Cashing Savings Bonds for a Child or an Adult Who Needs Assistance
Helping someone use a savings bond requires more than knowing where the paper is stored. Treasury distinguishes a parent acting for a young child from an agent, guardian, or conservator acting for an adult. The authority and documentation required depend on the owner and the arrangement. This guide explains those routes and the instructions for signing or requesting payment, so that assistance does not become an avoidable ownership or paperwork problem.
Adapted from public-domain educational material published by U.S. Treasury. Fynoptic has organized and edited the material and added introductory and practical guidance. Sources were reviewed on October 28, 2026; original publication dates, where available, are listed below.
Living estates (powers of attorney, guardians, & conservators)
A living estate may involve one of the following:
- Power of Attorney (POA) – A person appoints an individual(s) or an organization as attorney-in-fact by signing a power of attorney document.
- Guardianship or Conservatorship - A court appoints an individual(s) or an organization to act as guardian or conservator for a living person by issuing letters of appointment, a court document.
This page tells you how to cash, reissue, file a claim, and search for savings bonds involving both living estate types.
Important notes for all these tasks
- When you send us a bond, leave it unsigned.
- We can't return what you send us. So, send only copies of documents like your letters of appointment. Be sure that everything is legible on the copy, including the seal or stamp of the court.
- Be sure that all documents and forms you send us are complete, signed, and certified according to the instructions on the form. Incomplete or inaccurate submissions delay processing.
- Each form is available online.
- Each form has instructions on how to fill it out and where to send it.
Power of Attorney (POA)
A person (called the grantor) can sign a document (called a power of attorney) giving an individual(s) or organization (called the attorney-in-fact) the right to act for the person.
A power of attorney document must be durable or signed in the past two years.
If you are an attorney-in-fact, you cannot reissue bonds for the grantor.
If the grantor is named on the bonds as an owner, you can cash the bonds for them. Send us:
- FS Form 1522
- The unsigned bond(s)
- The power of attorney document
If the grantor has lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds, you can file a claim to cash the bonds for them. Send us:
- FS Form 1048
- A list of the bond serial numbers
- The power of attorney document
Guardianship or Conservatorship
A court, following state law, can appoint an individual or an organization to act as guardian or conservator for a living person (called the ward). This is usually because the person is not competent to take care of their own financial affairs. Savings bonds may be registered to a living estate when the guardian or conservator is an individual.
If you are the guardian or conservator, you can cash bonds for the ward. Send us:
- FS Form 1522
- The unsigned bonds
- A certified copy of the letters of appointment
If you want to reissue bonds, we handle this on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for more help at 1-844-284-2676.
If the ward has lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds, you can file a claim for them. Send us:
- FS Form 1048
- A list of the bond serial numbers
- A certified copy of your letters of appointment
On FS Form 1048, you have the option of getting cash for the bond or getting a replacement bond. Replacement EE or I bonds are electronic.
Check for other savings bonds in a living estate
If you think the living estate might include bonds that you can't find, check our Treasury Hunt page to find out how to search for them.
Cashing paper bonds for a young child
Who may cash a bond for a child?
You may cash a savings bond for a child (a minor under the age of 18) if all of these statements are true:
- The child is too young to understand a request for payment.
- You are the child's parent.
- The child lives (resides) with you OR you have been granted legal custody of the child.
What do I have to write on the back of the bond?
As the parent, you must write the statement below on the back of the bond.
As you do that:
- Put the child's name in the appropriate places.
- Write the phrase about either residing with you or having legal custody, whichever is true of your situation.
- Use the appropriate pronoun for the child.
- Write in the child's age.
- Provide the child’s Social Security Number.
This is the statement you must write:
I certify that I am the parent of [child's name]. [Child's name] resides with me OR I have been granted legal custody of [child's name]. [She / he] is ___ years old and is not of sufficient understanding to make this request. [Child’s name] has the Social Security Number ___-__-____.How must I sign the bond?
Sign the request with your name "on behalf of [child's name], a minor."
Where can I cash the bond?
Can you find a bank or other financial institution that will cash the bond? Do this Yes Ask the bank to cash the bond for you. No Ask us to cash the bond for you. If you need us to cash the bond for you
- Fill out FS Form 1522, providing the information above in “What do I have to write on the back of the bond?”
- Read the instructions on the form about certifying signatures. If it says you need to have your signature certified, wait to sign the form until you are with the certifying official.
- Send the filled out and signed form with the bond(s) to:
Treasury Retail Securities Services P.O. Box 9150 Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Putting this into practice
Establish who owns the bond and the legal basis for acting on that person's behalf. Read the applicable signature and documentation requirements before signing. Keep the proceeds and records consistent with your duty to the owner rather than treating the money as your own.
Sources and further reading
- Living estates (powers of attorney, guardians, & conservators) — U.S. Treasury
- Cashing paper bonds for a young child — U.S. Treasury