Heirs, survivors and executors claim a deceased relative's savings bonds from Treasury on free FS forms, and Treasury charges no fee. ClaimMyBonds' paid help adds only paperwork, tracing and follow-up.
Treasury lists 5 months or longer for paper bond transactions not in your name, such as an estate's paper bonds (TreasuryDirect contact page, as of November 11, 2026). Certified death certificates, a notary or postage can still cost money.
ClaimMyBonds is a private company, not the government, and it is not Treasury, TreasuryDirect, a state or Treasury Hunt.
Our help costs a flat fee for the paperwork plus a success fee, both invoiced only after you have been paid; the amounts are on request, and nothing is paid on this website. Our savings bond claim help page covers other situations.
The Free Route: How Heirs Claim a Deceased Relative's Bonds From Treasury
Every heir can claim a deceased relative's savings bonds without a helper: the names on each bond and the type of estate decide who signs which free form.
Every paper form named below goes by mail to Treasury Retail Securities Services, the Treasury office for paper bonds, which lists "no fees" (contact page, November 11, 2026).
A surviving co-owner (joined by "OR") or POD beneficiary (named "payable on death") becomes sole owner, outside the estate (31 CFR 353.70(b)(1), (c)(1)). A bond with no living named person belongs to the estate (353.70(a)). Our guide to savings bonds after death covers cashing and reissue.
The 6 steps of the free route are listed below.
- Collect the bonds, unsigned, and a certified death certificate for every deceased person named on them.
- Read each bond's registration: one name, two names joined by "OR", or a name followed by "P.O.D." and a beneficiary.
- Decide the estate route: a surviving named person, an open court estate, a closed estate or state small-estate procedure, or no procedure at $100,000 or less at the date of death.
- Download the free form for that route from TreasuryDirect: FS Form 1522, 4000, 5336, 1455 or 5394.
- Sign before a certifying officer, or a notary where the form accepts one, together with everyone the form names (FS Form 1522 at $1,000 or less: sign and enclose an ID copy).
- Mail everything to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150, keep copies, and expect 5 months or longer for paper bonds (as of November 11, 2026).
The $100,000 test counts the decedent's Treasury securities and undelivered payments on Treasury's records at the date of death (31 CFR 353.71(d)).
Savings bonds count at redemption value (what a bond pays when cashed), never face value; marketable securities count at principal amount. Entitlement follows the law of the decedent's home state (353.71(e)). Treasury returns no death certificates or other evidence, so keep copies.
The table lists 9 situations heirs meet, the free rule for each and what our paid help adds.
| Situation | Free rule (Treasury) | Who signs, and certification | What our paid help adds | Free guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A co-owner ("OR") survives | the survivor is sole owner (353.70(b)(1)); cash at a bank that agrees or by mail on FS Form 1522; keep EE or I as electronic bonds on FS Form 4000 | the survivor; FS 1522 over $1,000: notary or certifying officer; $1,000 or less: ID copy | checking each bond's registration, preparing FS 1522 or FS 4000 for signature | savings bond co-owner rules |
| A POD beneficiary survives | the beneficiary is sole owner (353.70(c)(1)); a bank may pay with a death certificate certified by the registrar, at its option (321.7(d)) | the beneficiary; as row 1 | ordering the certified death certificates, preparing the cashing or reissue request | POD savings bonds |
| No named person alive, no probate, $100,000 or less at the date of death | one voluntary representative files FS Form 5336 for all the decedent's securities in one transaction; heirs then cash (FS 1522) or keep (FS 4000) | spouse, blood relative or legally adopted child only; certifying officer, or a notary if paper bonds only | working out the order of precedence, listing every bond, preparing FS 5336 and the heirs' forms | FS Form 5336 |
| Open estate with a court-appointed representative | the representative cashes on FS 1522 signed with title, or distributes to heirs on FS Form 1455; letters of appointment dated within 1 year | the representative; FS 1455: certifying officer only, no notary | matching bonds to the estate inventory, preparing FS 1455 and each heir's form | savings bonds in probate |
| Court estate closed, or a state small-estate procedure used | FS Form 5394 with a certified final account or decree, or the certified state document; FS 5336 is then closed (353.71(e)(1)(i)) | all competent persons entitled; certifying officer only, no notary | collecting every heir's signature page and the certified court or state papers | FS Form 5394 |
| More than $100,000 at the date of death | a court must administer the estate (353.71(d)); then row 4 | the court-appointed representative | listing the bonds and their values for the estate's attorney | none |
| Electronic bonds in TreasuryDirect | contact Treasury, which places a hold on the account; beneficiary or secondary owner sends proof of death (363.20); an administered estate opens an estate account (363.44(a)) | the survivor or the estate's representative | assembling the proof of death and estate papers Treasury asks for; we never log in | a deceased owner's TreasuryDirect account |
| Series HH, or a bond within one full calendar month of final maturity | cash only: every HH bond reached final maturity by August 1, 2024; no reissue within one full calendar month of final maturity (353.45(b)); banks cannot cash H or HH | the person entitled; the route's form | separating cash-only bonds from bonds an heir may keep | none |
| The relative's bonds are missing or destroyed | the persons entitled claim on FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026); lost-bond searches take 11 months or longer (as of November 11, 2026) | the persons entitled; notary or certifying officer | rebuilding bond details from the relative's records | help with lost or destroyed savings bonds |
A deceased owner's savings bonds: the free rule for 9 situations and what ClaimMyBonds' paid help adds, as of November 2026. Sources: 31 CFR 321.7, 353.45, 353.70, 353.71, 363.20, 363.44 (eCFR); FS Forms 1522, 4000, 5336, 1455 (Rev. April 2026), 5394 (Rev. May 2026), 1048 (Rev. March 2026); TreasuryDirect death-of-owner and contact pages, checked November 11, 2026.
