Direct Deposit Authorization Form: Free PDF and How to Fill It In

A direct deposit authorization form is the one page that tells an employer or other payer where to send your money: your bank, its routing number, your account number and how much goes to each account. One wrong digit sends a paycheck to the wrong place, so the form is short but worth filling in carefully.

This page explains how to fill in each field, where to find your routing and account numbers, whether an employer can make direct deposit mandatory, and what federal and New York rules say. You can download a free form in PDF or Word, or fill one in online.

How to fill in a direct deposit authorization form

Field	What to write
Your details	Full legal name as on payroll, employee or vendor ID, address, phone and email. Our form asks only for the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Type of request	New setup, change (replaces earlier instructions) or cancellation.
Bank name	The bank or credit union that holds the account.
Routing number	9 digits that identify the bank for electronic transfers.
Account number	Your own account number. Copy it digit by digit.
Account type	Checking or savings. A wrong type can cause the deposit to be rejected.
Amount	Entire net pay, a fixed dollar amount, a percentage, or “remainder” for the last account.
Authorization and signature	Your permission for the payer to deposit electronically, with your signature and date.

Where to find your routing and account numbers

The routing number is the 9-digit bank code; the account number identifies your account at that bank. You can find both:

• On a check. Along the bottom, the routing number usually comes first, followed by the account number and the check number.
• In online or mobile banking, under account details. Many banks also offer a ready-made direct deposit letter or pre-filled form.
• From the bank directly, by phone or at a branch.

Splitting pay between accounts

Most payroll systems can split each paycheck: for example, a fixed amount to savings and the rest to checking. On the form, give each account its own amount or percentage and mark one account to receive the “remainder”, so rounding never leaves money unassigned. How many accounts you can use is up to your employer’s payroll system.

Can an employer require direct deposit?

It depends on where you work. Two layers apply:

Rule	What it says
Federal: Regulation E	“No financial institution or other person may require a consumer to establish an account” at a particular institution as a condition of employment or of receiving a government benefit (12 CFR 1005.10(e)(2)). The official interpretation allows an employer to require direct deposit if employees can choose the receiving institution, or to offer its chosen bank as one option among others such as check or cash.
New York	“To pay wages by direct deposit, an employer must receive an employee’s written consent.” Employers are prohibited from “Requiring payment by direct deposit as a condition of hire or for continued employment” (New York State Department of Labor). These requirements “do not apply to persons employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity whose earnings are in excess of $1,300 a week or to persons working on a farm not connected with a factory.”
Other states	Wage payment laws differ. Check your state labor department before making direct deposit mandatory.

New York: what employers must do

• Before consent, give the employee “a written notice describing their wage payment options”, including that employees “are not required to accept wages by direct deposit or payroll debit card” and “may not be charged any fees to access their wages in full”, and “written notice of all terms and conditions related to the direct deposit payment method”.
• “Provide the employee with a copy of the written consent.”
• Do not obtain consent “through intimidation, coercion, or fear of adverse action for refusal to accept payment by direct deposit.”
• The employee “may withdraw their consent for payment by direct deposit at any time”, and the employer “must finalize a change of payment method within two pay periods.”
• Keep the consent “for as long as the employee works for the employer” and “for six years following the last wage payment through direct deposit.”

Federal benefits: a different route

For Social Security and other federal benefits you do not give a form to an employer. The U.S. Treasury says “31 U.S.C. 3332 generally requires all federal payments, other than payments under the Internal Revenue Code, be delivered by” direct deposit, also called electronic funds transfer, unless a waiver applies, and that recipients paid by check “may enroll in direct deposit using the Godirect.gov website” or by calling the Treasury’s Electronic Payment Solution Center (Bureau of the Fiscal Service).

How direct deposit works

Payroll deposits travel through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, the U.S. system for electronic payments between banks. Your employer sends the payment file to its bank, which routes each deposit to the bank identified by your routing number. Some employers verify a new account before the first deposit, so your first paycheck after signing up may still come by check.

Common mistakes

• Swapping the routing and account numbers. The routing number is always 9 digits.
• Using a wire or internal routing number instead of the one for electronic deposits.
• Ticking “savings” for a checking account, or the reverse.
• Leaving no “remainder” account when you split pay.
• Closing the old account before the new deposit arrives. Keep it open until you see a payment in the new one.
• Emailing the form unprotected. It contains your account number: hand it in or use your employer’s secure portal.

Download the free direct deposit authorization form

The form has your details, the type of request, up to three accounts with amount or percentage, a checklist for the voided check or bank letter, and the authorization with signature. Fill it in by hand or in Word, or use the online generator below.

Direct Deposit Authorization generator — fill it in online

Direct deposit authorization: common questions

What is a direct deposit authorization form?

It is the signed instruction you give an employer or other payer to send your payments electronically to your bank account, with the bank details they need to do it.

Do I need a voided check?

Many employers ask for one, or for a direct deposit letter from your bank, to confirm the routing and account numbers. If you have no checks, most banks can produce the letter online.

Can my employer make me use direct deposit?

Under federal Regulation E, not at a bank of the employer’s choosing. Whether direct deposit itself can be mandatory depends on state law: New York, for example, prohibits requiring it as a condition of hire or continued employment for most employees.

How long does direct deposit take to start?

It depends on your employer’s payroll cycle and whether it verifies the account first. It often takes one or two pay cycles.

How do I change or cancel direct deposit?

Submit a new form marked “change” or “cancellation”. In New York, an employee may withdraw consent at any time and the employer must switch the payment method within two pay periods.

Related

• Employee handbook template
• Employment contract template
• Independent contractor agreement
• IRS Form 2848