STOP PAYMENT OF ERRONEOUSLY ISSUED WARRANTS - 8426

Government Code section 17051.5 assigns the responsibility to stop payment on state warrants to the agency/department that initiated the warrant.

To initiate a stop payment on warrants erroneously issued to the wrong payee or in the wrong amount and warrants which the authorizing agency/department deems necessary to withhold payment, the agency/department must submit a written request to stop payment to the SCO, Division of Administration and Disbursements, P.O. Box 942850, Sacramento, CA 94250-5871. The request must include the following:

1. Agency/department name
2. Contact person and phone number
3. Agency/department address
4. Warrant number
5. Issue date
6. Dollar amount
7. Payee name
8. Fund number (four digit)
9. Reason for stop payment

The State Controller’s Office (SCO) will accept a fax memorandum; however, the original must be sent to the SCO immediately. The supervisor of the SCO Post Issuance Unit will accept a verbal stop payment request in urgent situations. 

Upon receipt of the request, the SCO will verify the status of the original warrant:

1. If the warrant has been cashed, the SCO will send a photocopy (front and back of the warrant) with the request to the authorizing agency/department.
2. If the warrant is still outstanding, SCO will place a stop payment on the original warrant. The authorizing agency/department will receive a journal entry to show the redeposit of funds.