FS Form 1048 Lost Savings Bonds Claim: Fill Online Free

What is FS Form 1048?

FS Form 1048 is the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's claim form for U.S. savings bonds that were lost, stolen or destroyed. It covers savings bonds, savings notes, retirement plan bonds and individual retirement bonds. Everyone named on the bonds must complete and sign it, or an authorized representative such as a parent, executor or court-appointed guardian.

The form asks you to describe each bond by issue date, face amount, serial number and inscription, explain what happened, show your authority, and give details of any minor named on the bonds. You then choose your relief: electronic Series EE or I substitutes in a TreasuryDirect account, payment by direct deposit (the only option for Series HH bonds), or applying the bonds to a savings bond debt to the Treasury.

FileIt walks through each part and prints your answers onto the Treasury's own PDF, wrapping long inscriptions inside their boxes and keeping names with accents intact. It checks the bank routing number, ticks the savings bond debt box when you choose that option, and saves the completed claim to the right family member's folder. Every signer then signs in ink in front of a notary or certifying officer.

Who signs: Everyone named on the bonds, or an authorized representative, in ink before a notary or certifying officer.
Relief options: Electronic substitute bonds in TreasuryDirect (EE and I), direct deposit payment, or applying the bonds to a savings bond debt.
Send to: Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.
Disaster areas: Only parts 1, 5, 6B and 7, with DISASTER written on the first page and the envelope.
Edition: FS Form 1048 (Revised March 2026), OMB No. 1530-0021

Who needs to fill out FS Form 1048?

Bond owners whose paper savings bonds were lost in a move, stolen, or damaged by fire or water.
Executors and administrators who can't find bonds that belonged to someone who has died.
Parents and guardians claiming bonds registered to a child.
Families in a declared disaster area whose bonds were destroyed.
Owners of Series HH bonds, which can now only be paid by direct deposit after a loss.

When to use FS Form 1048

As soon as you know paper bonds are missing or destroyed, so they can be replaced or paid.
When you have enough details to describe the bonds: dates, amounts, serial numbers if possible, and the names and Social Security numbers on them.
Before a notary or bank appointment, since every signer must sign in front of the certifying officer.
When some pieces of a destroyed bond survive. Send the remaining pieces with the form.

What you need before you start

For each bond: the issue date or a range of dates, face amount, serial number if known, and the inscription (names, Social Security numbers and addresses).
When and how the bonds went missing, who had them last, and any police report.
Proof of your authority if you aren't named on the bonds, such as letters of appointment dated within one year.
A certified copy of the death certificate if a registrant has died.
A TreasuryDirect account number for electronic substitutes, or bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit.
Photo ID for each signer at the notary or certifying officer.

What’s on FS Form 1048

The 2026 edition has 6 pages. FileIt asks for it in 9 parts:

1. Description of the missing bondsClaimant
2. Details of the lossClaimant
3. Your authorityClaimant
4. Minors named on the bondsClaimant
5. Relief requestedClaimant
6. Delivery instructionsClaimant
7. Signatures and certification: youClaimant
Second signerClaimant
Third signerClaimant

How to fill out FS Form 1048, step by step

1 1. Describe the bonds

List each missing bond with its issue date, face amount, serial number and inscription. Use an attached list or FS Form 3500 if you have more than five.

2 2. Details of the loss

Say whether the bonds were lost, stolen or destroyed, whether a police report was filed, and when, where and with whom they were last seen.

3 3. Your authority

If you aren't named on the bonds, describe your role, such as executor or guardian, and whether a court appointed you.

4 4. Minors

If a minor is named on the bonds, give their details, who they live with, who supports them, and whether both parents can sign.

5 5-6. Relief and delivery

Choose electronic substitutes, direct deposit or applying the bonds to a debt, then give the TreasuryDirect account, bank details or invoice number.

6 7. Signers

Enter each signer's name, Social Security number, mailing address, phone and email. They sign later in front of the notary or certifying officer.

Common mistakes to avoid

Signing before seeing the notary or certifying officer. Signatures must be made in their presence.
Leaving out a co-owner or other person named on the bonds who also needs to sign.
Asking for paper replacements. Series EE and I substitutes are now issued only electronically in TreasuryDirect.
Requesting substitutes for Series HH bonds, which have all reached final maturity and can only be paid.
Forgetting the death certificate or letters of appointment when signing for someone else.
Giving the wrong routing or account number for direct deposit.

After you fill it out

Print the claim and take it, with photo ID, to a notary or an authorized certifying officer at a U.S. bank or credit union. Each signer signs in ink there, and the officer completes and stamps the certification.

Mail the form and any supporting documents to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. Documents you send can't be returned.

Keep FileIt's copy of the claim in the bond owner's folder, along with the police report and any letters from the Treasury.

Keep a copy of the signed, certified claim and any reports you sent, since documents sent to the Treasury can't be returned.

Fill out FS Form 1048 online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 86 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start FS Form 1048 now — it’s free

FS Form 1048: frequently asked questions

Can I get paper savings bonds back?

No. The form says Series EE and Series I substitutes are issued only in electronic form in TreasuryDirect. Series HH bonds can only be paid by direct deposit.

Do I need a notary for FS Form 1048?

Yes, or an authorized certifying officer at a U.S. financial institution. Each signer must appear in person, prove their identity and sign in front of them.

What if I don't know the serial numbers?

Describe the bonds as fully as you can: the issue dates or a range, face amounts and the names and Social Security numbers on them.

Can I claim bonds for someone who has died?

Yes, as their legal representative. Send a certified death certificate and, if court appointed, a court certificate or letters of appointment dated within one year.

What changes in a declared disaster area?

The instructions say you only need to complete parts 1, 5, 6B and 7, and write DISASTER on top of the first page and on the envelope.

Does FileIt send the claim to the Treasury?

No. FileIt fills the official PDF and saves it in your vault. You sign it in front of a notary or certifying officer and mail it yourself.

Where do I find a certifying officer?

The instructions say authorized certifying officers are available at financial institutions in the United States, including credit unions. A notary public can also certify the form.

What if the bonds total more than $5,000?

If a police, insurance, transportation or similar organization investigated the loss, send a copy of its report with the claim.

Can I get paid instead of getting substitute bonds?

Yes, by direct deposit. But Series EE and I bonds issued February 2003 or later can't be paid until a full year after issue, so substitutes are issued instead for those.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.treasurydirect.gov/forms/sav1048.pdf
Edition shown on this page: FS Form 1048 (Revised March 2026), OMB No. 1530-0021 (checked 2026-10-19).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.