What are California's claim deadlines?
There are three clocks, depending on what you won:
- Draw games: 180 days from the draw date. That covers SuperLotto Plus, Fantasy 5, Daily 3, Daily 4 and Daily Derby, and every Powerball and Mega Millions prize below the jackpot.
- Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots: up to one year from the draw date. Only the top prize gets the longer window. A Match 5 or Match 4 plus bonus ball win still has 180 days.
- Scratchers: 180 days from the end-of-game date the Lottery announces, not from the day you bought the ticket. A ticket from a game that's still on sale, or one that ended recently, may still be good.
These windows come from state law. California Government Code §8880.321(e) gives players the right to claim "for 180 days after the drawing or the end of the lottery game or play in which the prize was won, or, if a multistate lottery game, up to one year for jackpots and grand prizes." For a mailed claim, the California Lottery's rule is that it must be postmarked or received within the deadline.
Is there a separate deadline for the cash option?
Yes, for jackpot winners. If you win a SuperLotto Plus, Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, you have 60 days after the Lottery approves your claim to choose the cash option instead of the 30-year annuity, using a notarized election form if you don't make the choice at a district office. If no election arrives in time, the prize is paid in 30 annual installments. Group winners must all pick the same option, or the payment defaults to the annuity. How to weigh the two is covered in lump sum vs annuity.
Where do you claim a California Lottery prize?
Prizes of $599 or less can be cashed at any California Lottery retailer or claimed by mail. That's most prizes, and it's the tier people most often forget about.
For $600 or more, you fill in a claim form and send it with the signed ticket by mail, or take both to a Lottery district office. For a jackpot or other large prize, prepare before you go in: the order of steps is in how to claim a lottery prize. California has no law that lets winners stay anonymous, so your name can be made public once you claim (see can you stay anonymous in California?).
California doesn't tax California Lottery winnings, as explained in does California tax lottery winnings?, but federal tax still applies. Under the IRS Form W-2G instructions, 24% is withheld from lottery winnings over $5,000. Winnings paid to a nonresident alien are generally subject to 30% withholding instead.
Sign the back of a winning ticket. Until it's signed, a lottery ticket works like cash: the person holding it can claim it.
What happens to unclaimed California Lottery prizes?
They go to public schools. California's unclaimed prize money is passed to public education along with the Lottery's regular contributions, and the state Controller distributes it each quarter with the rest of the Lottery's education funding. It doesn't roll into future jackpots. Expired jackpot-level prizes happen from time to time; we look at why big prizes go unclaimed in unclaimed lottery jackpots.
How does California compare with other states?
Claim periods across the US run from 90 days to one year from the draw date, according to the Mega Millions FAQ, and 180 days is common. California's 180 days for most prizes sits in the middle of that range, with the one-year jackpot exception added on top. Other states' rules are in how long to claim a winning ticket.
The simplest protection is to check tickets on the night of the draw. Every California drawing we record is on our California results page, and you can look up a past Powerball drawing by date if a ticket has been sitting in a drawer.
California claim deadline FAQ
How long do you have to claim a lottery prize in California?
180 days from the draw date for draw-game prizes. Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots can be claimed for up to one year, and Scratchers within 180 days of the game's announced end date. The deadlines are set by California Government Code section 8880.321.
Where do you claim California Lottery prizes?
Prizes of $599 or less can be claimed at any California Lottery retailer or by mail. Prizes of $600 or more need a claim form and the signed ticket, submitted by mail or at a Lottery district office.
What happens to unclaimed lottery prizes in California?
Unclaimed prize money goes to California public education. It doesn't roll into future jackpots.
How long does a California jackpot winner have to choose the lump sum?
60 days after the Lottery approves the claim. If no election is made in that time, the prize is paid as 30 annual installments.
Play responsibly. If gambling stops being fun, the national helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
Sources: California Government Code §8880.321, California Lottery claim instructions and Winner's Handbook, California Department of Education lottery FAQ, IRS Instructions for Form W-2G, Mega Millions FAQ.
