Act soon. Verify who sent it, the exact deadline and whether it mentions court, shutoff or enforcement.
How Serious Is This?
🇺🇸 United States · US guidance
PHOTO → PLAIN ENGLISH → NEXT STEP
Show us what’s worrying you.
A scary letter. A parking ticket. A strange warning light. A leak. A suspicious message. Something broken. We’ll help you work out how urgent it could be and what to do next.
Designed for everyday practical problems: letters and notices, bills and tax, scams, vehicle warnings, home faults and appliances. It does not assess bodies, symptoms, bites, rashes, wounds or medicines.
What are you looking at?Start here, or just take a photo.
Take a photo of the practical problem.
Letter, dashboard light, crack, leak, notice, appliance or device fault.
Keep health concerns out of frame. This checker does not assess skin, bodies, bites, rashes, wounds, symptoms or medicines. Don’t include passwords, full account numbers, Social Security numbers or card details.
Recommended for letters: black out or blur your name, address, account number and anything the checker does not need. Edits happen on this device before upload.
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When you run a photo check, a resized copy of the image is sent securely to our AI provider for analysis. Avoid photographing passwords, full account numbers, SSNs, card details or other sensitive information.
Take or choose a photo first, or add a short description.
Upload a photo or screenshot.
Useful for letters, emails, texts, bills and notices.
Recommended for letters: black out or blur your name, address, account number and anything the checker does not need. Edits happen on this device before upload.
✓ Private details edited on this device
Choose an image first, or add a short description.
Describe what happened or paste the wording first.
What I can see
1–3 Usually low urgency
4–6 Deal with it
7–8 Act promptly
9–10 Immediate safety issue
6/10
Deal with this soon
This may become more serious if it is ignored.
US-first guidanceAI-assisted triage
Photo could be clearer
What this probably means
What to do now
What happens next?
Why we rated it this way
Trusted help
What would make this more serious?
What should I check next?
What can you check?
Everyday problems where the hard part isn’t knowing what it is — it’s knowing whether you can leave it, should deal with it today, or need urgent help.
💳 Bills & debtCollections, overdue bills, shutoff warnings, bank issues.
⚖️ Legal & officialSummonses, court papers, notices and government letters.
🅿️ Parking & drivingTickets, citations, DMV notices and vehicle paperwork.
🛡️ Scams & messagesSuspicious texts, emails, payment requests and threats.
🚗 Car problemsWarning lights, overheating, noises, smells and leaks.
🏠 Home problemsLeaks, cracks, damp, electrical issues and appliance faults.
🧾 Tax & governmentIRS letters, state tax notices and official demands.
🔌 Tech & appliancesFault codes, hot plugs, batteries, appliances and devices.
What kind of answer will I get?
Not everything worrying is an emergency. The useful bit is knowing what changes the urgency and what to check next.
Potentially serious. Continuing to drive can cause major damage. Stop safely and check the vehicle guidance.
Usually monitor rather than panic — unless it is growing, wide, diagonal, accompanied by movement or near a structural problem.
US-FIRSTWhen the result matters, verify it with the right authority.
The checker points people toward official sources such as USA.gov, FTC, CISA, NHTSA, CPSC and FEMA where relevant. Rules and deadlines can vary by state and situation.
Start with the thing that worried you.
These are some of the most common situations. For everything else, use the checker above or browse the full guide library.
Final notice letterDeadlines, enforcement and what happens next.
Court summonsResponse deadlines and default judgment risk.
Red dashboard lightWhen driving on could make things worse.
Suspicious textWhat changes the risk after a scam message.
Ceiling leakWater, sagging ceilings and electrical risk.
Tax noticeWhich deadlines and enforcement words matter.
Browse all 14 guides →
HOW IT THINKS
Three things drive the urgency.
1. Is anyone in danger?
Fire, gas, electrical hazards, severe vehicle warnings and other immediate physical risks rise to the top.
2. Is there a deadline?
Court, tax, debt, shutoff and official notices can become more serious when a response date is close.
3. What happens if you wait?
The checker looks for wording that suggests escalation, enforcement, worsening damage or loss of options.
A calm second look — not a scare machine.
We separate urgency from scary wording. The checker is designed to help you understand possible next steps, not to diagnose a medical condition, determine your legal rights, or replace a qualified professional. If there is immediate danger, fire, gas, serious electrical risk, violence, or a life-threatening situation, use emergency services rather than this checker.
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