Pennsylvania's savings bond escheat law, Fiscal Code section 1301.10B (Act 85 of 2016), presumes a US savings bond abandoned more than 3 years after final maturity, the date the bond stops earning interest.
Federal courts have held that a state cannot take title to bonds it does not hold, and Pennsylvania's own federal suit was dismissed with prejudice on November 30, 2020.
Where do you claim a Pennsylvania savings bond? You claim from the Pennsylvania Treasury only when it holds the paper bond or its proceeds, and from the US Treasury in every other case. Both routes are free.
ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not the Pennsylvania Treasury, the US Treasury, TreasuryDirect or Treasury Hunt, and it cannot search any state or Treasury record.
This page sets out the Pennsylvania law, what the courts left of it and the free claim routes. Every state runs its own program, and our guide to state unclaimed property offices covers all 50 states and DC.
What Pennsylvania's Savings Bond Escheat Law Says: Fiscal Code Section 1301.10B
Fiscal Code section 1301.10B, "United States savings bonds", is the Pennsylvania statute that lets the State Treasurer seek title to matured, unredeemed savings bonds through the Commonwealth Court. To escheat means to pass to the state.
Act 85 of 2016 (House Bill 1605) added the section, and the Governor approved it on July 13, 2016. It is codified at 72 P.S. 1301.10b, within Article XIII.1 of the Fiscal Code (72 P.S. 1301.1 and following), and the Bureau of Unclaimed Property in the Pennsylvania Treasury Department administers the unclaimed property program.
Treasury's December 2015 count of state savings bond laws listed 16 statutes: Kansas in 2000, 7 states in 2014 and 8 states in 2015 (80 FR 80259). Pennsylvania's law came after that count, in 2016. The text of House Bill 1605, printer's number 3730 sets out the rules summarized below, as checked November 11, 2026.
| Attribute | Pennsylvania rule | Where in the law |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | Fiscal Code section 1301.10B (72 P.S. 1301.10b) | Act of April 9, 1929, P.L. 343, No. 176 |
| Enacted | Act 85 of 2016, House Bill 1605, approved July 13, 2016 | PN 3730 |
| Administrator | Pennsylvania Treasury Department, Bureau of Unclaimed Property | Article XIII.1 |
| Presumption | Unclaimed and unredeemed more than 3 years after final maturity | 1301.10B(b) |
| Escheat | 3 years after the bond becomes unclaimed property | 1301.10B(c); procedure (d) to (h) |
| Court | Commonwealth Court; the State Treasurer may bring an action within 180 days after the bond becomes reportable, if no claim under 1301.19 | 1301.10B(d) |
| Notice | Publication under Pa.R.C.P. No. 430 | 1301.10B |
| Redemption | "The State Treasurer shall redeem" escheated bonds; proceeds, less costs, to the General Fund | 1301.10B; 1301.18 |
| Later claims | State Treasurer pays on sufficient proof | 1301.10B(h) |
| Federal status | Title to bonds Pennsylvania does not hold is preempted (LaTurner, 2019); Torsella dismissed November 30, 2020 | Federal courts |
Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly, House Bill 1605 PN 3730 (Act 85 of 2016); Court of Federal Claims Opinion and Order of November 30, 2020; as of November 11, 2026.
When Pennsylvania Presumes a Savings Bond Abandoned
Section 1301.10B(b) presumes a savings bond abandoned when it is unclaimed and unredeemed for more than 3 years after its final maturity.
Final maturity is the date a bond stops earning interest: 30 years after issue for Series EE and Series I (31 CFR 351.5, 359.5), and 40 or 30 years for Series E, depending on the issue date (316.8(b)).
