On a paper savings bond, the serial number is printed in the lower right corner of the certificate. For an electronic bond, it lives inside your TreasuryDirect account under your holdings. The serial number is the unique alphanumeric code the Treasury Department assigns to your individual bond, and you’ll need it to check the bond’s current value, report interest, or file a claim if the certificate is ever lost.
Where the Serial Number Sits on a Paper Bond
For Series EE and Series I paper savings bonds, look at the lower right corner of the certificate.1TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Calculator – Detailed Instructions Older Series E bonds follow a similar layout, with the serial number in the lower portion of the certificate.
Don’t confuse the serial number with the series designation. The series marking (such as “EE” or “I”) is printed separately in the upper right corner. That letter tells you which type of bond you hold; it isn’t the identifier the Treasury uses to look up your specific certificate.
Paper savings bonds haven’t been sold at banks or other financial institutions since January 1, 2012, so most surviving certificates are at least a decade old and many are much older.2TreasuryDirect. Treasury to End Over-the-Counter Sales of Paper U.S. Savings Bonds Wear, fading, and water damage can make the number hard to read. If you can still make it out, write it down somewhere safe, or convert the bond to electronic form through TreasuryDirect so the number is preserved in your account.
What a Savings Bond Serial Number Looks Like
A savings bond serial number follows a set pattern: one or more letters indicating the denomination, then a string of digits, then one or more letters indicating the series.3TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Valuation and Verification for Financial Institutions Instruction Sheet A Series I bond, for example, ends with the letter “I.”
The format matters in practice. When you enter a serial number into the Savings Bond Calculator or a bank’s verification system, it must match the letter-digits-letter pattern exactly, or the tool will reject it. Financial institutions cashing bonds are also told to check that the serial number is in the correct format and that the certificate doesn’t look altered.3TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Valuation and Verification for Financial Institutions Instruction Sheet If anything about the number looks off (smudged characters, mismatched typeface, an arrangement that doesn’t fit the pattern), contact TreasuryDirect before trying to cash the bond.
Finding the Serial Number for an Electronic Bond
Electronic savings bonds bought through TreasuryDirect have no physical certificate. Every detail, including the serial number, is stored in your online account.4TreasuryDirect. Convert Paper to Electronic
To pull it up, log in to TreasuryDirect, go to the Account Summary page, and select “Savings Bonds” under your holdings.5TreasuryDirect. User Guide Sections 131 Through 140 Click an individual bond and you’ll see its serial number alongside the issue date, face amount, and current value.
If you converted paper bonds to electronic form, the original serial number carries over. You can reference that same number when requesting a reissue, updating registration, or reporting information to the IRS.6TreasuryDirect. Changing Information About EE or I Savings Bonds (Reissuing)
A CUSIP Is Not a Serial Number
If you also hold marketable Treasury securities (bills, notes, or bonds), you’ll see a nine-character CUSIP number attached to each one.7TreasuryDirect. Marketable Securities Glossary for TreasuryDirect Account Holders A CUSIP is not a serial number. It identifies the entire issue, so every investor who bought the same Treasury note at the same auction shares the same CUSIP. A serial number identifies one specific holding. In TreasuryDirect, you can view both identifiers by selecting “Treasury Marketable Securities” from the Account Summary page.
What to Do If You Can’t Find the Serial Number
You don’t need the serial number to recover a lost, stolen, or destroyed paper bond. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service keeps records indexed by the owner’s Social Security number and can search using that number along with an approximate purchase date or date range.8TreasuryDirect. Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds
To start a claim, complete FS Form 1048, Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds. The form asks for:
- Bond details: issue date or range, face amount, serial number if you have it, and the full inscription (names, Social Security numbers, and addresses on the bond).
- Circumstances: whether the bond was lost, stolen (with the date of theft), or destroyed (with any remaining fragments sent along with the form).
- Signature and certification: each required signer must sign in ink before a notary or certifying officer, certifying under penalty of perjury that the information is true.
Mail the completed form to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.8TreasuryDirect. Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds Processing takes at least seven months, so plan accordingly.9TreasuryDirect. Contact Us
Old tax records won’t help you locate a serial number. IRS Form 1099-INT reports savings bond interest but lists only the payer and the amount earned; the bond’s serial number isn’t on it. Purchase receipts and bank statements showing the original debit are more useful, since they may reference the specific bond you bought.
Finding Serial Numbers for a Deceased Owner’s Bonds
If you’re handling the estate of someone who owned savings bonds, how you get to the serial numbers depends on the format and on how the estate is being administered.
For paper bonds, the number is right there on the certificate. A court-appointed representative handling an open estate submits the unsigned bonds along with a death certificate, proof of court appointment, and the appropriate Treasury form: FS Form 1522 to redeem the bonds to the estate, or FS Form 1455 to distribute specific bonds to heirs.10TreasuryDirect. Court-Appointed Representatives For a closed estate or one settled under a state small-estate provision, use FS Form 5394 instead, along with the final account, decree of distribution, or small-estate affidavit.
For electronic bonds, you cannot log in to the deceased person’s TreasuryDirect account. Contact TreasuryDirect first; they will place a hold on the account and tell you what documentation to submit.11TreasuryDirect. Death of a Savings Bond Owner If the bonds were registered with a named beneficiary or co-owner, that person may be able to claim them with fewer steps than a full estate proceeding.