Montana unclaimed savings bonds are claimed free in one of 2 ways: from the Montana Department of Revenue when it holds the paper bond, or from Treasury with FS Form 1048 when it does not.
The Department must decide a claim within 90 days under Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-815. Its Director was an appellant in the states' savings bond case, which the Third Circuit decided for Treasury on June 27, 2012 (checked November 11, 2026).
ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not the Department, the State of Montana, Treasury, TreasuryDirect or Treasury Hunt, and we cannot search their records. To compare other states, read our hub on savings bonds and state unclaimed property offices.
Does Montana Hold Unclaimed Savings Bonds?
Montana holds a US savings bond only when the Department of Revenue has physically received the paper bond, for example from an abandoned safe deposit box; bonds that exist only on Treasury's records stay with Treasury.
The Department runs Montana's Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-801 to 70-9-830). Its program page does not mention savings bonds (November 11, 2026). The table below summarizes Montana's position.
| Attribute | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Agency and page | Montana Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property, revenue.mt.gov/unclaimed-property | Department program page |
| Search and claim | TAP portal | Department program page |
| Claim timelines | Decision within 90 days, payment within 30 days after allowance | Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-815(2), (3) |
| Auto pay | Montana Auto Pay Program (MAPP), up to $1,000.00 | Department program page |
| Savings bonds on the page | Not mentioned | Checked November 11, 2026 |
| General statute | Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-801 to 70-9-830 | Montana Code Annotated |
| Savings bond statute | None; not on Treasury's 2015 list | 80 FR 80259 |
| Federal case | Third Circuit No. 10-1963, Director appellant, lost June 27, 2012, certiorari denied 2013 | 684 F.3d 382 |
| Court of Federal Claims suit | None | Opinion and Order, November 30, 2020 |
| Agreement with Treasury for bond records | None publicly known | 31 CFR 323.11(b); checked November 11, 2026 |
| Held-bond list | None in our sources; Missouri only | Checked November 11, 2026 |
| Cost of a claim | Free | Treasury and state programs charge no claim fee |
Montana and savings bonds at a glance, as of November 11, 2026. Sources: Department of Revenue program page, Mont. Code Ann. ch. 70-9 part 8, 684 F.3d 382, 80 FR 80259.
We found no Montana list of the savings bonds it holds. Missouri runs the only verified state bond name search, and no national name search exists for any state or for Treasury.
Treasury's Bond Records Have Not Moved to Montana
Treasury's records of matured, unredeemed savings bonds have not moved to Montana: a state may receive owner names and addresses only after signing an information-sharing agreement with the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and only to locate owners (31 CFR 323.11; 89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024).
None is publicly known, Montana included (November 11, 2026). Treasury must approve any public release in writing first (323.11(c)(3)), so pages saying bond data "moved" to state offices are wrong.
Treasury Hunt launched on February 5, 2001. TreasuryDirect states: "As of September 30, 2025, the Treasury Hunt® tool is no longer available." No online replacement exists, and Treasury Hunt is closed.
How to Search Montana Unclaimed Property for a Savings Bond
Search Montana unclaimed property for a savings bond under the owner's name on the Department of Revenue's TAP portal, and claim any paper bond the Department holds for free. The 4 steps follow.
- Type revenue.mt.gov/unclaimed-property into your browser and follow its link to the TAP portal search.
- Search the name exactly as printed on the bond, plus former and married names; here is how to read a paper savings bond and find that name.
- Repeat the search for each co-owner or POD (payable on death) beneficiary named on the bond, and for a deceased owner.
- Claim each listing that could be a savings bond through TAP and keep a record of it.
How to Claim From the Montana Department of Revenue: 90 Days to Decide, 30 to Pay
Montana's Unclaimed Property Act gives the Department of Revenue 90 days to decide a claim and 30 days to pay a claim it allows (Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-815(2) and (3)), and claiming costs nothing. You file through TAP, and the Department sets the proof.
Our sources hold no Montana document list, so follow the steps on revenue.mt.gov. A paper bond Montana returns stays registered to the person named on it. Treasury pays only the owner or a person entitled to the bond.
Montana Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property
Program page: https://revenue.mt.gov/unclaimed-property/ (search and claim on the TAP portal)
Mail: P.O. Box 5805, Helena, MT 59604-5805
Phone: (406) 444-6900
Source: Department of Revenue program page and mailing address page, checked November 12, 2026. ClaimMyBonds is not affiliated with the Montana Department of Revenue or the State of Montana.
