Quick summary: Present a check to the bank within 15 calendar days of its date (Código de Comercio, or Commerce Code, Art. 502). If the bank does not pay because there are insufficient funds, its notation has the effect of protesto (formal protest for nonpayment), provided the check was presented on time (Art. 511, amended by Decreto 6-2020). Without timely protest, the acción cambiaria (action on the check) lapses (Art. 512); actions on the check are also subject to a 6-month limitation period (Art. 513). The drawer of a check presented on time and left unpaid owes compensation for the resulting loss and damage (Art. 514). Separately, estafa mediante cheque (check fraud) under Código Penal (Penal Code) Art. 268 requires defrauding another person and is a private-action offense: the victim pursues it through a querella (private criminal complaint) under Código Procesal Penal (Criminal Procedure Code), Art. 24 Quáter. A victim without financial means may request assistance from the Ministerio Público (public prosecutor’s office) under Art. 539.
Timeline for a dishonored check
| When | What happens | Commerce Code |
|---|---|---|
| The check's date | "El cheque será siempre pagadero a la vista." [A check is always payable on demand.] If presented before its stated date, or without a date, it is payable on the day of presentation. | Art. 501 |
| Within 15 calendar days | "Los cheques deberán presentarse para su pago, dentro de los quince días calendario de su creación." [Checks must be presented for payment within fifteen calendar days of their creation.] | Art. 502 |
| Within those 15 days | Protest for nonpayment "debe tener lugar antes de la expiración del plazo fijado para la presentación" [must take place before the presentation deadline expires]. | Art. 511, amended by Decreto 6-2020 |
| Without timely protest | "La acción cambiaria contra el librador, sus avalistas y demás signatarios, caduca por no haber sido protestado el cheque en tiempo." [The action on the check against the drawer, the drawer's guarantors and the other signatories lapses if the check was not protested on time.] | Art. 512 |
| Within 6 months of its date | Even if the check was not presented on time, the bank must pay it if it holds sufficient funds belonging to the drawer and the check has not been revoked. | Art. 508 |
| 6 months from presentation | The last holder's actions on the check become time-barred. For endorsers and guarantors, the 6 months run from the day after they pay the check. | Art. 513 |
The presentation rule and late payment under Art. 508 are explained further in how to endorse a check (Spanish). This page follows what happens when the bank does not pay a check. The rules appear in the Commerce Code published by the Archivo General de Protocolos, with the amendment below.
When the bank does not pay
The bank’s notation counts as protest. Under Decreto 6-2020, Art. 511 states:
“La anotación que el banco coloque o haga acompañar al cheque físico o al cheque digitalizado de haber sido presentado en tiempo y no pagado total o parcialmente surtirá los efectos del protesto.” [A notation placed on or accompanying the physical or digitized check by the bank, recording timely presentation and total or partial nonpayment, has the effect of protest.]
The condition is that the check was presented on time. The same decree amended Art. 503: presenting a digitized check through a cámara de compensación (clearinghouse) has the same effect as presenting the physical check directly to the drawee bank.
Partial payment. If the funds are insufficient, the bank must offer the holder partial payment up to the available balance (Art. 504). The holder may refuse it (Art. 510). If accepted, the holder receives a record that replaces the instrument for pursuing actions against those liable (Art. 506).
Loss and damage.
“El librador de un cheque presentado en tiempo y no pagado, resarcirá al tenedor de los daños y perjuicios que con ello ocasione.” [The drawer of a check presented on time and left unpaid must compensate the holder for the resulting loss and damage.] (Art. 514).
This liability also depends on timely presentation.
The instrument remains a check. Art. 496 requires the drawer to have available funds and authorization from the bank to draw on them by check, but adds: “No obstante la inobservancia de estas prescripciones, el instrumento es válido como cheque.” [Despite failure to comply with these requirements, the instrument is valid as a check.]
Revocación (revocation of the payment order). Before the 15 days expire, the drawer or holder may revoke payment only because the check was lost, stolen or acquired by a third party through an unlawful act. Anyone who unjustifiably invokes such grounds before the deadline is liable to the lawful holder for the resulting loss and damage (Art. 507).
To recover the debt through court, see civil debt collection lawsuits. If the debtor may leave the country, see checking for an arraigo (court restriction on leaving Guatemala).
Estafa mediante cheque: check fraud (Penal Code, Art. 268)
The Penal Code published by CENADOJ sets out the offense:
| Element | Penal Code wording |
|---|---|
| Conduct | "Quien defraudare a otro dándole en pago un cheque sin provisión de fondos o disponiendo de ellos, antes de que expire el plazo para su presentación" [Defrauding another person by giving a check in payment without sufficient funds, or disposing of those funds before the presentation deadline expires.] |
| Penalty | "prisión de seis meses a cinco años y multa de cien a cinco mil quetzales" [Six months to five years in prison and a fine of one hundred to five thousand quetzales.] |
| Endorser | "Igual sanción se aplicará a quien endosare un cheque con conocimiento de la falta de fondos del librador." [The same penalty applies to anyone who endorses a check knowing that the drawer lacks funds.] |
Three conditions in the article:
- There must be fraud: the provision punishes defrauding another person through the check.
