FS Form 5394: Agreement and Request for Disposition of a Decedent's Treasury Securities (Closed Estates and State Small-Estate Procedures)

FS Form 5394 (Revised May 2026) is the 9-page Treasury form heirs sign to cash, reissue or transfer a dead owner's savings bonds after a closed estate or a state small-estate procedure. A certifying officer, never a notary, witnesses every signature.

ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not the government. The form is free from TreasuryDirect, and Treasury charges no fee. This page covers who signs, what evidence goes with the form, what each series allows and where to mail it.

What Is FS Form 5394 Used For?

FS Form 5394 is the request that every person entitled to a dead owner's savings bonds signs to have them paid, reissued or transferred once the estate is settled. The decedent is the person who died, and "persons entitled" are the heirs the estate paperwork names.

The official title is "Agreement and Request for Disposition of a Decedent's Treasury Securities." Treasury's number for it is OMB control number 1530-0046, and the legal basis is 31 CFR 353.71(b) and (c), with parallel rules in 31 CFR 315.71 for Series A to E, F, G, H, J, K and savings notes and 31 CFR 360.71 for Series I. Our guide to savings bond forms lists every other form by situation.

The table below collects the key facts.

Source: FS Form 5394 (Revised May 2026); TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026.

The Two Estates FS Form 5394 Covers: Closed Court Estates and State Small-Estate Procedures

FS Form 5394 covers exactly 2 kinds of estates: one "formally administered through the court and has been closed", and one settled under state law without a court-appointed administrator.

The state laws the form names are Summary Administration, Small Estates Acts, the Texas Muniment of Title and the Louisiana Judgment of Possession. The closed-estate case also covers bonds found after the estate closed, which our guide to savings bonds in probate explains from the executor's side.

"Small estate savings bonds" means this route. TreasuryDirect sends small estate affidavit cases to FS Form 5394 with a certified signature for each person required. Which procedure your state offers is a matter of state law, so ask the estate's attorney.

FS Form 5394 or FS Form 5336? Why a Small Estate Affidavit Decides the Form

Use FS Form 5394, not FS Form 5336, once a state small-estate procedure has been used or a court estate has closed. 31 CFR 353.71(e)(1)(i) allows the voluntary-representative route only when there has been no administration, none is contemplated, and no local summary or small-estate procedure has been used. FS Form 5336 itself tells you not to complete it in these cases.

The choice rests on who is named on the bond and how the estate is being settled. The table sorts the situations.

Source: 31 CFR 353.70, 353.71 (eCFR as of November 9, 2026); TreasuryDirect death-of-owner pages, as of November 11, 2026.

Who Signs FS Form 5394: All Competent Persons Entitled

All competent persons entitled listed on the form sign FS Form 5394, a legal guardian signs for anyone under legal disability, and a parent signs for a minor.

Entitlement follows the closed estate's decree or the state document described below. A surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary needs no estate form, because the bond is not part of the estate (31 CFR 353.70(b)(1), (c)(1)).

Each signer signs before a certifying officer. An heir who wants to give up a share uses FS Form 1849, covered at the end of this page.

Evidence to Send With FS Form 5394

FS Form 5394 travels with the estate document that proves who is entitled, and the form names 2 kinds. The two kinds are listed below.

• Closed estate: a certified copy, under court seal, of the final account or the decree of distribution.
• State statute: a certified copy (if filed with the court) of the document that makes the distribution or establishes authority, such as the small estate affidavit, the Texas Muniment of Title or the Louisiana Judgment of Possession.

Treasury does not return death certificates or legal evidence, so keep copies of everything you send.

Does FS Form 5394 Need a Notary? Certifying Officer Only

No. FS Form 5394 must be signed before an authorized certifying individual, and the form states: "Certification by a notary isn't acceptable." A certifying officer is a person Treasury's rules authorize to confirm your identity and signature.

Under 31 CFR 353.55, certifying officers include officers of US-incorporated banks and trust companies, of Federal Home Loan Bank System members and of Federal Reserve Banks, plus employees these institutions expressly authorize. Armed Forces officers certify for service members.

Abroad, the list names US diplomatic or consular officers and officers of foreign branches of US banks (a notary only if none of these is available). An officer with an interest in the bonds cannot certify (31 CFR 353.57).

Notary rules differ by form, and savings bond signature certification follows each form's own text: FS 1522 (over $1,000), FS 4000 and FS 1851 accept a notary, FS 5336 accepts one only for paper-bonds-only claims, and FS 1455 and FS 5394 do not. ClaimMyBonds does not certify signatures.

What Heirs Can Request on FS Form 5394: Payment, Reissue or Transfer

FS Form 5394 offers 3 outcomes (payment, reissue and transfer), and the bond's series decides which are open. Reissue means Treasury registers the bond in the heir's name, and transfer moves it to another owner's account. The table shows each series.

Source: FS Form 5394 (Revised May 2026); 31 CFR 353.45(b), 353.48(a).

Bonds are never split: each bond goes whole to one person. Payment is by direct deposit. Reissued EE and I bonds become electronic bonds in the new owner's TreasuryDirect account, because Treasury has issued no paper reissues since February 14, 2014 (31 CFR 353.48(a), 360.48(a)). TreasuryDirect login runs through ID.me only since October 28, 2026.

Matured Bonds and Bonds Near Final Maturity Are Paid, Not Reissued

A bond that has reached final maturity, or is within one full calendar month of it, can only be paid on FS Form 5394, never reissued (31 CFR 353.45(b)).

