Routing number checker
Verify an ACH routing number before you use it. Type the 9 digits to check them against the bank checksum.
Find the bank's name
This tool cannot tell you which bank the number belongs to. Ask the bank, or look the number up yourself in one of these official lookups. You type the number there; we do not send it. Both ask you to accept their terms first. When we checked in October 2026, the ABA lookup allowed two lookups a day and ten a month.
A company says this number is not valid? Its list of routing numbers may be out of date, or it may need your bank's ACH number, not the wire number. Ask your bank for its current ACH routing number.
Checked on your device. This site does not send the number anywhere. This checks the format only. It cannot confirm the bank's name or that an account exists.
Free. No signup. The number is checked on your device. This site does not send it anywhere.
How to use the routing number checker
- Type or paste the 9 digits. Spaces and dashes are ignored.
- Read the result. “Valid format” means the digits pass the checksum. “Not valid” tells you what is wrong.
- Look at the parts. For a valid number, the checker shows the Federal Reserve routing symbol, the bank’s identifier and the check digit.
What a routing number is
A routing number is the 9-digit number that identifies a US bank or credit union for checks and electronic payments. It is also called an ABA number or a routing transit number. You find it at the bottom left of a check and in your bank’s website or app.
| Digits | Name | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | Federal Reserve routing symbol | Shows the series the number belongs to |
| 5 to 8 | ABA institution identifier | Identifies the bank |
| 9 | Check digit | Calculated from the first eight digits |
The first two digits fall into set ranges.
| First two digits | Used for |
|---|---|
| 00 | The US Government |
| 01 to 12 | Banks and credit unions (the standard series) |
| 21 to 32 | Thrift institutions (assigned until 1985) |
| 61 to 72 | Special numbers for electronic transactions |
| 80 | Traveler’s checks. Cannot be used for ACH |
Other ranges are reserved and not in use.
What this checker can and cannot do
- It can catch a typing mistake, a missing digit and most swapped digits.
- It cannot confirm the bank’s name, tell you whether the bank accepts ACH, or confirm that an account exists. To find the bank’s name, use one of the official lookups linked under the result. To check the account itself before you pay, see ACH account verification.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Using the number from a deposit slip. Use a check or the bank’s app instead.
- Dropping the leading zero. Many routing numbers start with 0. Spreadsheets remove it. Format the column as text.
- Typing the account number in the routing field. The routing number always has exactly 9 digits.
- Using the wire routing number for an ACH payment. Ask for the ACH or direct deposit number.
Questions and answers
How do I verify an ACH routing number?
Type the 9 digits into the checker. It runs the checksum that every US routing number must pass. If one digit is wrong or two are swapped, the check fails. To confirm which bank a number belongs to, ask the account holder for a voided check or a bank letter, or look the number up in the Federal Reserve E-Payments Routing Directory or the ABA routing number lookup.
Does a valid result mean the bank account exists?
No. The checker tests the format of the routing number only. It cannot tell you the bank's name, whether the bank accepts ACH payments, or whether any account exists. A wrong account at a real bank comes back as an R03 or R04 return.
A website says my routing number (ABA number) is invalid, but it passes here. Why?
Passing here means only that the 9 digits add up. A company can still turn the number down for other reasons. You may have given the wire routing number, not the ACH number. The number may be old, because routing numbers can change after a bank merger or be retired when a bank closes. Or the company's own list of routing numbers may be out of date. Nacha wrote in 2021 that some billers and payment processors do not keep their lists current, so some new routing numbers are rejected. Ask your bank for its current ACH routing number. Then give it to the company, or pay another way. If you run a business, Nacha recommends updating your list of routing numbers at least monthly. A bank can send you a new routing number in a C02 notice, and a payment to a routing number that cannot take ACH payments comes back as R13.
What do the 9 digits of a routing number mean?
The first four digits are the Federal Reserve routing symbol. The next four identify the bank. The ninth is a check digit worked out from the first eight, so that a typing mistake can be caught.
How is the check digit worked out?
Multiply the nine digits by 3, 7, 1, 3, 7, 1, 3, 7 and 1 in turn and add the results. For a valid routing number, the total is a multiple of 10.
Is the ACH routing number the same as the wire routing number?
Not at every bank. Some banks use one number for ACH and electronic payments and another for wire transfers. Use the number the bank lists for ACH or direct deposit.
Is an ACH number the same as a routing number?
Usually, yes. When a form asks for your ACH number, it usually means the 9-digit routing number your bank uses for ACH payments. It is not your account number. See what an ACH number is.
Is my routing number sent anywhere?
No. This site does not send your routing number anywhere. The check runs in your browser, and the number is not saved.
Sources
- ABA Routing Number Policy and Procedures (routing number structure), American Bankers Association, hosted by LexisNexis Risk Solutions (official registrar)
- NACHA File Specifications (check digit computation), First Citizens Bank
- Consumer FAQs on ACH payments (where to find your routing number), Nacha
- Routing number FAQs (paper, electronic and wire routing numbers), Bank of America
- E-Payments Routing Directory (official lookup, asks you to accept its terms of use first), Federal Reserve Financial Services
- ABA Routing Number Lookup (official lookup; in October 2026 it allowed two lookups a day and ten a month), American Bankers Association
- New Routing Numbers Impacting ACH Processing (September 24, 2021; mergers, out-of-date lists, update at least monthly), Nacha
General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change and banks set their own requirements. Check with your bank before you act. ACH Forms is not affiliated with Nacha.