For the state of Florida

Do you accept oral Stop Payment requests? Can we accept?

I read the Florida State Statutes that just says 'a customer may stop payment of any item drawn on the customer's account by a written order to the bank describing the item received by an officer of the bank during a banking day and at a time and in a manner that affords the bank a reasonable opportunity to act on it."

Some banks, I ahve read, accept oral stop payments for up to 14 days but will drop off if the request is not received in writing within that time.

Florida law does not require you to accept oral stop payments, but it does not prohibit you from doing so either.

Read your account contracts. Many Florida banks use contracts that reflect the language in the model version of the UCC i.e. an oral stop payment is good for 14 days. If it's in your contract that you will do it then it makes no difference that state law would not require you to do it.

Only an observation, if you are ever going to have a dispute with a customer over a stop payment it will likely be an oral stop payment. Your legislators gave you a break when they indicated you were not required to take them, but refusing to do so may be a bit outmoded today.