Final maturity is the date a bond stops earning interest, and Treasury publication 0063 says bonds at final maturity may not be reissued, so the only option is to cash them.

Every Series E bond stopped earning by June 2010, and every Series HH bond reached final maturity by August 1, 2024. Every paper Series EE bond issued January 1980 through November 1996 has stopped earning as of November 2026 (Fiscal Data Value Files).

A December 1996 EE bond reaches final maturity on December 1, 2026, so Treasury cannot reissue it if the request arrives less than one full calendar month before that date. Our page on when savings bonds stop earning interest lists final maturity by series.

The table gives four examples for redemption month November 2026.

Source: Fiscal Data, Savings Bonds Value Files, redemption month November 2026. Example (c) rises to $128.64 in December 2026.

Values can change on the 1st of each month. Examples (a) and (b) have stopped earning interest, while (c) and (d) still earn it. For a date-of-death value, the estate test on the probate page applies.

How to Complete and Mail FS Form 5394

Claiming on FS Form 5394 takes 6 steps, and none of them costs a Treasury fee. The steps are listed below.

1. Download sav5394.pdf from TreasuryDirect and check that it reads "Revised May 2026".
2. Order the certified estate document described above.
3. List each bond and choose payment, reissue or transfer for it.
4. Have every person entitled sign before a certifying officer.
5. Mail the form, the bonds and the evidence to the address below.
6. Keep copies, because Treasury does not return the evidence.

Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Phone: 844-284-2676 (toll free), Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm ET
Source: FS Form 5394 (Revised May 2026); TreasuryDirect Contact Us, as of November 11, 2026

After You Mail FS Form 5394: Processing Time, Payment and Tax

TreasuryDirect lists requests for bonds not in your name, which include estate claims, at "5 months or longer" (Contact Us page, as of November 11, 2026). It publishes no separate time for FS Form 5394. You can call 844-284-2676, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm ET, or +1 (304) 480-6464 from abroad.

Payment arrives by direct deposit. Interest is taxable federally at redemption or final maturity, whichever comes first, unless the owner reported it yearly (IRC 454), and it is exempt from state and local income tax (31 U.S.C. 3124).

For a bond that reached final maturity in an earlier year, that earlier year is the year the rule names.

Interest earned before the death is income in respect of a decedent unless the final-return election was made (IRS Publication 550 (2025)). Our guide to taxes on inherited savings bonds shows who reports the interest, and a tax professional can apply it to your return.

The forms are free, and Treasury Retail Securities Services says it charges no fees.

FS Form 5394 and the Other Estate Forms

FS Form 5394 sits beside the routes for open court estates, estates without any procedure and creditor claims. Our overview of savings bonds after death covers every route after a death.

Estates Still Open in Court: FS Form 1455 or FS Form 1522

An estate still open in court uses FS Form 1455 (Rev. April 2026) to distribute bonds or FS Form 1522 (Rev.

April 2026) to cash them into the estate, signed with the representative's title and backed by letters of appointment dated within one year (31 CFR 353.71(a)(2)). Heirs who receive bonds through any estate form cash them with FS Form 1522 by mail.

Electronic Bonds in a Deceased Owner's TreasuryDirect Account

Electronic bonds of a deceased TreasuryDirect owner start with a call to Treasury, which places a hold on the account. Under a settled estate or a state procedure, the person entitled requests payment or transfer, and Treasury pays when an heir cannot or will not open an account.

FS Form 5394 covers electronic EE and I bonds too. The rules for a deceased owner's TreasuryDirect account differ from paper bonds. Moving electronic bonds between accounts has its own request, FS Form 5511.

Heirs Who Decline Their Share: FS Form 1849

An heir who does not want a share signs FS Form 1849 (Rev. April 2026), Disclaimer and Consent with Respect to United States Treasury Securities, before a certifying officer. A minor or a person under legal disability cannot use it.

FS Form 5394 FAQ

Can You Fill Out and Submit FS Form 5394 Online?

No. FS Form 5394 is a PDF you print, sign before a certifying officer and mail with the bonds. Fill-in sites cannot submit it, and paper bonds cannot be cashed online unless they are first converted to electronic bonds.

Where Do You Get the FS Form 5394 PDF?

Download sav5394.pdf from TreasuryDirect's forms page. The current copy reads "Revised May 2026"; check that line on any copy you use.

Can a Bank Cash Savings Bonds Under a Small Estate Affidavit?

A bank may decline. FS Publication 0022 (Rev. October 2022) refers small estate affidavit cases to Treasury by mail, and banks are encouraged but not required to pay estates (31 CFR 321.10(a)). Policies differ by bank; see what banks cash savings bonds for dated policies.

Is There a Dollar Limit for FS Form 5394?

The $100,000 line in 31 CFR 353.71(d) decides when a court must administer the estate: administration is required when the decedent's Treasury securities total more than $100,000 in redemption value at the date of death, and Treasury may require it in any case. Whether a state procedure fits a larger estate is a question for the estate's attorney. The "$100,000 or less" route is FS Form 5336 voluntary representative.

Does Every Heir Have to Sign FS Form 5394?

Yes. Every competent person entitled signs, with a guardian or parent signing for anyone who cannot, and each signature is certified.

What If You Do Not Know Whether the Decedent Owned Savings Bonds?

Search the decedent's papers and bank statements first. Treasury Hunt, a discontinued Treasury search tool, has not been available since September 30, 2025, and no online name search replaced it. Our guide shows how to find savings bonds of a deceased parent.

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Rules checked November 11, 2026, against the Treasury sources named above; see our methodology.