Montana Auto Pay Program (MAPP) Letters and Paper Savings Bonds
The Montana Auto Pay Program (MAPP) pays matched unclaimed property of up to $1,000 without a claim form (Department of Revenue, as of November 11, 2026). Matched means the Department has linked the property to a known owner.
Our sources do not say whether MAPP covers a paper savings bond, a certificate rather than money. Search TAP even after a MAPP letter arrives.
Cashing a Savings Bond Montana Returns to You
A paper savings bond Montana 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), and Series HH goes to Treasury only. A certified signature is needed only above $1,000 in total redemption value.
The interest is federally taxable and exempt from state and local income tax, Montana's included (31 U.S.C. 3124(a)). Series and issue date set a bond's value, which our calculator prices from Treasury's value files. The steps for how to cash savings bonds cover both routes.
If Montana Does Not Hold Your Savings Bond: Claim From Treasury With FS Form 1048
Claim a savings bond from Treasury with FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026) when Montana does not hold it: Treasury searches its own records for lost, stolen or destroyed paper bonds, and the form is free.
This is the route for a grandparent's bonds nobody can find. Treasury counts 103,064,737 matured unredeemed savings bonds, all series, as of September 30, 2026 (Fiscal Data).
Send 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 serial number, Treasury asks for the month and year of purchase, the complete Social Security number, the full names and the address on the bond.
The serial number is required 6 years or more after final maturity (31 CFR 315.29(c), 353.29(c)). Searches take 11 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, November 11, 2026).
Montana's Unclaimed Property Act (Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-801 to 70-9-830) and Savings Bonds
Montana's Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-801 to 70-9-830, is the state's general unclaimed property law, and it contains no section written for US savings bonds.
Claims run under 70-9-815, and Montana is not on Treasury's 2015 list of state savings bond escheat statutes (80 FR 80259). The Montana Code Annotated part index carries the text.
Our sources do not say when Montana treats a savings bond as abandoned, so we state no dormancy period. Federal law decides who owns a bond.
Treasurer of New Jersey v. Treasury: Montana's Savings Bond Appeal (Third Circuit No. 10-1963)
Treasurer of the State of New Jersey v. U.S. Department of the Treasury (Third Circuit No. 10-1963) is the savings bond case in which the Director of Montana's Department of Revenue appealed with 5 other states, and the court ruled for Treasury on June 27, 2012 (684 F.3d 382).
New Jersey's Treasurer filed on September 8, 2004 (D.N.J. No. 3:04-cv-04368). The issue was state custody escheat, meaning a state taking custody of matured, unredeemed bonds. Judges Hardiman, Greenaway Jr. and Greenberg heard argument on April 11, 2012, and certiorari was denied in 2013 (569 U.S. 1004). The table lists the dates.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| September 8, 2004 | New Jersey's Treasurer sues Treasury over matured, unredeemed bonds | D.N.J. No. 3:04-cv-04368 |
| April 11, 2012 | Appeal argued; the Director of Montana's Department of Revenue is one of 6 appellants | 3d Cir. No. 10-1963 |
| June 27, 2012 | Decided for Treasury: state custody escheat acts conflict with federal law; title escheat not addressed (n.28) | 684 F.3d 382 |
| 2013 | Certiorari denied | 569 U.S. 1004 |
| 2014 and 2015 | 15 states pass savings bond title-escheat statutes; Montana is not among them | 80 FR 80259 |
| December 24, 2015 | Treasury rule: a state may be paid for a paper bond at final maturity it holds, with title by judgment, at Treasury's discretion | 80 FR 80258; 31 CFR 315.88, 353.88 |
| August 13, 2019 | LaTurner v. United States: escheat of bonds a state does not hold is preempted | 933 F.3d 1354 (Fed. Cir.) |
| November 30, 2020 | 10 state suits dismissed with prejudice in one Opinion and Order; none filed by Montana | Court of Federal Claims, Nos. 15-1364C et al. |
| December 18, 2024 | Information-sharing rule: names and addresses only under an agreement, to locate owners | 89 FR 102735; 31 CFR 323.11 |
| September 30, 2025 | Treasury Hunt no longer available | TreasuryDirect |
Montana's part in federal savings bond law, from court records, the Federal Register and TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026. Not legal advice.
The other appellants were New Jersey, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania (their Treasurers) and Missouri (its Attorney General); North Carolina joined only in the district court. The Third Circuit opinion has the text, and New Jersey unclaimed savings bonds gives the lead state's full case history.
What the 2012 Ruling Means for Montana Bond Owners
The Third Circuit held that state unclaimed property acts, Montana's included, conflict with federal law as applied to savings bonds, because a matured bond is not abandoned or unclaimed while its owner may redeem it at any time (684 F.3d 382, June 27, 2012).