- It covers two situations: giving a check in payment without sufficient funds, or disposing of the funds before the presentation deadline expires.
- The endorser is liable only if they knew that the drawer lacked funds.
Who prosecutes the offense
| Rule | What it means | Criminal Procedure Code |
|---|---|---|
| Private action | Offenses "perseguibles, sólo por acción privada" [prosecutable only by private action] include "Estafa mediante cheque" [check fraud]. | Art. 24 Quáter, item 5 |
| Other fraud | Prosecution depends on a private request: "Estafa que no sea mediante cheque sin provisión de fondos" [fraud other than by a check without sufficient funds]. The private-request requirement does not apply when there are reasons of public interest. Prosecution is public if the injured party is the State or the offense is committed by a public official or employee in or on occasion of their duties. | Art. 24 Ter, item 6 |
| How proceedings begin | "se procederá únicamente por acusación de la víctima conforme al procedimiento especial regulado en este Código" [Proceedings depend solely on an accusation by the victim under the special procedure regulated in this Code.] | Art. 24 Quáter |
| Querella | Filed personally or through a specially authorized representative, directly before the competent tribunal de sentencia (trial court), "siempre que no produzca impacto social" [provided it does not produce social impact]. | Art. 474 |
| Without financial means | A person who proves they lack financial means may request Ministerio Público assistance. | Art. 539 |
| Conciliation | Once the querella is admitted, the court calls a conciliation hearing. | Art. 477 |
| Desistimiento tácito (deemed withdrawal) | If proceedings stop for three months because of the claimant's inactivity, or the claimant or their representative fails to attend conciliation or trial without just cause. Just cause must be established within forty-eight hours after the scheduled date. | Art. 481 |
Querella for check fraud: filing directly with the court (Arts. 474-476)
For check fraud, Art. 24 Quáter states:
“se procederá únicamente por acusación de la víctima conforme al procedimiento especial regulado en este Código” [Proceedings depend solely on an accusation by the victim under the special procedure regulated in this Code.]
That procedure begins with the querella under Art. 474, filed directly before the tribunal de sentencia. Public-action offenses follow a different route: filing a criminal complaint with the Ministerio Público. These provisions appear in the Criminal Procedure Code published by CENADOJ.
| Step | What the Criminal Procedure Code requires | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Who files and where | A person pursuing a private-action offense, provided it does not produce social impact, files an accusation personally or through a specially authorized representative directly before the tribunal de sentencia competent to conduct the trial. | 474 |
| Defendant's details | State the defendant's name and domicile or residence and comply "con las formalidades requeridas" [with the required formalities]. | 474 |
| Civil action | "Si el querellante ejerciere la acción civil, cumplirá con los requisitos establecidos para el efecto en este Código" [A claimant also pursuing a civil action must meet the requirements established for that purpose in this Code.] | 474 |
| Copies | "Se agregará, para cada querellado, una copia del escrito y del poder" [Include a copy of the filing and power of attorney for each defendant.] | 474 |
| Dismissal | By a reasoned order when it is clear that the act does not constitute an offense, proceedings cannot go ahead, or a required element is missing. | 475 |
| Filing again | The claimant may repeat the querella, correcting defects if possible and mentioning the previous dismissal. Omitting that information carries a fine of ten to one hundred quetzales. | 475 |
| If the defendant's identity or address is unknown | When a preliminary investigation is essential because the defendant could not be identified or their domicile or residence could not be established, or to establish the punishable act clearly and precisely, the claimant requests it in writing and specifies the relevant measures. The court sends the file to the Ministerio Público, which follows the preparatory-investigation rules and returns it once the inquiries are complete. | 476 |
Once the querella is admitted, the conciliation hearing (Art. 477) and the withdrawal rules in Art. 481 apply, as outlined above. If the victim lacks financial means, Art. 24 Quáter refers to Art. 539 for Ministerio Público assistance.
Editions and amendments consulted
| Law | Edition | Amendments checked |
|---|---|---|
| Código de Comercio (Decreto 2-70) | Copy published by the Archivo General de Protocolos, Organismo Judicial | Decreto 6-2020 amended Arts. 503 and 511 and added Arts. 511 Ter and 516 Bis; this page uses the amended wording of Arts. 503 and 511 |
| Código Penal (Decreto 17-73) | CENADOJ, updated through January 31, 2024 | Later amendments have not been verified |
| Código Procesal Penal (Decreto 51-92) | CENADOJ, updated through January 31, 2024 | Arts. 24 Ter and 24 Quáter were added by Decreto 79-97; the provisions on private action and the querella are described above |
Related procedures
- How to endorse a check (Spanish) — endorsement, non-negotiable checks and presentation deadlines
- Civil debt collection lawsuits
- Letra de cambio (bill of exchange): template (Spanish)
- Acknowledgment of debt: template (Spanish)
- Lawyer fees in Guatemala
General guidance, not legal advice. Commerce Code provisions follow the Archivo General de Protocolos copy and Decreto 6-2020. Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code provisions follow the CENADOJ (Organismo Judicial) editions updated through January 31, 2024. A court decides whether fraud occurred.