Replacing or Reissuing
an I Bond

Series I Savings Bonds can be replaced or reissued based on a number of circumstances. In each case, you will need to complete the appropriate form and mail it to the Bureau of the Public Debt.

Replace a Lost or Stolen I Bond

If your I bond is lost, stolen, or destroyed, it can be reissued. To request a reissue of the bond, you must complete Form PD F 1048 - Claim for lost, stolen, or destroyed United States Savings Bonds. The original bond officially becomes property of the US Government when a replacement is issued and can not be redeemed if you happen to recover it.

If a new bond is not received within 15 business days of purchase, you should contact the institution from which you purchased the bond. If you purchased the bond through a payroll deduction plan, contact the payroll department of the company. The institution will then track down the problem with the bond.

Download Form PD F 1048 - Claim for lost, stolen, or destroyed United States Savings Bonds.

Once you complete the form, mail it to:

Death of an I Bond Owner

Because an I bond can have two owners, the ownership of a bond after death can differ based on the circumstances:

• Only one owner of the bond - In the event the I bond only has one owner and that individual has died, the bond becomes property of his or her estate.
• Two owners listed and one has died - In the event the bond has 2 owners listed and one has died, the bond immediately becomes property of the surviving owner. The bond now acts as if the surviving owner had been the sole owner since it was issued.
• Two owners, both of whom have died - If both owners of a bond have died, the bond becomes property of the estate of the last owner to have died.

If you are listed on a bond that has a co-owner who has died, you can redeem the bond, have the bond reissued with you as the sole owner, or do nothing since the bond is now your property. In the event you would like to have the bond reissued in your name alone, you will need to complete Form PD F 4000 - Request to Reissue United States Savings Bonds. You will need a certified copy of the death certificate as well as the original bonds.

Download a copy of Form PD F 4000 - Request to Reissue United States Savings Bonds

Reissue an I bond

An I bond can be reissued for a variety of reasons, such as adding or removing a co-owner, an owner has changed his or her name, to correct an error, or to have a bond reissued to a personal trust estate. I Bonds can be reissued with the correct form, which depends on the circumstances for reissuing the bond.

Here are the reasons to use Form PD F 4000 to reissue I Bonds. Full instructions are included on the form.

• A sole owner wants to add another individual as a co-owner or beneficiary.
• An owner wants to change the current beneficiary to a co-owner.
• An owner wants to remove a living beneficiary and have the bond reissued either in the owner's name alone or in the owner's name with another person as a co-owner or beneficiary.
• A surviving owner, co-owner, or beneficiary wants to remove the name of a deceased person and have the bond reissued in the survivor's name alone or in the survivor's name with another person as a co-owner or beneficiary.
• To change the name of an owner, co-owner, or beneficiary because of marriage, divorce, annulment, or court order. See Name Changes for more information.
• To correct a substantive error in the registration, see Incorrect I Bond Registration.

Use Form PD F 1455 to:

• Reflect in the registration the court's appointment of a guardian, conservator, or similar representative for the estate of a living owner or co-owner.
• Reflect in the registration the court's appointment of a legal representative for the estate of the last deceased registrant.

Use Form PD F 1851 when:

• The owner or both co-owners want the bond(s) reissued in the name of a trustee of a personal trust estate.

Relevant I Bond Forms

Below are commonly used I bond forms for reissuing, replacing, or changing the status of a bond. While this list covers most of the common forms, there are plenty more forms available on the TreasuryDirect site for other needs. You can view the entire list of forms by visiting http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NC/FoRMSHome?FormType=SBF&site=indiv

Related Topics

• Buying I Bonds
• Redeeming I Bonds
• Current I Bond Rate