A savings bond recovery service is a private, paid helper, no federal rule caps its fee, 5 states verified here cap finder fees at 10 to 30 percent, and Treasury pays the bond only to you.
Claiming from Treasury and from state programs costs nothing, and the forms are free. Postage or a notary may cost something, but no fee is owed to Treasury.
ClaimMyBonds is a private company, not the government, and it is itself a paid helper, as the last sections of this page explain. This page covers fees, state caps and the payment rule. Warnings about savings bond scams in general live on our hub about fake finders and impersonators.
What a Savings Bond Recovery Service Does, and What Costs Nothing Without One
A savings bond recovery service, also called a finder or, in Florida, a claimant representative, is a private business that charges an owner or heir for locating bonds or preparing the claim.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), the group of state unclaimed property officials, says finder services are in most cases legal, and it notes that many states require finders to register (NAUPA, read November 11, 2026).
Treasury Retail Securities Services (TRS), the Treasury office that pays paper bonds by mail, states on its contact page: "we charge no fees, nor do we offer gifts for working with our office" (TreasuryDirect Contact Us, read November 11, 2026).
Treasury's forms are free. Banks may not charge for redeeming a bond (31 CFR 321.23(c)). NAUPA also says that searching and claiming through an official state program costs nothing.
Treasury Hunt, Treasury's discontinued search tool, has been unavailable since September 30, 2025, and no online replacement exists. An owner or heir claims a lost, stolen or destroyed bond with FS Form 1048, and TreasuryDirect quotes eleven months or longer for lost-bond searches (as of November 11, 2026).
That wait is slow but free, and no paid helper speeds Treasury up. Owners who want to find lost savings bonds have free routes, and our guide to how to find lost savings bonds lists them without paying anyone.
Savings Bond Recovery Service Fees: No Federal Cap, but Rules on How You Are Charged
No federal rule caps what a savings bond recovery service charges: 31 CFR Parts 315, 353 and 360 set no fee for private helpers, and Treasury approves or licenses no paid service. The fee is a private agreement between you and the helper. The Treasury fee rules found here bind paying-agent banks.
A paying agent may not charge for redeeming (31 CFR 321.23(c)). It may not advance, lend on or discount a bond "nor in any manner assist others to do so" (31 CFR 321.10(b)). The table below shows who may charge what on each route.
| Party | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Treasury Retail Securities Services | "We charge no fees, nor do we offer gifts"; FS forms are free | TreasuryDirect Contact Us |
| Paying agent bank | No charge for redeeming; no advancing, lending or discounting | 31 CFR 321.23(c), 321.10(b) |
| State unclaimed property program | Searching and claiming through the official program costs nothing | NAUPA |
| Private recovery service | No federal cap; a private agreement; Treasury approves none; state caps apply where the state holds the property | 31 CFR 353; state statutes |
| Any telephone sale of a service | Total cost and material restrictions before payment; any no-refund policy, or any description of a refund policy, must be stated | 16 CFR 310.3(a)(1) |
Source: TreasuryDirect Contact Us; 31 CFR Part 321 (eCFR as of November 6, 2026); NAUPA; 16 CFR Part 310, all read November 2026.
No Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule prescribes finder-fee wording. Leaving out a material fee, or leaving out that a free route exists, is judged under section 5 of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. 45). State caps apply only where the table in the next section shows them.
What a Finder Agreement Must Show Before You Sign
State laws verified here require a finder agreement to show the property and services, the fee and what is left after it, a free-claim notice in New York, and terms that never hand the property to the finder.
Texas requires a signed agreement that names the property and the services and states the value before and after the fee (Tex. Prop. Code 74.507(c)).
New York requires the agreement to be witnessed and acknowledged before a notary (N.Y. Aband. Prop. Law 1416(3)(a)) and to carry a notice in at least 12-point bold type that you can get the funds from the Comptroller without a fee (1416(3)(d)).
Florida allows fees only after a filed claim is approved (Fla. Stat. 717.135(5)) and bars an agreement that is irrevocable or assigns the property (717.135(7)).
For sales by telephone, the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule requires the seller to disclose the total cost and all material restrictions before you pay.
It also requires a statement of any no-refund policy, or of any refund policy the seller describes (16 CFR 310.3(a)(1)). The same rule bars misrepresenting an affiliation with a government agency (310.3(a)(2)(vii)). A telephone seller that implies a link to Treasury breaks that rule.
Section 310.4(a)(3) of the rule adds a timing limit. A fee for services said to recover money paid for by, or promised to, a person in a previous transaction may not be requested or received until 7 business days after the money is delivered.
Licensed attorneys are excepted (16 CFR 310.4(a)(3)). This page summarizes that text only. Whether it reaches savings bond help is unsettled.
State Caps on Savings Bond Finder Fees: 5 Verified States
5 states verified here cap finder fees: Florida at 30 percent of the claimed amount, New York and Pennsylvania at 15 percent, and Texas and Illinois at 10 percent (Texas plus reasonable attorney's fees).
