How to Claim a Prize
Depending on how much your prize is, there are a few ways for you to claim your winnings. To claim your prize, you will need the original ticket. For your protection, sign the back of your winning ticket and keep it safe because it is a bearer instrument.
Winning draw game tickets expire one year from the date of the draw.
Winning Scratch-Off ticket expiration information can be found in the Game Report PDF on the Scratch-Off Games Page.
If your prize is up to and including $600:
Options
- Claim it at any licensed New York Lottery retail location
- Schedule an appointment at any of the Lottery’s Customer Service Centers
- Mail it to the Lottery
If your prize is $601 or more:
Options
- Schedule an appointment and claim your prize at one of the Lottery’s Customer Service Centers. Appointment is required to claim prize.
- Redeem at a local Prize Claim Center. Appointment is not required to claim prize.
- Mail it to the Lottery
What you need
To redeem your prize, you will need to provide
- Your winning ticket
- A filled-out Winner Claim Form
- A valid government-issued ID
- A valid Social Security Number or FEIN
If you would like to claim your prize at a Lottery Customer Service Center, you must setup an appointment. We are not able to accommodate walk-in service at this time.
If your prize is $600 and below, you will need to fill out Steps 1 through 11 on the Winner Claim Form, a current and valid government-issued ID, and your winning ticket.
Acceptable forms of Photo Identification include:
- US/Foreign Passport
- Driver License or Non-Driver ID
- Driver Learner Permit
- Government ID
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Certificate of Citizenship
- Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
- Birth Certificate and a form of photo ID with name
- US Military ID
- Social Security Card or Federal Taxpayer ID Certification must be presented with these forms of ID.
- New York City ID
- New York State Benefit ID Card
- MTA Reduced Fare MetroCard
If your prize is $601 or above, you will need to fill out the entire Winner Claim Form (including your Social Security Number, TIN or FEIN), a current and valid government-issued ID, and your winning ticket.
Your claim will be processed on site unless your prize is a Jackpot win, a Mega Millions prize over $500,000 or a Powerball prize $50,000 and over. These claims will be provided to the Lottery’s Schenectady office for processing.
Make a copy of your Winner Claim Form and winning ticket and hold onto them until you receive your prize.
Lottery Customer Service Centers can process up to 30 winning tickets per visit. Players may leave additional tickets for processing.
Prize Claim Centers are located at Video Gaming Facilities and Casinos. You must be 21+ to claim at casinos. Powerball® prizes less than $50,000 and prizes less than $250,000 for all other games can be claimed at Prize Claim Centers.
Winning tickets for all amounts may be mailed to the address below. If your prize is $601 and above, complete the ticket back and include a completed Winner Claim Form. Make a copy of the front and back of your ticket, as well as the completed Winner Claim Form. We recommend you use registered mail to track your mailing. Please be sure to include a return address:
New York Lottery
PO Box 7533
Schenectady, NY 12301-7533
Remember! Draw Game prizes must be claimed within one year of the draw date. Scratch-Off Game prizes must be claimed within one year from the announced end of the game. Find your game's individual page here to see if a Cash Deadline has been announced. If you do not see the game listed, it’s likely past its Cash Deadline.
IMPORTANT: Starting April 4, 2023: Any vouchers from video lottery facilities must be cashed in person or by U.S. mail by the facility where the voucher was issued. Such vouchers may be cashed up to one year from the date of issuance. Vouchers may no longer be claimed at Lottery Claim Centers (except for those issued prior to April 4 and older than 45 days).
Scratch-Off Games - Some Scratch-Off Games only offer the jackpot prize as one lump-sum payment, however, as of May 1, 2013, a new Scratch-Off Game annuity jackpot claimant now has the choice of a lump sum prize payment or the announced annuity payment.
Lotto, Mega Millions, Powerball, or Cash4Life - There are two jackpot payment options available if you win a jackpot prize from any of these games: annuity payments or lump sum cash value. Whether you choose lump sum or annual payments, all payments are made by direct deposit wire two to three business days after the required press event.
“For Life” prizes may be paid annually or as a one-time payment, depending on how you choose to receive your prize. When you come in to claim your ticket, your options will be discussed.
Once your prize claim has been approved by the Lottery, and the Press and Community Relations Office completes your media announcement, your lump sum or initial payment will be electronically transferred to the bank account of your choice. We’ll tell you more when you first claim your prize!
Each Scratch-Off Game has features that help to identify whether it is a winning ticket. In addition to the number and/or symbols used for game play, each has a caption printed under it with either the spelling of the number or an abbreviation of the number. Both the number and caption must match to identify a winning ticket and the validation codes on the ticket must match the Lottery's computer records for the game. You can also take your Scratch-Off Game to a retailer or scan it with our mobile app to confirm its status.
All Lottery tickets are bearer instruments, meaning the tickets are like currency. If you lose your ticket and it does not have your signature on it, anyone can use the ticket to claim a prize. If you lose your ticket, please contact a Customer Service Center. Remember to always sign the back of your tickets right away.
Yes. Since you're overseas, you can download a Winner Claim Form and mail it to: New York Lottery PO Box 7533 Schenectady, NY 12301-7533.
Cash Deadlines are posted on each Scratch-Off Game’s individual page (find your game here).
You don’t have to choose a jackpot payment option at the time of purchase. If you win a jackpot, you will have up to 60 days to choose from the date you claim your prize at a Lottery Customer Service Center.
The bonus prize of a Take Five Quick Pick is called a Free Play. It can be redeemed at any retailer location within 45 days of the draw date.
The Lottery will continue making payments to the original prize winner, the estate of a deceased prize winner, or whoever the Lottery is ordered to pay pursuant to an appropriate judicial order. This is according to New York State Tax Law Section 1613. Lottery payments will not be accelerated upon a prize winner's death.
No, sorry! Winning tickets must be cashed in the state in which you purchased them. This is because the states with Cash4Life, Mega Millions, and Powerball run independent computer systems that can’t process or validate tickets from the other states.
You may be required to attend and participate in a press event and public announcement. The New York Lottery is a government agency and Lottery prizes are public funds, so we owe it to all our players to disclose the names of winners. If you’re a Lottery winner, your name and city of residence may be public information, but we won’t release your street address or telephone number. The Lottery requires personal information from prize winners pursuant to its authority under Tax law Section 1604 to operate and administer the New York Lottery, which includes the marketing and advertising of the Lottery and the identification of the person entitled to a prize award. The Lottery may defer the determination of a prize claim pending a claimant's participation in a news conference, announcement, the conclusion of any investigation, or litigation concerning the right to a prize.
