ISSUE  AND  ACCOUNTING  CONTROLS All check stock must be accounted for. The DO is responsible  for  making  sure  that  all  checks  are accounted  for  and  that  no  checks  have  been  removed without  authority.  The  monitoring  of  blank  check  stock and controls in the issuing process starts with the Blank Check  Control  Log. Blank Check Control Log The Blank Check Control Log provides a perpetual inventory of checks on hand as well as a method for monitoring  the  release  of  the  checks  that  were  issued for use as working stock. At a minimum, this log should contain  the  following  information: Date Beginning  check  number Ending check number Balance of checks on hand Initials of the persons advancing or receiving checks Initials of the persons returning or receiving checks The DO (or deputy) is required to examine this log daily to make sure all the checks drawn and checks returned unused are accounted for and that no checks have  been  removed  without  authority. Other Records As  a  cross-check  to  make  sure  all  checks  are accounted for, the person (or persons) in charge of the working stock must keep a record of all the checks issued daily to each clerk. This person also makes a daily examination of the record of checks drawn and those  returned  unused.  In  conjunction  with  the  daily examination  of  the  Blank  Check  Control  Log,  the  DO (or deputy) will examine the record of checks drawn and those returned unused and the receipts for the checks  that  were  issued. Quarterly  Inventories At least once each quarter, the DO or designee must take an inventory of the bulk stock. This quarterly inventory may be assigned as a responsibility of the appointed verification board or team. Any  open  container  must  be  inventoried  by  an individual count of the checks. Any container that is damaged  or  shows  evidence  of  tampering  will  be opened  and  the  checks  inventoried  by  individual  count. At the completion of the bulk stock inventory, the daily totals of the checks held as working stock will be added to the bulk stock, producing a total of the checks on hand. The DO will use this total to determine whether to order additional stock. A record of the quarterly inventory and the total of checks on hand is kept in the disbursing  office. PROCUREMENT  OF  TREASURY CHECKS A DO must make certain sufficient quantities of checks are always on hand. This means ordering checks well in advance. REORDER LEVELS AND INTERVALS The normal order and shipping time for Treasury checks is 90 days. That is why DOs should maintain a 6-months’  safety  supply  level  of  checks  on  hand. Reorder levels should be set for when the check stock falls to the 9-months’ supply-on-hand level. CHECK ORDER FORM All U.S. Treasury checks must be ordered on the nine-part  Check  Order  Form,  GPO  2431.  No  other purchasing  documents  are  required.  All  check  orders must be typewritten and the carbons left in the form. (Copies  of  this  form  or  orders  that  do  not  contain  the carbons will not be accepted.) A separate order form is required for each check assembly, each check series within an assembly, control checks, and specimen checks. A sample of a completed GPO Form 2431 is shown in figure 4-1. RECEIPT OF U.S. TREASURY CHECK STOCK Upon receiving a check shipment, the DO must first verify  that  all  the  checks  have  been  received.  The vendor of the check stock provides a 120-day warranty period on the checks it produces. Because the warranty period begins on the day the checks are delivered, the office  that  receives  checks  is  responsible  for determining if there are any obvious defects or missing stock  before  the  warranty  period  expires.  Based  on  a representative sample, the DO must verify the accuracy of the printing, check symbols, serial numbers, and 4-4