Below are the civil and criminal penalties for writing a bad check in Tennessee.
Civil Penalties: Triple amount of check, but not to exceed $500.
Criminal Penalties: Not over $100 - not over 11 months 29 days in jail, not over $500 fine, or both. Over $100 - from three to 10 years in jail.
For more information on bad check laws and for criminal and civil penalties in other states for writing bad checks, please read Bad Check Laws
Check with your state statutes for the most current information on state bad check laws.
You may want to also read Getting A Checking Account While On The Chex System
Learn how to Prevent Overdraft And Bounced Check Fees