How to find and cash old savings bonds

About 80 million matured U.S. savings bonds, worth roughly $29.7 billion, have never been cashed, according to Treasury figures reported in 2026. Matured bonds have stopped earning interest, so there's no reason to wait. Here's how to find them now that Treasury's old search tool is gone.

Treasury Hunt has closed

Treasury Hunt, Treasury's search for unclaimed bonds, shut down on September 30, 2025, under the SECURE 2.0 Act. Treasury now sends questions about unclaimed bonds to state unclaimed property programs.

• Start with the state where the person who bought the bond lived when they bought it.
• Search on MissingMoney.com, or use unclaimed.org to reach each state's official site.
• Search for the owner's name, and for co-owners and beneficiaries named on the bond.

Has your bond stopped earning?

Most savings bonds earn interest for 30 years. A bond bought in the mid-1990s or earlier has almost certainly matured: it's worth what it will ever be worth, and holding it longer earns nothing.

If you have the paper bond

• Some banks still cash paper savings bonds; call yours first and ask.
• If not, TreasuryDirect explains how to cash paper bonds by mail.
• If the bond belonged to someone who has died, TreasuryDirect lists the forms heirs and executors need.

If the bond is lost, stolen or destroyed

Treasury can replace it. TreasuryDirect has the claim form for lost, stolen or destroyed bonds. It helps to know the owner's name, Social Security number and roughly when the bond was bought.

Searching and claiming through official sites is free. Taxpayer Treasures is an independent guide and isn't affiliated with the Treasury. Check TreasuryDirect for current rules.