Each cap was checked against the statute or the state agency page on November 11, 2026. The table lists the cap, the most a finder may charge on a $1,000 claim, and the source.
| State | Fee cap | Most on a $1,000 claim | Statute or source, and state guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 30% of the claimed amount | $300 | Fla. Stat. 717.135(2)(j), 717.1400; Florida unclaimed savings bonds |
| New York | 15% | $150 | N.Y. Aband. Prop. Law 1416(4); New York unclaimed savings bonds |
| Pennsylvania | 15% | $150 | 72 P.S. 1301.11(g), 1301.11a; Pennsylvania unclaimed savings bonds |
| Texas | 10% plus reasonable attorney's fees | $100 plus reasonable attorney's fees | Tex. Prop. Code 74.501, 74.507; Texas unclaimed savings bonds |
| Illinois | 10% of the amount collected | $100 | Illinois Treasurer finder FAQ |
Source: state statutes and the Illinois Treasurer FAQ, read November 11, 2026. Caps apply where the state holds the property; no federal cap applies to claims Treasury pays. Other states are not verified.
Florida note: only a registered claimant representative may act, meaning a Florida-licensed Class C private investigator, a Florida CPA or a Florida attorney (717.1400(1)(a)). The firm name may not suggest government affiliation (717.1400(5)), and the representative needs at least 10 paid claims a year to stay registered (717.1400(7)). The statute was last amended by chapter 2026-174.
New York note: no registration rule is verified here. The agreement must be written, witnessed and notary-acknowledged, with the 12-point bold free-claim notice (1416(3)(a), (3)(d)).
Pennsylvania note: finders need a registration certificate from the State Treasurer, attorneys excepted (1301.11a(a)). You may assert at any time that an agreement is excessive or unjust (1301.11(j)).
Texas note: a percentage finder may not file or receive the claim form (74.507(b)), and the agreement must show the property, the services and the value before and after the fee (74.507(c)).
Illinois note: a finder needs a license from the State Treasurer, must be 21 or older, must hold a fidelity bond of up to $100,000 and pays a $500 non-refundable application fee. A waiting period exists, but its length is not on the Treasurer's page.
The "$1,000 claim" column is arithmetic on the cap, not a typical or recommended fee. Illinois rests on the Treasurer's FAQ because its statute sections are not verified here.
Pennsylvania's Senate Bill 1201 would cut the cap from 15 to 10 percent, but it is a proposal that has sat in the Senate Finance Committee since February 27, 2026.
When a State Cap Applies: Bonds a State Holds
A state finder-fee cap matters for savings bonds a state holds, and a state holds a bond only in narrow cases.
Treasury may, at its discretion, pay a state only for a bond at final maturity that the state physically holds and owns by court judgment (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88; Series I, 360.77; 80 FR 80258, December 24, 2015).
Florida presumes a bond abandoned 5 years after maturity once it no longer earns interest (Fla. Stat. 717.1382(1)). Bonds from safe deposit boxes also reach state programs. Missouri runs the only verified live state name search for them, and South Dakota lists them under the owner named (SDCL 43-41B-17).
Where a state holds the bonds, its rules on paid helpers apply, and that depends on the state unclaimed property office that holds them. For a claim Treasury pays, no federal cap exists.
Whether a state's finder law reaches a bond the state only located is not established here. Our guide to what states can and cannot do lists every state unclaimed property offices page.
States Whose Finder Rules We Have Not Verified
Finder rules in other states, including California, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan, are not verified here, so this page states no cap for them. Ask the state's unclaimed property program before you sign anything.
Pennsylvania's Senate Bill 1201, which would lower that state's cap from 15 to 10 percent, has been in the Senate Finance Committee since February 27, 2026, and it is a proposal only.
Why Treasury Pays Only You, and What That Means for Any Fee
Treasury pays a savings bond only to the registered owner or another person entitled to it, so a recovery service can never be paid out of your bond (31 CFR 353.39(b)).
A bond is not transferable and cannot be pledged (31 CFR 353.15, 353.16). Treasury treats the registration as conclusive (353.5(a)) and does not recognize a judgment for a voluntary transfer (353.20(a)).
The signer line on FS Form 1522 reads "I am the owner or person entitled to payment". Treasury pays by direct deposit to the payee's bank account, with the payee identified by Social Security number or employer identification number (EIN).
Our guide to FS Form 1522 explains who signs and who is paid. A helper's fee is therefore a separate invoice that comes after you are paid, never a deduction from the redemption.
Texas writes the same idea into law. A percentage finder may not file or receive the claim form (Tex. Prop.
Code 74.507(b)), and the Comptroller may not pay a holder of a power of attorney, with one exception for a durable power of attorney of a medically incapacitated owner (74.501(e)(2), (f)(2)). Florida bars an irrevocable agreement or an assignment of the property (Fla. Stat. 717.135(7)).
An attorney-in-fact, the person a power of attorney names to act for you, may act under a power of attorney that meets 31 CFR 353.40(d).
Treasury does not reissue a bond at an attorney-in-fact's request (FS Publication 0105, March 2025). Our guide to cashing savings bonds for someone else covers the power of attorney in full.
