Savings Bond Maturity Checker
Enter your bond's series and issue date to see whether it is still earning interest, when key milestones occur, and when it reaches final 30-year maturity.
Bond Details
Key Date Reference
| Milestone | Occurs At | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible to redeem | 12 months after issue | Earliest you can cash the bond (penalty still applies) |
| Penalty-free redemption | 5 years after issue | No more 3-month interest forfeit |
| EE doubling guarantee | 20 years after issue (EE only, issued ≥ May 2005) | Bond guaranteed worth 2× purchase price |
| Final maturity | 30 years after issue | Bond stops earning interest — redeem promptly |
Understanding Savings Bond Maturity
A US savings bond has two key lifecycle events:
- Original maturity (older bonds): For Series EE bonds issued before May 2005, the original maturity was when the bond first reached its face value — typically around 17–18 years, depending on prevailing interest rates. After that point the bond entered extended maturity periods and continued earning interest.
- Final maturity (30 years): All Series EE and Series I bonds stop earning interest at 30 years from the issue date, regardless of series or rate. This is the hard deadline for cashing the bond.
If you have bonds issued more than 30 years ago — for example, a bond with an issue date of June 1993 or earlier — it has already reached final maturity and is no longer earning interest. Redeeming it now will not earn more than it would have at the 30-year mark.
Bonds That Are No Longer Earning
Bonds with an issue date of June 1996 or earlier have reached final maturity as of June 2026 and are no longer growing. If you have paper bonds in a drawer, look at the issue date. Any bond more than 30 years old should be cashed immediately.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Both Series EE and Series I savings bonds stop earning interest after exactly 30 years from the issue date. After that point, the bond value is frozen and will not increase. You should redeem it promptly once it reaches final maturity.
For older Series EE bonds, "original maturity" referred to when the bond first reached face value (typically 17 or 18 years, depending on the rate). "Final maturity" is always 30 years — the point when interest stops entirely. For bonds issued since May 2005, the more relevant milestone is the 20-year doubling guarantee.
The easiest way is to enter your bond's series, denomination, and issue date into the TreasuryDirect Savings Bond Calculator at treasurydirect.gov. If the bond was issued more than 30 years ago, it has matured and no longer earns interest. The maturity checker on this page also shows whether your bond is still earning.
Nothing bad happens to the principal — you still own the bond and can redeem it for the maturity value at any time. However, you earn zero additional interest after the 30-year mark. If you have old bonds sitting in a drawer, check their issue dates: bonds issued before 1996 have already reached final maturity.
Yes, beneficiaries and survivors can redeem savings bonds. Paper bonds owned by a deceased person may require Form PD F 5336 (Redemption/Exchange of United States Savings Bonds Acquired by a Deceased Owner's Estate) or other estate documents. Electronic bonds in a TreasuryDirect account require navigating the beneficiary process at TreasuryDirect. The process varies depending on how the bond was titled.