a promise by the bank to repay the sum of money. A <span class="dictionary">certificate of deposit</span> is a note of the bank. <a id="paragraph-293963" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.3A-104/#j"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 6-353, 6-354, 6-357, 6-358, 6-537, 6-538, 6-544; 1960, c. 29; 1964, c. 219, &#xA7;&#xA7; 8.3-102, 8.3-104, 8.3-106, 8.3-112, 8.3-118; 1992, c. 693; 2024, c. 652.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
