Appendix A to Part 229--Routing Number Guide to
Next-Day Availability Checks and Local Checks
A. Each bank is assigned a routing number by an agent for the American Bankers Association.
The routing number takes two forms: a fractional form and a nine–digit form. A paying bank generally is identified on the
face of a check by its routing number in both the fractional form (which generally appears in the upper right–hand corner of the check)
and the nine–digit form (which is printed in magnetic ink along the bottom of the check). Where a check is payable by one bank but
payable through another bank, the routing number appearing on the check is that of the payable–through bank, not the payor bank.
B. The first four digits of the nine–digit routing number (and the denominator of the fractional routing number) form the ‘‘Federal
Reserve routing symbol,’’ and the first two digits of the routing number identify the Federal Reserve District in which the bank is
located. Thus, 01 will be the first two digits of the routing number of a bank in the First Federal Reserve District (Boston), and 12 will be the first two digits of the routing number of a bank in the Twelfth District (San Francisco). Adding 2 to the first digit denotes a thrift institution. Thus, 21 identifies a thrift in the First District, and 32 denotes a thrift in the Twelfth District.
[Editor's note: The practice of assigning numbers in the 21 through 32 series to thrifts ended in 1985. Some thrift charters have been merged into banks and the thrift's routing number assumed by the surviving bank. Thus, the "rule" about numbers in the two ranges -- 01 through 12 and 21 through 32 -- can only be considered approximate at best.]
C. Each Federal Reserve check processing office is listed below, followed by the Federal Reserve routing symbols of the banks that are
located within the check–processing region served by that office. Because some check processing regions cross Federal Reserve
District lines, there are some cases in which banks in different Federal Reserve Districts are located in the same check–processing
region and therefore considered local to each other. For example, banks in Fairfield County, Connecticut are located in Second
District and have Second District routing numbers (0211 or 2211), but the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia processes the
checks of these banks. Thus, as indicated below, checks drawn on banks with 0211 or 2211 routing numbers would be local for
First District banks served by the head office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
A Note to BOL Users: Beginning in 2003, the Federal Reserve started a consolidation of check processing regions. As consolidation plans have developed, the FRB has amended this Appendix periodically to reflect the new regions' coverage. With each transfer of check processing, the Fed issues updates to this Appendix, 2 - 3 months in advance of the transfer date, to allow banks that impose holds in accordance with § 229.12 to both update their local/non-local routing number lists for processing, and make appropriate consumer notification of the added local check numbers.
On 11/6/2008, the Fed announced that it had altered its restructuring plan substantially, to ultimately make the Cleveland office the single paper check processing and adjustments site, and the Atlanta office the single electronic check processing site for the Federal Reserve System. Those changes will speed up the schedule for restructuring, and may make more substantial changes in the groupings of routing numbers in the lists below. Because the 11/6 announcement makes the Fed's dates for any subsequent changes flexible, we have eliminated the table of forecasted conversion dates that formerly appeared here, but will provide information on any specific announcements from the Fed.
THIRD FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT [Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia]
SEVENTH FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT [Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago]
Head Office
Note: Due to the termination of check processing of check processing at the Des Moines Office 1/31/2009, the numbers in red below will be included under the Head Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as of that date.
Note: Effective 1/31/2009, check processing at this office ends, and the numbers in red below will appear in the list for the Head Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
0730 2730
0739 2739
1040 3040
1041 3041
1049 3049
EIGHTH FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT [Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis]
TWELFTH FEDERAL RESERVE DISTRICT [Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco]
Los Angeles Branch
1210 3210
1211 3211
1212 3212
1213 3213
[Editor's Note: 1214 and 3214 routing numbers are assigned to the "Pacific island banks" described in § 229.43 of the Regulation. They are not listed here because those banks don't meet the definition of "bank" in § 229.2, and checks drawn on those banks are not subject to Subpart B of the regulation.]
1220 3220
1221 3221
1222 3222
1223 3223
1224 3224
BankersOnline is a free service made possible by the generous support of our advertisers and sponsors. Advertisers and sponsors are not responsible for site content. Please help us keep BankersOnline FREE to all banking professionals. Support our advertisers and sponsors by clicking through to learn more about their products and services.
Print Friendly!
Email This Article!
Discuss NOW!