What Our Help Adds for Heirs and Executors: Paperwork, Tracing and Follow-Up
For a deceased relative's bonds, ClaimMyBonds' help adds 3 things to the free route: paperwork, tracing and follow-up. The person entitled signs every form, and Treasury pays that person. The 3 parts of the help for an heir's claim are listed below.
- Paperwork: preparing the estate form that fits (FS Form 5336, 1455 or 5394) and each heir's FS Form 1522 or 4000, with FS Form 1849 where an heir gives up a share, ready for signature.
- Tracing: working through the relative's papers, safe deposit records and old statements to list each bond, its series, issue date and the names printed on it; never a search of Treasury's records.
- Follow-up: keeping a record of what was mailed and when, collecting signatures from several heirs, and helping answer Treasury's letters until the claim is settled.
The help suits families whose problem is time and paper: many bonds, several heirs, mixed registrations or an estate in another state. A will contest, a dispute among heirs or a tax election belongs with the estate's attorney or a tax professional.
What No Helper Can Do in a Deceased Owner's Claim
5 limits apply to anyone who helps with a deceased owner's bonds, ClaimMyBonds included, because Treasury's rules give no third party special rights in an estate. ClaimMyBonds does not do these 5 things in an heir's claim.
- Representation: We do not act as voluntary representative, executor or attorney-in-fact (a person acting under a power of attorney), and we sign no Treasury form.
- Treasury records: We do not search them, and we hold no list of a deceased owner's bonds.
- Accounts: We do not log in to a deceased owner's TreasuryDirect account.
- The money: We do not receive any payment or reissued bond; Treasury pays the person entitled by direct deposit.
- Disputes and advice: We do not decide who inherits or give legal or tax advice; a will cannot override a surviving co-owner or beneficiary (31 CFR 353.20(a)).
A certifying officer, at a bank, trust company or credit union, confirms your identity and signature. FS Forms 1455 and 5394 need one and refuse a notary. FS Form 5336 accepts a notary only for paper savings bonds alone.
No officer may certify a request in which they have or will acquire an interest (31 CFR 353.57), and we certify nothing. Every form's rules are compared under savings bond signature certification.
How to Ask for Help With a Relative's Savings Bonds
Asking for help with a relative's savings bonds takes one short form and starts only a callback. Choose "A relative died and left savings bonds"; we phone or email you, explain the free route first and give fee amounts on request.
The form asks for situation, series and approximate years, state, contact details and consent. It never asks for a Social Security number, serial numbers, bond scans, death certificates, ID or payment details, so do not email them either.
In the callback, 3 questions decide the route. How is each bond registered? Is a court or state procedure settling the estate? May the decedent's Treasury securities exceed $100,000 at the date of death? Your documents go only to Treasury or the cashing bank, never to us.
Our Fees for an Heir's Claim: A Flat Fee Plus a Success Fee, Never Out of the Bonds
ClaimMyBonds charges a flat fee for the paperwork plus a success fee, invoices both only after you have been paid, and neither fee comes out of the bonds.
The invoice goes out no earlier than the eighth business day after Treasury, the bank or the state pays you; if you are never paid, you owe nothing.
Treasury pays only a person entitled, such as the owner, a survivor or the estate's representative (31 CFR 353.39(b)). Bonds cannot be transferred or pledged (31 CFR 353.15, 353.16), and we never ask anyone to sign one over.
No Treasury regulation sets, caps or approves a helper's fee, and Treasury licenses no paid service. Before you agree, you get both amounts, the total cost, the scope and the refund terms in writing.
