Question: Are there any restrictions on cashing a high-value personal check (say just less than $100,000) from a bank where I don't hold an account.

My friend will give me a check for the amount from BofA, but my account is with Chase.

1. How long will it take for the amount to become available in my Chase account?
2. Will I be able to cash the check at a BofA branch and deposit the cash in my Chase account?

Answer: 
What happened in my case.

1. I deposited the amount in my Chase account, and it was available for me the next morning. I did tell the teller that it was kind of urgent and she told me that it will be available after clearing at midnight.
2. I was not able to cash the check at BofA, as they said the branches will not have that kind of cash with them and my only option was to clear the check.
While there is not a regulatory restriction, the bank can choose not to cash the check (its a private entity remember).

In general, I would not accept a personal check of that size for several reasons

1) Any amount of $10,000 MUST be reported to the government so they can investigate potential fraud claims.

2) Most banks will place a hold on the check until they've actually received the money from the originating bank, which usually takes 5-7 days.

Wire transfer will provide you (near) immediate access to the money.

Personal checks are not very secure, otherwise [Catch Me If You Can](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch_Me_If_You_Can) wouldn't be a movie. Hence you're likely to be much happier using a different transfer mode.