A Montana owner's matured bond stays the owner's, with no deadline (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745).
The court did not decide title escheat (n.28). LaTurner v. United States, 933 F.3d 1354 (Fed. Cir. August 13, 2019), later held that federal law preempts state escheat of bonds a state does not hold.
Treasury may still, at its discretion, pay a state for a paper bond at final maturity it possesses and owns by judgment (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88).
Montana After 2012: No Escheat Statute, No Court of Federal Claims Suit
Our sources show no further Montana savings bond step after 2012: Montana is not on Treasury's 2015 list of state escheat statutes (80 FR 80259) and filed none of the 10 Court of Federal Claims suits dismissed with prejudice on November 30, 2020. Kansas (2000), 15 states in 2014 and 2015, and Pennsylvania (2016) passed title-escheat statutes.
Our sources show Montana absent from the LaTurner amicus states, the Estes plaintiffs and Treasury's 2004 custody-claim letters, and we state no reason. The 2019 and 2021 Unclaimed Savings Bond Acts were not enacted.
Montana Savings Bonds After the Owner Dies: Federal Rules Decide Who Owns Them
Federal savings bond rules, not Montana 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 state court order cannot defeat that (31 CFR 353.20(a); Free v. Bland, 369 U.S. 663 (1962)); these are the savings bond co-owner rules.
Heirs search the deceased owner's name on TAP and use FS Form 1048 for the rest. Administration is required above $100,000 in redemption value at the date of death (31 CFR 353.71).
FS Form 5336 serves estates not administered, and FS Form 5394 (Rev. May 2026) serves closed estates and state small-estate procedures. We state no Montana small-estate rule, so ask the estate's attorney.
Paid Helpers and Third Parties in Montana 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 Montana claim never receives the bond money itself. We state no Treasury fee rule and no Montana cap or registration rule; see savings bond recovery services.
The Other States in the Third Circuit Appeal and Related State Pages
Montana was one of 6 appellant states in Third Circuit No. 10-1963, and 7 sibling pages cover the other parties and the state whose 1952 letter set Treasury's title rule.
- New Jersey unclaimed savings bonds (lead plaintiff)
- Kentucky unclaimed savings bonds (No. 16-221C)
- Oklahoma unclaimed savings bonds (appellant, no statute)
- Missouri unclaimed savings bonds (Attorney General appellant)
- Pennsylvania unclaimed savings bonds (No. 20-944C)
- North Carolina unclaimed savings bonds (district court only)
- New York unclaimed savings bonds (1952 letter)
More Guides for Montana Bond Owners and Heirs
7 related guides cover situations a Montana search does not.
- Savings bond lookup
- Savings bonds of a deceased parent or relative
- Found old savings bonds
- POD savings bonds
- Savings bonds in probate
- What banks cash savings bonds
- Help after a state contacts you about savings bonds
Montana Unclaimed Savings Bonds FAQ
How do I find unclaimed money in Montana?
Search the Department of Revenue's TAP portal from revenue.mt.gov/unclaimed-property for property Montana holds; for savings bonds, also file FS Form 1048 with Treasury, because Montana holds only paper bonds it received. General money is outside this page.
How to find unclaimed savings bonds?
No public site searches Treasury's savings bond records by name since Treasury Hunt closed on September 30, 2025; owners and heirs claim with FS Form 1048 and search state programs for paper bonds a state holds. See our guide to unclaimed savings bonds for the no national name search.
How long does a Montana unclaimed property claim take?
Montana's statute sets 90 days for the Department of Revenue to decide a claim and 30 days to pay once it is allowed (Mont. Code Ann. 70-9-815). Treasury's own times are 11 months or longer for lost bond searches and 3 months or longer for cashing paper bonds in your name (TreasuryDirect, November 11, 2026).
Does Montana own my savings bonds?
No: the Third Circuit held in 2012 that state unclaimed property acts, Montana's included, cannot take custody of matured bonds, and LaTurner (2019) held that federal law preempts state escheat of bonds a state does not hold. Treasury may, at its discretion, pay Montana only for a paper bond at final maturity that Montana holds and owns by judgment (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88). A caller claiming to be Montana's bond office is a red flag; see savings bond scams.
Can Montana get savings bond records from Treasury?
No state, Montana 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), and Treasury shares no Social Security numbers or serial numbers. See what states can receive from Treasury.
Do savings bonds expire while Montana 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. A bond Montana holds keeps its registration. See when savings bonds mature for each series.
Compiled from named primary sources; how we check every statute and docket.