The Estate Desk

Last verified 2026-10-29; facts checked against the primary sources below

TreasuryDirect after the owner dies: how to close the account and cash or transfer savings bonds

Last verified: October 29, 2026

The short answer: If the person who died had an online TreasuryDirect account, contact TreasuryDirect at 844-284-2676 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET). It puts a hold on the account and tells you what to do (TreasuryDirect; contact page). Paper savings bonds go to the surviving co-owner or beneficiary named on the bond. If no one named on the bond is living, they belong to the estate, and the forms depend on whether a court is involved (TreasuryDirect).

There is no online form for reporting the death of a TreasuryDirect account owner. The death-of-owner pages send you to TreasuryDirect's contact page, and the paper bond steps are done by mail.

Who owns the bonds now?

TreasuryDirect decides ownership from the names on the bond (TreasuryDirect):

Names on the bond Who owns it after the death Where to go next
Two people, and one died The surviving person, as if they had been the only owner from the issue date Named co-owner or beneficiary
An owner and a named beneficiary, and the owner died The beneficiary. The bond does not become part of the estate Named co-owner or beneficiary
One person, and that person died That person's estate Estate with a court representative or estate without one
Two people, and both died The estate of the one who died last Same as above

What if you are the named co-owner or beneficiary?

For paper bonds, your choices depend on the series (TreasuryDirect):

Bond Your choices How
EE or I bond still earning interest (they earn for 30 years from the issue date) Do nothing, cash it, or have it reissued in your name alone Cash it at a bank or other financial institution that will pay it; ask what ID and documents to bring and whether it has a dollar limit
EE or I bond reissued in your name It becomes an electronic bond You need your own TreasuryDirect account. You can then add a secondary owner or beneficiary
HH bond Cash it. All HH bonds reached final maturity as of August 1, 2024 Banks cannot cash HH bonds. A bank manager can help you prepare them to send to TreasuryDirect
Any bond no longer earning interest Cash it Same as above for the series

What if a court appointed a representative?

If the estate's Treasury securities, including savings bonds, total more than $100,000 in redemption value on the date of death, TreasuryDirect says a court must administer the estate (TreasuryDirect). These steps are for paper bonds when no co-owner or beneficiary is living (TreasuryDirect):

Situation What to send Proof of authority
Estate still open, cash the bonds to the estate FS Form 1522 with your certified signature and title (for example, "Jane Doe, court-appointed representative for John Doe, deceased"), the unsigned bonds and a death certificate for each deceased person on the bonds. A local bank may cash EE, E or I bonds for you first; banks cannot cash H or HH bonds Letters of appointment or letters testamentary
Estate still open, give specific bonds to specific heirs FS Form 1455 from you. From each heir, FS Form 1522 to cash or FS Form 4000 to reissue bonds that have not matured. Plus the unsigned bonds and death certificates Same as above
Estate closed and the representative discharged FS Form 5394 with a certified signature for each person required, the unsigned bonds and death certificates Final account, decree of distribution or similar court document
Estate settled under a state's small-estate law FS Form 5394, the unsigned bonds and death certificates The small estate affidavit or similar document

A savings bond cannot be split between people. Each bond goes to one owner for its full amount. Reissued bonds are electronic, so each heir who keeps a bond needs a TreasuryDirect account. Matured bonds must be cashed (TreasuryDirect).

TreasuryDirect does not return legal documents. Send legible copies with the court's stamp or seal visible (TreasuryDirect).

For California small estates, see the California small estate affidavit guide. For Texas, see the Texas small estate affidavit guide.

What if no court is involved?

TreasuryDirect calls this a non-administered estate. It applies only when all of these are true (TreasuryDirect):

Condition Needed
No person named on the bond is living Required
The estate has not been and will not be administered through a court Required
The estate has not been and will not be settled under a state small-estate law Required
Savings bonds and other Treasury securities total $100,000 or less in redemption value as of the date of death Required

One family member acts as the "voluntary representative" on FS Form 5336, Part B. You must be at least 18, competent, and the surviving spouse, a blood relative, a legally adopted child or next of kin as determined by law. A strict order decides who qualifies (TreasuryDirect; FS Form 5336).

To Send
Cash the bonds, paid to you for everyone entitled FS Form 5336, signed in front of a certifying official, a certified copy of the death certificate for everyone named on the bonds who died, and the unsigned bonds
Give bonds to the people entitled to them The same, plus from each person FS Form 1522 to cash a bond, or FS Form 4000 to keep it (HH bonds also need FS Form 5396)

Send everything for the estate in one package, even if you cash some bonds and give out others. When you sign, you certify that you will distribute the money or bonds under the law of the state where the person lived when they died (TreasuryDirect).

Who can certify your signature?

Several of these forms must be signed in front of a certifying official. TreasuryDirect accepts these in the United States (TreasuryDirect):

Certifier What TreasuryDirect needs
An officer or employee of a bank or other depository institution The institution's seal or signature guarantee stamp. If it is a paying agent for savings bonds, the paying agent's stamp
A member of a Medallion signature guarantee program (STAMP, SEMP or MSP) The stamp imprint. These may certify only security transfers
A notary public, only where the form says so The notary's seal or stamp
A judge or clerk of a U.S. court The court's seal

Where do you send the forms?

For Address or phone
Paper and electronic savings bonds, Treasury bills, notes and bonds Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Phone 844-284-2676, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET

Source: TreasuryDirect contact page. TreasuryDirect warns that it charges no fees and that you should dial its number carefully because of scammers. All forms are on its forms page.

What if you cannot find the bonds?

Treasury Hunt, the old search tool, was taken down on September 30, 2025 (TreasuryDirect). For a bond you know was lost, stolen or destroyed, file FS Form 1048. You can ask for payment or a replacement; replacement EE and I bonds are electronic (TreasuryDirect). For other ways to search, see how to find a deceased person's accounts.

What about taxes?

Savings bond interest is subject to federal income tax but not state or local income tax, and to federal estate and state estate or inheritance taxes (TreasuryDirect). Who reports the interest after a death depends on the situation. TreasuryDirect points to IRS Publications 550, 17 and 559 and a tax advisor (TreasuryDirect).

For other accounts, see the Fidelity, Vanguard and Charles Schwab guides.

The Estate Desk helps families settle estates. theestatedesk.com

Primary sources