How to Claim Millionaire for Life Prizes

Secure Your Ticket

If you've got a winning ticket, it's recommended to sign it as a safeguard against theft. Destroyed, lost, or stolen tickets cannot be replaced, and damaged tickets are usually unable to be redeemed, so it's important to store your lottery tickets safely.

Securing Mail-in Claims

If you plan to make your claim by mail (more on this to follow), it's recommended to send your documents by Registered Mail or Certified Mail, depending on the value of your win. Certified Mail only provides tracking numbers and proof of receipt, which might be more appropriate for low-value claims. Registered Mail is intended for shipping valuable items; it is highly secure, but slower and more expensive.

Claiming Millionaire for Life Prizes

The claims-methods available to you depend mainly on the value of the prize you've won. It's also a requirement that you have to claim within the state the ticket was purchased, or by mail to the state lottery that sold your ticket.

$599 and under

Six of the nine Millionaire for Life prize levels are under $599. To claim prizes of this value, simply visit your nearest state lottery retailer (must be within the same state the ticket was purchased) and claim your winnings in-person. Alternatively, you can claim these prizes by mail: especially useful if you've won a small prize while you were on holiday halfway across the country, for example.

$600 and over

Only the top three prizes in Millionaire for Life are worth over $600, nicely done! These prizes can't be claimed over the counter at your local store, as the lowest of the three is still worth $7,500.

In this case, it's recommended to contact your state lottery to ask for guidance, as you don't want to fumble this kind of cash. You'll be able to claim all three of the top prizes in-person at the state lottery HQ, and the $7,500 prize should be OK to claim by mail (in most states, the top two prizes are too high to be claimed by mail). You’ll need to bring some government-issued photo ID, your Social Security number, and your signed winning ticket.

Claiming by Mail

If you decide to claim by mail, you should do some online research into your state's process & procedures. You may need to download, print, and complete a lottery claims form based on the value of your win, and may need to include copies of your ID with your ticket. At the very least, you'll need to check where to mail it to!

The mailing addresses are, obviously, extremely important, so we have decided not to publish them here. To avoid accidents, we would recommend checking the website of the official state lottery operator for the current, up-to-date mail-in prize claim address.

Lottery Headquarters

Below, we've provided a list of state lottery head offices and their contact details, so you can get in touch with them in the event of a big win, or even if you'd just appreciate more guidance with the claims process. Bear in mind that many state lotteries have multiple offices, so you won't necessarily have to visit the head office to claim a prize in-person, especially if another branch is closer.

Important: The address for the HQ is usually not the same as the mail-in claims address. Don't send your tickets there!

Claim Periods

Check the list below to find out how many days you have in which to claim your Millionaire for Life prize. It's important to make your claim within this period, otherwise your ticket will expire and the prize will be lost forever.

The claims limit applies no matter how much you've won. For the top two prizes, many states require winners to claim within 60 days of the draw date if they want to receive the prize as a one-time cash payment. After the 60-day limit, only the annuity option is available.

*Millionaire for Life is not yet available to play. It will launch in March 2026. The list of lottery headquarters and claim periods will be updated when the participating states are confirmed.