Where a state holds the bonds, we work only where its rules on paid helpers allow, and its fee cap covers both fees together.
No helper speeds up Treasury: it lists 5 months or longer for an estate's paper bonds and 10 months or longer for TreasuryDirect requests, including trusts (November 11, 2026). We promise no result, amount or date, as our terms for the claim help service state.
Before Paying Anyone to Settle a Relative's Bonds: Finders, State-Held Bonds and Family Disputes
Nobody needs to pay a finder to settle a relative's savings bonds, because heirs claim on free forms and no company holds Treasury's list of bond owners. Under 89 FR 102735 (December 18, 2024), a state that receives bond records gets names and addresses only to locate owners.
It may not release them without Treasury's advance written approval (31 CFR 323.11(c)); no state is publicly known to have an agreement (November 11, 2026). State rules on savings bond recovery services and their fees differ.
A will or a state court order cannot take a co-owned or POD bond from the survivor (31 CFR 353.20(a); Free v. Bland, 369 U.S. 663, 1962). A disputed bond needs the estate's attorney, not a paperwork service.
Bonds left in an abandoned safe deposit box can reach a state's unclaimed property program. Missouri runs the only verified live state name search, for paper bonds it holds (November 11, 2026). Claiming from the official state program costs nothing (NAUPA).
Treasury may pay a state only for bonds at final maturity (when interest stops) that the state holds and has title to by court judgment (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88). Claims run through state unclaimed property offices.
Estate Savings Bond Help Questions
Can ClaimMyBonds act as the voluntary representative on FS Form 5336?
No: only a surviving spouse, a blood relative or a legally adopted child may submit FS Form 5336, even as attorney-in-fact, so no paid helper can be the voluntary representative. The surviving spouse comes first, then a child, and only one representative, aged 18 or older, acts (31 CFR 353.71(e); FS Form 5336, Rev. April 2026). That person is liable to the United States, creditors and persons entitled, up to the value received. The form is explained under FS Form 5336 voluntary representative rules.
How long does Treasury take to settle a deceased owner's bonds?
Treasury lists 5 months or longer for paper bond transactions not in your name, such as an estate's paper bonds, as of November 11, 2026. Other TreasuryDirect requests, including trusts and a deceased owner's electronic bonds, take 10 months or longer. Lost-bond searches take 11 months or longer.
Can ClaimMyBonds find out which savings bonds my relative owned?
No: ClaimMyBonds cannot search Treasury's records, and no Treasury online search for a deceased person's bonds has existed since Treasury Hunt closed on September 30, 2025. TreasuryDirect states: "As of September 30, 2025, the Treasury Hunt® tool is no longer available." Lost or destroyed bonds are claimed on FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026). Learn how to find savings bonds of a deceased parent or relative.
Who pays tax on the interest of inherited savings bonds?
Interest the owner never reported is taxed to whoever acquires the bond (income in respect of a decedent), unless the personal representative or surviving spouse elects the owner's final return (IRS Publication 550, 2025). A voluntary representative's payment is reported under that person's taxpayer number (FS Publication 0065, Rev. January 2025). The election belongs with a tax professional (IRS Publication 550). Reporting timing is covered under taxes on inherited savings bonds.
Can an executor cash a deceased owner's savings bonds at a bank?
A bank may pay a deceased owner's bonds to the estate's legal representative, but only at its option (31 CFR 321.7(f); FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022). Banks send small-estate affidavits and executors of unprobated wills to the mail route, and no bank can cash Series H or HH (31 CFR 321.9(b)). Executors' duties are set out under savings bonds in probate.
Can inherited savings bonds be claimed online?
No for paper bonds: a relative's paper bonds are cashed at a bank that agrees or by mail, never online. For electronic bonds in TreasuryDirect, contact Treasury, which places a hold on the account; an administered estate opens an estate account (31 CFR 363.44(a)). Login has run only through ID.me since October 28, 2026, and we never log in. Survivors' steps are set out under a deceased owner's TreasuryDirect account.
Other Help and Free Guides
ClaimMyBonds' help covers 4 situations in all, and 4 free guides cover the rules around an heir's claim. They are listed below.
- Savings bond claim help for every situation
- Help cashing old paper savings bonds you found
- Help after a state contacts you about savings bonds
- Cashing savings bonds for someone else
- Reissuing inherited savings bonds
- Savings bond forms
- Savings bond calculator
Ready to ask? Request help with your savings bonds; the free route for your family's situation comes first in every callback.
Rules and dates checked November 11, 2026, against the Treasury sources named above. Read how we check every value, date and rule.