Louisiana unclaimed savings bonds are claimed free in one of 2 ways: from the Louisiana Department of the Treasury's Unclaimed Property program when the state holds the paper bond, or from Treasury with FS Form 1048 when it does not.
Louisiana's savings bond escheat law, La. R.S. 9:182, dates from 2014. Escheat means a state takes ownership of unclaimed property.
Louisiana's federal suit for bonds it did not hold was dismissed on November 30, 2020. We checked every fact below on November 11, 2026.
ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not the Louisiana Department of the Treasury, LaCashClaim, Treasury, TreasuryDirect or Treasury Hunt, and we cannot search their records. For how other states compare, see our hub on savings bonds and state unclaimed property offices.
Does Louisiana Hold Unclaimed Savings Bonds?
Louisiana holds a US savings bond only when its Department of the Treasury has physically received the paper bond, for example from an abandoned safe deposit box; it does not hold bonds that exist only on Treasury's records.
Our sources contain no Louisiana list of the unclaimed savings bonds it holds. The table below summarizes Louisiana's position.
| Attribute | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agency | Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property (also called LaCashClaim) | La. R.S. 9:151 et seq. |
| Program page | treasury.la.gov/unclaimed-property | State program page |
| General law | La. R.S. 9:151 et seq., the "Uniform Unclaimed Property Act of 1997" | legis.la.gov |
| Savings bond law | La. R.S. 9:182, Acts 2014, No. 588, effective June 9, 2014 | legis.la.gov |
| Escheat court | Nineteenth Judicial District Court (East Baton Rouge Parish) | La. R.S. 9:182 |
| Payment after escheat | Administrator's "sole discretion" | La. R.S. 9:182 |
| Savings bond list | None found in our sources | Checked November 11, 2026 |
| Federal suits | Estes plaintiff, 2016; Kennedy v. United States, No. 15-1365C, dismissed with prejudice November 30, 2020 | Court records |
| Agreement with Treasury for bond records | None publicly known | Checked November 11, 2026 |
| Cost of a claim | Free | Treasury and state programs charge no claim fee |
Louisiana and savings bonds at a glance, as of November 11, 2026. Sources: La. R.S. 9:182, 80 FR 80259, court records.
Missouri runs the only verified live state bond name search. No national name search exists for unclaimed savings bonds, so a Louisiana search never reaches bonds that only Treasury records.
Which Louisiana Agency Handles Unclaimed Savings Bonds
The Louisiana Department of the Treasury runs the state's Unclaimed Property program under La. R.S. 9:151 et seq., the "Uniform Unclaimed Property Act of 1997", and its program page is treasury.la.gov/unclaimed-property. This is the agency's role as of November 11, 2026.
The program, also called LaCashClaim, has its own program page, and claiming property it holds costs nothing. Reach it by typing the treasury.la.gov address yourself, and never follow a lookalike search result, letter or ad. John Neely Kennedy, Treasurer at the time, brought Louisiana's bond suits, described below.
How to Search Louisiana Unclaimed Property for a Savings Bond
Search Louisiana unclaimed property for a savings bond under the owner's name through the Department of the Treasury's program, and claim any paper bond the state holds for free. The 4 steps are below.
- Type treasury.la.gov/unclaimed-property into your browser, never a link in a letter, text or ad.
- Search the name as printed on the bond, plus former and married names; how to read a paper savings bond shows where the name sits.
- Repeat the search for each co-owner or POD (payable on death) beneficiary, and for a deceased owner.
- Claim each match and keep a copy of everything you send.
How to Claim a Savings Bond From the Louisiana Department of the Treasury
Claiming a savings bond from the Louisiana Department of the Treasury costs nothing, and the Unclaimed Property program sets the proof of ownership it needs for each claim. We found no Louisiana claim form, document list, payment method or payment time in our sources, so follow the steps on the program's site.
A paper bond Louisiana returns stays registered to the person named on it. Nothing here promises that a search will show a bond.
Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property (LaCashClaim)
Program page: https://www.treasury.la.gov/unclaimed-property
Law: La. R.S. 9:151 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act of 1997); La. R.S. 9:182 (savings bonds)
Source: KB state-louisiana, checked November 11, 2026; link checked November 12, 2026. ClaimMyBonds is not affiliated with the Louisiana Department of the Treasury.
Cashing a Savings Bond Louisiana Returns to You
A paper savings bond Louisiana returns is cashed like any other paper bond: at a bank that offers the service, or by mail to Treasury with FS Form 1522 (Rev. April 2026).
Banks may cash paper bonds but are not required to (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022). Series HH bonds go to Treasury only, and the form needs a certified signature only above $1,000 in total current redemption value.
The interest is federally taxable and exempt from state and local income tax (31 U.S.C. 3124(a)). Series and issue date set a bond's value, and our calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, prices it. The steps for how to cash savings bonds cover the bank and the mail route.