The table below shows which bonds had crossed that line by the start of November 2026, using the Fiscal Data Value Files for the final maturity dates.
| Series | Final maturity | Past the line on November 1, 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| Series E, May 1941 to June 1980 | 40 years for issues to November 1965, 30 years from December 1965; all stopped by June 2010 | Yes, every bond |
| Series H, June 1952 to December 1979 | Last stopped December 2009 | Yes, every bond |
| Savings Notes, May 1967 to October 1970 | May 1997 to October 2000 | Yes, every note |
| Paper Series EE, January 1980 to December 2011 | 30 years: January 2010 to December 2041 | Issues January 1980 through October 1993 (final maturity October 1, 2023 or earlier) |
| Series HH | Every HH at final maturity by August 1, 2024 | Every HH once August 1, 2027 has passed; earlier issues crossed sooner |
| Series I | First final maturity September 2028 | None before September 2031 |
Source: 31 CFR 316.8(b), 332.8, 342.2, 351.5, 359.5; TreasuryDirect Series HH page; Fiscal Data Savings Bonds Value Files, redemption month November 2026, https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/savings-bond-value-files/. Later EE issue months cross the line month by month.
The 3-year line is a state presumption, not a federal deadline. Savings bonds never expire, and a bond keeps its value after the presumption date.
Our page on when savings bonds mature and stop earning interest lists final maturity by series, and 31 U.S.C. 3105(f) uses the same 3-year line for the federal data-sharing rule described under SECURE 2.0 below.
Escheat in Commonwealth Court and Redemption by the State Treasurer
The statute adds 3 steps after the presumption: escheat, a Commonwealth Court action and redemption by the State Treasurer. Escheat follows 3 years after the bond becomes unclaimed property, and title vests in the Commonwealth under the procedure in subsections (d) to (h).
Within 180 days after the bond becomes reportable, if no one has claimed it under section 1301.19, the State Treasurer may file the court action, and may postpone it until enough bonds have accumulated (1301.10B(d)). Notice goes by publication under Pa.R.C.P. No. 430.
The statute then says: "The State Treasurer shall redeem the United States savings bonds escheated to the Commonwealth." The proceeds, less costs, go to the General Fund (1301.18).
This describes what the law requires, not what happened: no source we could open shows a bond redeemed under it. Can Pennsylvania take title to bonds it does not hold? The courts answered that.
Can Pennsylvania Take Title to Your Savings Bonds? What the Courts Decided
No: Pennsylvania cannot take title to savings bonds it does not physically hold, because federal law preempts (overrides) state escheat laws for those bonds (LaTurner v. United States, 933 F.3d 1354, Fed.
Cir. August 13, 2019; certiorari denied October 5, 2020). The bonds belong to their owners, and without the paper bond or its serial number a state cannot redeem it (31 CFR 315.29(c)).
Pennsylvania took part in five court matters. It was an appellant in the Third Circuit in 2012, an amicus (friend of the court) supporting the state plaintiffs in Estes in 2016 and in LaTurner in 2019, and the plaintiff in Torsella in 2020. The table below lists the five court matters.
| Case and docket | Pennsylvania's role and date | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Treasurer of the State of New Jersey v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, D.N.J. 3:04-cv-04368; 3d Cir. No. 10-1963 | Pennsylvania Treasurer, appellant; June 27, 2012; certiorari denied, 569 U.S. 1004 (2013) | State custody escheat of bonds preempted (684 F.3d 382) |
| Estes v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, D.D.C. 1:16-cv-00450 | Amicus with Indiana, Florida, South Carolina, Missouri and Rhode Island; November 28, 2016 | Treasury's 2015 rule upheld (219 F. Supp. 3d 17); appeal voluntarily dismissed November 21, 2017 |
| LaTurner v. United States, Fed. Cir. 2018-1509, 2018-1510 | Amicus for the states; August 13, 2019; certiorari denied October 5, 2020 | Title escheat of bonds a state does not hold preempted (933 F.3d 1354) |
| State Treasurer's escheat action, Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 486 M.D. 2017 | Petitioner under 1301.10B(d); caption not verified | Not verified |
| Torsella v. United States, Court of Federal Claims No. 20-944C | Plaintiff; filed July 31, 2020; dismissed November 30, 2020 | Dismissed with prejudice under LaTurner, with 9 other state suits |
Source: court records on govinfo.gov, ca3.uscourts.gov and cafc.uscourts.gov; Commonwealth Court docket number only; as of November 11, 2026.
The only national figure for unredeemed bonds is the Fiscal Data count of 103,064,737 matured unredeemed bonds, all series, as of September 30, 2026. No federal source gives a Pennsylvania figure. Our page on unclaimed savings bonds and why no name search exists explains the national count.
