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Lost Savings Bonds and Disaster Relief: Replacing Records and Requesting Payment

A missing or damaged paper savings bond does not necessarily mean the value is lost, but Treasury needs enough information to establish the claim. Disasters can add urgency and may affect ordinary redemption restrictions for eligible owners. This guide explains the routes for lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds and the special procedures associated with a declared disaster. It helps readers distinguish a replacement claim from an immediate request to cash a bond.

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.

Affected by a disaster

If you live in an area that has had an official disaster declaration, we are sorry that you have been affected. You can find out which areas have been declared official disaster areas by visiting fema.gov.

We're here to help you.

Due to the disaster, you can cash your savings bonds –

Even if they are lost, illegible, or contaminated Even if they are less than a year old (Normally, bonds can’t be cashed in their first year.)

Electronic bonds

If your bonds are more than a year old:

  1. Log in to your TreasuryDirect account.
  2. Follow the steps to cash your savings bonds.

If you can’t log in to your TreasuryDirect account, submit a properly certified FS Form 5512 to cash your bonds. Write DISASTER on the envelope and at the top of the form’s first page.

If your bonds are less than a year old:

  1. Call us at 844-284-2676 and briefly explain the circumstances OR
  2. Submit a properly certified FS Form 5512 to cash your bonds. Write DISASTER on the envelope and at the top of the form’s first page.

Paper bonds – undamaged

Cashing EE or I paper bonds at a bank

Many banks cash EE and I bonds. Banks cannot cash HH savings bonds.

Having us cash your paper bonds after a disaster

We cash all series of savings bonds. Follow the general instructions for cashing your paper bonds, but write DISASTER on the envelope and on the top of the form's first page. We will give your request priority.

Cashing EE or I savings bonds

Cashing in HH savings bonds

Paper bonds – lost or damaged

If your paper bonds are now lost, illegible, or contaminated, you can ask us for cash or for substitute bonds.

You can use these instructions for all paper savings bonds, even ones that are less than a year old. If you want cash for these bonds, we will waive the requirement to hold the bonds for a year. Be sure to write DISASTER on the form and the envelope as you see in these instructions.

Here's what you must do:

  1. Download FS Form 1048.
  2. On FS Form 1048, write DISASTER on the top of the form's first page.
  3. Fill out part 1, Description of bonds.

    • Include as much information as possible:

    • Names of the person (or people) on the bond
    • Social Security Numbers
    • Serial numbers of the bonds
    • Date the bonds were issued
    • Dollar amounts of the bonds
  4. Fill out part 5, Relief requested. Let us know if you want substitute bonds or cash.
    • If the bond is within a month of its maturity (when it stops earning interest), we can only cash it.
    • Substitute EE or I bonds will be electronic, so you must have a TreasuryDirect account.
    • Substitute HH bonds will be on paper, so we must have a correct address to mail them.
    • For cash, we deposit the money directly into the bank account you specify.
  5. Fill out part 7, Signatures and certification. Follow the instructions on the form.
    • The signatures must be certified. Wait to sign until you are with the official who is certifying the signatures.
    • Be sure all the people who must sign do so and have their signatures certified.
  6. Put the filled-out form with certified signatures in an envelope. Do NOT send the bonds.
  7. Write DISASTER on the front of the envelope.
  8. Mail the form (but NOT the savings bonds) to:

    Treasury Retail Securities Services P.O. Box 9150 Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150

  9. Keep the illegible or contaminated bonds until you have the money or the substitute bonds. When you have the money or the substitute bonds, destroy the old illegible or contaminated bonds. They will no longer be valid.

Get help for lost, stolen, or destroyed EE or I savings bond

If your paper savings bond is lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or you never received it, you can ask for replacement.

You have 2 options - electronic bond or cash the bond

If you choose to replace your paper bond, your replacement EE or I savings bond will be an electronic savings bond in our online system, TreasuryDirect. If you don't yet have a TreasuryDirect account, you need to open one.

Learn about TreasuryDirect Open a TreasuryDirect account

If you do not want the electronic bond, you can ask us to cash the paper bond. Normally, you must hold a bond for a year before cashing it. However, if the problem with your bond occurred because of a disaster, we may waive that requirement. See Affected by a disaster.

FS Form 1048

For us to replace or cash your EE or I savings bond, you must fill out and submit FS Form 1048.

What to do if you later find the lost bond

Once we replace or cash your bond, the original bond no longer belong to you. It belongs to the U.S. government.

If you later find your lost bond, please return it to us. Send it to:

Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150

Get help for lost, stolen, or destroyed HH savings bond

If your paper savings bond is lost, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated, you can ask for a replacement.

Cash the bond(s)

Redemption is the only option for lost/stolen/destroyed HH savings bonds as they have ceased to earn interest and have matured.

FS Form 1048

For us to replace or cash your HH savings bond, you must fill out and submit FS Form 1048. To get the correct version, answer this question:

Do you know your bonds’ serial numbers?

Yes

Use

this FS Form 1048

.

No

  • If your bond was issued before 1974, use this FS Form 1048. Use this version even though you don’t know the serial numbers.
  • If your bond was issued in 1974 or after, go to Treasury Hunt which will provide information about how to search for unclaimed Treasury securities. Enter the information Treasury Hunt requests. If the system finds your bonds, it will give you a special version of FS Form 1048 that enables us to process your claim without serial numbers. Make sure the form shows a reference number at the top, then complete the form. Sign it in the presence of a notary or a certifying official. Mail the form to the address on the form.

What to do if you later find the lost bond

Once we replace or cash your bond, the original bond no longer belongs to you. It belongs to the U.S. government.

Putting this into practice

Gather issue dates, serial numbers, names, addresses, and any surviving copies before completing a claim. Follow the instructions for the specific bond series and explain the loss accurately. If the original bond later turns up, contact Treasury rather than attempting to redeem it again.

Sources and further reading

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