No Recovery Service Has "Treasury's List" of Bond Owners
No recovery service has Treasury's list of bond owners: under 31 CFR 323.11 (89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024), only a state with an information-sharing agreement gets owners' names and addresses, and it may not release them to anyone without Treasury's advance written approval.
States receive no Social Security numbers, denominations or serial numbers. They may use the records only to locate owners, never to escheat bonds. No such agreement is publicly known as of November 11, 2026, so no state is named here.
How to Check a Savings Bond Recovery Service Before You Agree to Pay
8 checks show whether a savings bond recovery service follows the rules before you agree to pay. Work through them in this order.
- Confirm the service says it is a private company and not Treasury, TreasuryDirect or a state (16 CFR 461.2; 31 U.S.C. 333).
- Ask whether a state holds your bonds, and if it does, check the service's registration or license with that state.
- Get the total cost, what it covers and the refund terms in writing before you agree to pay; for telephone sales, 16 CFR 310.3(a)(1) already requires the total cost and material restrictions.
- Compare the fee with the state cap in the table above where a state holds the bonds.
- Confirm that Treasury, the bank or the state pays you, and that nothing in the agreement assigns the bond or its proceeds (31 CFR 353.15, 353.39(b)).
- Refuse any request for your TreasuryDirect login.
- Sign Treasury forms yourself, before a certifier with no interest in the bonds (31 CFR 353.57); see savings bond signature certification.
- Compare with the free route: Treasury and state programs charge nothing and the forms are free.
Free Route or Paid Help: Where ClaimMyBonds Fits
Claiming from Treasury and from state programs costs nothing, and the forms are free; ClaimMyBonds is a private company, not the government, and its paid help adds only paperwork, tracing and follow-up.
ClaimMyBonds charges a flat fee for the paperwork plus a success fee. We invoice both only after you have been paid, and neither fee comes out of your bonds. We send the invoice no earlier than the eighth business day after the money reaches you, and if you are never paid, you owe nothing.
Amounts are available on request. On a claim a state holds, we take paid work only where that state's rules allow it, and the state's fee cap applies to both fees together. We give the total cost, what it covers and the refund terms in writing before any payment.
We cannot search Treasury's records, log into your TreasuryDirect account or sign for you. Our page on savings bond claim help describes the paperwork, tracing and follow-up we do.
Reporting a Recovery Service That Poses as Treasury or a State
A recovery service that poses as Treasury, TreasuryDirect or a state breaks the FTC Impersonation Rule (16 CFR Part 461, in force since April 1, 2024), and 31 U.S.C. 333 bars using "United States Savings Bond" or Treasury's names to imply Treasury approval, with or without a disclaimer.
Report misuse of Treasury names to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service at the address below. A Florida firm name that suggests government affiliation also breaks Fla. Stat. 717.1400(5).
Bureau of the Fiscal Service, 200 Third Street, Room 305, Parkersburg, WV 26106
Related Guides for Owners and Heirs
8 free guides cover the routes this page refers to.
- Savings bond lookup
- Unclaimed savings bonds
- Treasury Hunt is closed
- Help with lost or destroyed savings bonds
- Help claiming a deceased relative's savings bonds
- Help cashing old paper savings bonds you found
- Help after a state contacts you about savings bonds
- What states can receive from Treasury
Savings Bond Recovery Service Questions
Is There a Way to Recover a Savings Bond Without Paying a Service?
Yes: an owner recovers a lost, stolen or destroyed savings bond free with FS Form 1048 (revised March 2026), mailed to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. The claim form is FS Form 1048. If you hold the bonds, a bank that agrees to cash them, or FS Form 1522 by mail, pays them.
Is It Legal to Charge a Fee for Finding Savings Bonds?
Yes, in most cases, according to NAUPA, and many states require finders to register. Florida, Pennsylvania and Illinois set registration or license rules, shown in the state table above, and Treasury licenses no paid service.
Can a Recovery Service Take Its Fee Out of My Savings Bond?
No: Treasury pays only the registered owner or another person entitled (31 CFR 353.39(b)), and a bond cannot be assigned, sold or pledged (353.15, 353.16). A fee is invoiced to you separately.
Is There a Savings Bond Finder Fee Cap in California?
California's finder-fee rules are not verified here, so this page gives no California cap. Ask California's state unclaimed property program before you sign an agreement.
Does a Savings Bond Recovery Service Need My TreasuryDirect Login?
No: TreasuryDirect states there are no Treasury-approved apps or third-party websites for account access, and sign-in has worked only through ID.me since October 28, 2026. A "recovery service login" that looks like TreasuryDirect is not Treasury. See our guide to electronic savings bonds and TreasuryDirect accounts for the real sign-in.
Is There a Deadline That Makes a Finder Necessary?
No: savings bonds never expire and have no deadline to cash (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745). One rule applies to Series E, EE, H, HH and other bonds under 31 CFR Parts 315 and 353 has one limit. A claim filed 6 years or more after final maturity needs the bond's serial number (315.29(c), 353.29(c)).
Our editors work from primary sources; see how we check every rule and date.