Torsella v. United States, Court of Federal Claims No. 20-944C
Torsella v. United States, Court of Federal Claims No. 20-944C, was Pennsylvania's federal suit for savings bonds, and the court dismissed it with prejudice on November 30, 2020. The plaintiff was Joseph M. Torsella, Treasurer of the Commonwealth. He filed on July 31, 2020, and the court stayed the case on September 14, 2020.
Judge Elaine D. Kaplan then issued one Opinion and Order for 10 state cases, applying LaTurner. The order calls the claims "Absent Bonds": bonds to which a state judgment gave title but whose certificates the state did not hold. The Opinion and Order is on govinfo.gov.
Commonwealth Court No. 486 M.D. 2017: What the Public Record Shows
Commonwealth Court No. 486 M.D. 2017 is the docket of the State Treasurer's savings bond escheat action. The court's server refused access to the opinion on November 11, 2026, so this page states no judge, holding, judgment, date or amount, and repeats no news report.
Whether the Commonwealth took title to or redeemed any bond is not public in the sources we could open.
Paper Bonds the Pennsylvania Treasury Holds: 31 CFR 315.88
Treasury may pay a state for a paper savings bond the state holds, at Treasury's discretion (31 CFR 315.88, 353.88; for Series I, 360.77; 80 FR 80258, December 24, 2015).
The bond must be at final maturity and in the state's possession, and a state judgment must give the state title. Treasury does not pay for custody-only judgments or for bonds the state does not hold, and the 2020 order left this route open.
States receive paper bonds mainly from abandoned safe deposit boxes, a general pattern that no source states for Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania joined the joint state comments on the 2015 rule. The full text is in part 315 of the eCFR.
Pennsylvania and Treasury's Savings Bond Records Under SECURE 2.0
Pennsylvania can receive owner names and addresses for old savings bonds from Treasury only after signing an information-sharing agreement, and may use them only to locate owners (31 CFR 323.11; 89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024).
The law, 31 U.S.C. 3105(f) (December 29, 2022), covers bonds more than 3 years past final maturity, the same line as section 1301.10B(b). The data excludes Social Security numbers, denominations and serial numbers, cannot support escheat, and cannot go public without Treasury's written approval.
No state, Pennsylvania included, is publicly known to have signed an agreement as of November 11, 2026. Routine use 24 of Treasury's records system applies from June 10, 2026 (91 FR 25777). The state search does not contain Treasury's records. The rules on SECURE 2.0 and savings bonds limit states to names and addresses.
How to Claim Pennsylvania Unclaimed Savings Bonds, Step by Step
Claim a Pennsylvania unclaimed savings bond in 5 steps; the claim costs nothing whether it goes to the Pennsylvania Treasury or to the US Treasury. The state route applies only when the paper bond or its proceeds may have reached the state. Electronic bonds and bonds known only to Treasury's records go to Treasury.
- Cash a paper bond you already hold at a bank that offers the service, or by mail with FS Form 1522 (Revised April 2026); no state claim is needed, and banks may cash paper bonds but are not required to (FS Publication 0022, October 2022). See how to cash savings bonds.
- Open the Pennsylvania Treasury's unclaimed property search by typing patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property/ yourself, never from a link in a letter or text.
- Search the owner's name exactly as printed on the bond, plus former names and the names of co-owners.
- File the free state claim if a listing shows a savings bond or its proceeds, with the proof the Bureau asks for, plus estate papers if the owner died.
- Turn to Treasury when no listing appears, because Treasury holds the record (see the FS Form 1048 section below).
Pennsylvania Treasury Department, Bureau of Unclaimed Property (state program, not ClaimMyBonds)
Online: https://www.patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property/
Mail: P.O. Box 1837, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1837
Phone: (717) 783-3632
Source: Pennsylvania Treasury program page; address and phone as listed by NAUPA (unclaimed.org/pennsylvania, nofollow), checked November 11, 2026
Claiming Escheated Bonds or Proceeds From the State Treasurer: Section 1301.10B(h)
Section 1301.10B(h) lets a person claim escheated bonds or proceeds from the State Treasurer, who "shall pay the claim" upon "sufficient proof of the validity of the person's claim". The claim form, the proof list and the processing time for bond claims are not in our sources.