If Louisiana Does Not Hold Your Savings Bond: Claim From Treasury With FS Form 1048
Claim a bond Louisiana does not hold from Treasury with FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026): Treasury searches its own records for lost, stolen or destroyed paper bonds, and the form is free. It covers every paper bond, whichever state the owner lives in.
TreasuryDirect states: "As of September 30, 2025, the Treasury Hunt® tool is no longer available." No online name search replaced it, and Treasury gave no reason for the closure.
Mail the FS Form 1048 claim for lost savings bonds to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150, or call 844-284-2676.
Without the bond's serial number, Treasury asks for the month and year of purchase, the complete Social Security number, the full names and the address. A claim filed 6 years or more after final maturity needs the serial number (31 CFR 315.29(c), 353.29(c)).
La. R.S. 9:182: Louisiana's 2014 Savings Bond Escheat Law
La. R.S. 9:182, titled "United States savings bonds; escheatment procedures", is Louisiana's savings bond escheat law, enacted by Acts 2014, No. 588, sec. 1, and effective June 9, 2014.
It provides a civil action in the Nineteenth Judicial District Court (East Baton Rouge Parish) to have unclaimed bonds escheat to the state. The general unclaimed property act (La. R.S. 9:151 et seq.) sits beside it. The statute text is on the legislature's site.
Treasury lists Louisiana among 7 states that enacted such a statute in 2014, with Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and South Dakota (80 FR 80259, December 24, 2015). We state no waiting period, notice rule or fund rule from the statute here. Ask a Louisiana attorney for what the text requires.
After a Nineteenth Judicial District Court Judgment: Payment at the Administrator's Discretion
After an escheat judgment, Louisiana's unclaimed property administrator may pay a person who files a claim for the bond, but only "in his sole discretion" (La. R.S. 9:182). The statute gives the claimant no right to payment from the state.
We found no Nineteenth Judicial District Court savings bond judgment in our sources. Louisiana's payment is discretionary, while an owner's or heir's claim to Treasury is not, and bonds never expire.
Louisiana's Savings Bond Lawsuits: Estes and Kennedy v. United States (No. 15-1365C)
Louisiana took part in Treasury's 2015 rulemaking as a commenter and in 3 federal cases, as plaintiff in Kennedy v. United States (No. 15-1365C) and Estes and as amicus in LaTurner, and each case ended against the states.
Louisiana joined the states' joint comments on Treasury's 2015 rule (80 FR 80258). John Neely Kennedy, then Treasurer, sued with Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and South Dakota in Estes v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (D.D.C. No. 1:16-cv-00450).
On November 28, 2016, the court held that the 2015 amendments clarified Treasury practice (219 F. Supp. 3d 17), and the appeal was dismissed on November 21, 2017. Louisiana later joined the states as amicus, a friend of the court, in LaTurner (August 13, 2019). The table lists the dates.
Kennedy v. United States, No. 15-1365C, was stayed on January 17, 2020. It was dismissed with prejudice, which ends it, with 9 other state suits on November 30, 2020, in one Opinion and Order by Judge Elaine D. Kaplan, in accordance with LaTurner. The state suits sought redemption of absent bonds plus contract and takings damages.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 9, 2014 | La. R.S. 9:182 takes effect (Acts 2014, No. 588, sec. 1) | legis.la.gov |
| December 24, 2015 | Treasury's rule takes effect after joint state comments that included Louisiana: a state may be paid for a bond at final maturity it holds, with title by judgment, at Treasury's discretion | 80 FR 80258; 31 CFR 315.88, 353.88 |
| November 28, 2016 | Estes v. U.S. Department of the Treasury: Louisiana's Treasurer among 5 plaintiffs; 2015 rule upheld | 219 F. Supp. 3d 17 (D.D.C.) |
| November 21, 2017 | Estes appeal (D.C. Cir. No. 17-5015) voluntarily dismissed | D.C. Circuit order |
| August 13, 2019 | LaTurner v. United States: escheat of bonds a state does not hold is preempted; Louisiana amicus for the states | 933 F.3d 1354 (Fed. Cir.) |
| January 17, 2020 | Kennedy v. United States, No. 15-1365C, stayed | Court of Federal Claims docket |
| October 5, 2020 | Supreme Court denies certiorari in LaTurner (Nos. 19-1279, 19-1285) | U.S. Supreme Court |
| November 30, 2020 | Kennedy and 9 other state suits dismissed with prejudice in one Opinion and Order (Judge Elaine D. Kaplan) | Court of Federal Claims, Nos. 15-1364C et al. |
Louisiana's savings bond statute and its federal proceedings, as of November 11, 2026. The filing date of No. 15-1365C is not stated.
