Replacing or Reissuing I Savings Bonds

You can have a bond replaced if it is lost, stolen, mutilated, or never received. If, however, you want to change the bond's registration, you need to have it reissued. Reissue is a transaction request to re-register savings bonds.

I Bonds still earning interest can be reissued in some cases.
Reissued bonds keep the same issue dates and interest earnings as the original bonds.
If your I Bond has an incorrect registration, reissuing may not be needed. Find out if your bond should be reissued.

On this page is a listing of applicable forms and allowable reissue transactions when at least one person named on the bonds is still living. Also, you can find out what to do if you need a bond replaced.

When to Request Reissue

Here are the reasons to use Form PD 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.

When to Request Replacement

If Your Bond Is Lost before You Receive It - If you order a bond and don't receive it within 15 business days, contact the institution where you bought it. The institution will try to find out why you didn't receive your bond and will help you fill out a claim form to request a replacement bond. If you don't receive a bond you bought through a Payroll Savings Plan, contact your employer's payroll office for a claim form.
If Your Bond Is Lost or Destroyed after You Receive It - To get your bond replaced, fill out Form PD F 1048.

Mail the completed form to:

Bureau of the Public Debt
P.O. Box 7012
Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012

NOTE: Once you receive replacement bonds or payment for lost bonds, the original bonds belong to the U.S. Government. If you find bonds after receiving replacements or payment for them, please return them to us!

Who Needs to Approve a Registration Change

For paper bonds in the names of two people as co-owners:

Correcting errors or updating the registration to show a change in your name doesn't require the consent or approval of the other co-owner.
Major changes, such as changing or removing the name of a co-owner or designating a trustee, require that both co-owners sign the form.

The owner of a Series I bond may request changes to the registration, including changing or removing the beneficiary, without the consent of a beneficiary.

What to Do When a Bond Owner Has Died

For information on reissuing bonds when all persons are deceased, see Death of a Savings Bonds Owner.

Tax Considerations

Some reissue transactions are taxable events and require the interest earned on the bonds to be reported as income in the year the reissue occurs. Find out if reissuing your bonds will be considered a reportable event for federal income tax purposes.