No source shows that the Commonwealth holds a bond. Ask the Bureau at the address or phone number in the program block above before you assemble papers.
When Pennsylvania Does Not Hold the Bond: FS Form 1048 With Treasury
File FS Form 1048 with Treasury when Pennsylvania does not hold the paper bond, because Treasury keeps the ownership record of every savings bond.
The FS Form 1048 claim for lost savings bonds is Revised March 2026 (OMB 1530-0021) and goes to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. Treasury Hunt, the old Treasury search tool, has not been available since September 30, 2025.
A claim made 6 years or more after final maturity needs the serial number (31 CFR 315.29(c), 353.29(c)).
For Series I, any claim filed 10 years or more after maturity is barred (360.29(c)), and no paper I bond reaches final maturity before September 2028. Treasury states that lost bond searches take 11 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026).
Pennsylvania Unclaimed Savings Bonds Beyond the State Program
Pennsylvania's statute is one of 18 state savings bond escheat laws, and the routes beyond the state program depend on who is named on the bond and who offers help. The next sections cover other states, paid finders and heirs.
Florida, Missouri and Other States With Savings Bond Escheat Laws
Other escheat states with their own pages include Florida, Missouri and Ohio.
- Florida unclaimed savings bonds: 2015 statute (Fla. Stat. 717.1382); Court of Federal Claims No. 16-1482C, dismissed 2020.
- Missouri unclaimed savings bonds: RSMo 447.534 (2014); live name search for held paper bonds.
- Ohio unclaimed savings bonds: 2015 statute listed by Treasury; No. 16-1021C, dismissed 2020.
Savings Bond Recovery Services in Pennsylvania: Finder Registration and the 15 Percent Fee Cap
Pennsylvania requires a paid finder to hold a registration certificate from the State Treasurer, attorneys excepted (72 P.S. 1301.11a(a)), and caps the fee at 15 percent of the property's value (1301.11(g)). The owner may call an agreement excessive or unjust at any time (1301.11(j)).
Senate Bill 1201 would cut the cap to 10 percent; it has sat in the Senate Finance Committee since February 27, 2026 and is only a proposal. Treasury pays a bond only to the owner or the person entitled (31 CFR 353.39(b)), and the same rule applies to every savings bond recovery service.
Savings Bonds of a Deceased Pennsylvania Owner
Federal savings bond rules, not a will or Pennsylvania probate law, decide whether a surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary takes the bond. A surviving co-owner or POD (payable on death) beneficiary owns it outright (31 CFR 353.70, 353.20(a)).
Otherwise the bond belongs to the estate, which a court administers above $100,000 at the date of death (353.71); small-estate procedures use FS Form 5394, not FS Form 5336. Ask the estate's attorney about your case; the survivor and estate rules for savings bonds after death are federal.
Pennsylvania Unclaimed Savings Bonds FAQ
How long does PA unclaimed property take?
Pennsylvania sets no processing time for a savings bond claim in the sources we checked. Treasury states that lost bond searches take 11 months or longer and transactions not in your name 5 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026).
Can I claim my dad's unclaimed money?
You can claim a parent's savings bond as the surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary named on it, or through the estate when no one named survives. The state is involved only if it holds the bond. Here is how to find a deceased parent's bonds.
Are unclaimed property letters legit?
Check any letter by typing the program address from this page yourself: a state claim is free, and Treasury pays a bond only to the owner or person entitled. States use Treasury's names only to locate owners, and savings bond scams and impersonators lists the common tricks.
Is abandoned property the same as unclaimed property?
For savings bonds, Pennsylvania treats "presumed abandoned" and "unclaimed" as one stage and escheat as a later one. Title passes only after 3 more years and a Commonwealth Court action, and federal law still treats the bond as the owner's.
What is the dormancy period for savings bonds in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's savings bond waiting period is more than 3 years after final maturity (1301.10B(b)), not a dormancy period counted from last contact. It is the same line as 31 U.S.C. 3105(f).
Do savings bonds expire once Pennsylvania presumes them abandoned?
No: a savings bond never expires and has no cash deadline (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745), even after Pennsylvania's presumption date. It stops earning at final maturity and keeps that value.
Our methodology page explains how we check every statute and docket.