California is preparing to start mailing paper checks to residents who are eligible for Golden State Stimulus payments.
The first batch of physical checks are estimated to begin going out on Oct. 6, according to a schedule on the California Franchise Board’s website.
The state has already deposited more than 2.5 million payments of up to $1,100 into the bank accounts of eligible Californians whose information was already on hand with the state tax agency as the preferred refund method.
For those not signed up for the direct deposit refund option, checks will be mailed out starting next week and will continue to be issued through the beginning of 2022.
California will be sending out the Golden State Stimulus checks to eligible residents in batches based on the last three digits of the recipient’s ZIP code.
The following timeline provided by the Franchise Tax Board shows when the payments are anticipated to be sent:
| Last 3 digits of ZIP code | Mailing timeframes |
|---|---|
| 000-044 | 10/06/2021 through 10/27/2021 |
| 045-220 | 10/18/2021 through 11/05/2021 |
| 221-375 | 11/1/2021 through 11/19/2021 |
| 376-584 | 11/15/2021 through 12/03/2021 |
| 585-719 | 11/29/2021 through 12/17/2021 |
| 720-927 | 12/13/2021 through 12/31/2021 |
| 928-999 | 12/27/2021 through 1/11/2022 |
It will take up to three weeks for payments to be received once mailed out, according to the agency.
California’s Wait Times dashboard has more details on tax returns and refund processing time frames.
Under the Golden State Stimulus program, California will send a $600 payment to qualifying residents, plus another $500 if they claimed at least one dependent on their tax return last year.
Residents eligible for the program are those who: submitted their 2020 tax return (or do so by the Oct. 15 deadline); earned between $1 and $75,000 last year (adjusted gross income plus wages) last year; have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN); and can’t be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.
(California has an online resource devoted to helping residents determine if they’re eligible for a state stimulus payment and how much they could receive.)
Golden State Stimulus checks are expected to provide a total of $12 billion in direct relief to Californians financially impacted by the ongoing pandemic, with an estimated two-thirds of residents benefiting from what’s been touted as the largest state tax rebate in U.S. history.
The direct payments are part of a $100-billion budget plan signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom over the summer, and the program is being funded in part by federal COVID-19 recovery funds.
More info on Golden State Stimulus payments can be found here.