What Federal Courts and Treasury Rules Leave Louisiana
Federal law leaves Louisiana one savings bond route: Treasury may, at its discretion, pay a state for a paper bond at final maturity that the state possesses and owns by court judgment (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88; 80 FR 80258, December 24, 2015). Treasury does not pay on a custody-only judgment.
LaTurner v. United States, 933 F.3d 1354 (Fed. Cir. 2019; certiorari denied October 5, 2020), held that federal law preempts, meaning overrides, state escheat of bonds a state does not hold, and that serial numbers are required. The 2020 order keeps the possession route open and keeps no jurisdiction over 315.88 disputes.
La. R.S. 9:182 therefore works only for bonds Louisiana holds, and owners keep their federal claim. Louisiana was not among the 2012 Third Circuit appellants, and it received no 2004 or 2006 Treasury custody letter.
Louisiana Savings Bonds After the Owner Dies: Federal Rules and the Judgment of Possession
Federal savings bond rules, not Louisiana law, decide who owns a bond after the owner dies: a surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary becomes the sole owner, and the bond is not part of the estate (31 CFR 353.70(b)(1), (c)(1)).
A will or court order cannot defeat that result (31 CFR 353.20(a); Free v. Bland, 369 U.S. 663 (1962)). A named beneficiary of POD savings bonds owns the bond outright.
Heirs search the deceased owner's name with the Louisiana program. FS Form 1048 covers the bonds the state does not hold.
A court must administer the estate if the decedent's bonds exceed $100,000 in redemption value at the date of death (31 CFR 353.71). FS Form 5394 (Rev. May 2026) names the Louisiana Judgment of Possession, and FS Form 5336 cannot be used once one settles the estate. Ask the succession's attorney about individual decisions.
Paid Helpers and Third Parties in Louisiana Claims
Treasury pays a savings bond only to its registered owner or another person entitled (31 CFR 353.39(b)), so a paid helper in a Louisiana claim never receives the bond money itself. No Treasury fee rule exists and we state no Louisiana cap; see savings bond recovery services.
Other States in Estes and the 2020 Court of Federal Claims Dismissal
Louisiana shared Estes with 4 states and the 2020 dismissal with 9, and 10 states across both have their own pages.
- Kansas unclaimed savings bonds, the Estes lead and LaTurner
- Kentucky unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-221C
- Mississippi unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-231C
- South Dakota unclaimed savings bonds, No. 15-1364C
- South Carolina unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-451C
- Indiana unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-699C
- Ohio unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-1021C
- Florida unclaimed savings bonds, No. 16-1482C
- Iowa unclaimed savings bonds, No. 19-678C
- Pennsylvania unclaimed savings bonds, No. 20-944C
More Guides for Louisiana Bond Owners and Heirs
8 related guides cover situations the Louisiana claim does not.
- Savings bond lookup
- Savings bonds of a deceased parent or relative
- Found old savings bonds
- Savings bond co-owner rules
- Savings bonds in probate for estates over $100,000
- FS Form 5394 for state small-estate procedures and the Louisiana Judgment of Possession
- What banks cash savings bonds
- Help after a state contacts you about savings bonds
Louisiana Unclaimed Savings Bonds FAQ
How can I find out if my savings bonds were already cashed?
Ask the bank first if you think a paper EE or I bond was already cashed; if it cannot tell you and you are the owner or co-owner, write to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150, with the serial numbers, signed, without the bonds. Louisiana's program cannot answer this.
Is the Unclaimed Savings Bond Act law?
No: the Unclaimed Savings Bond Acts were not enacted, including S. 2417 (introduced August 1, 2019) and S. 2854 (introduced September 27, 2021), both sponsored by Sen. John Kennedy. They would have allowed title by escheat judgment. Only data sharing became law (SECURE 2.0 sec. 122, December 29, 2022), without escheat, and we found no such bill in the 119th Congress as of November 11, 2026.
Does Louisiana own my savings bonds?
No, not unless Louisiana holds the paper bond: LaTurner (2019) bars a state from taking title to bonds it does not possess, and Kennedy v. United States, Louisiana's suit for such bonds, was dismissed with prejudice on November 30, 2020.
Do savings bonds expire while Louisiana holds them?
No: savings bonds never expire and no deadline applies to cashing them (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745); they stop earning interest at final maturity. See when savings bonds mature for each series.
Can Louisiana get savings bond records from Treasury?
No state, Louisiana included, is publicly known to have signed the information-sharing agreement that 31 CFR 323.11(b) requires before Treasury shares owner names and addresses (as of November 11, 2026). A state may use them only to locate owners (89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024). See what states can receive from Treasury.
Can I still use Treasury Hunt to find savings bonds in Louisiana?
No: Treasury Hunt has not been available since September 30, 2025, and no online name search replaced it. File FS Form 1048 instead; Treasury Hunt is closed.
Compiled from named primary sources; how we check every statute and docket.