We had a customer deposit a $9,000.00 check. The teller placed an exception hold on for $9,000.00 with the reason being new account. Can this be done or do we have to do a case-by-case hold for $4,900.00 and then an exception hold on the remaining balance for $4,000.00?

The initial disclosure you provide to the customer should answer this question. It either provides for the exception hold on new accounts or it does not.

Note that regardless of your disclosures, if the initial deposit to the account is a cashier's check, you MUST make $5,000.00 available next day.