Claiming Prizes

If You Win a Jackpot  |  Winning Ticket Tips  |  Group Play Tips

No matter what you win, you'll have questions and details to iron out. This section offers tips and information on what to do when your ticket is a winner.

Time Limit For Claims

You have 180 days to claim your prize from both the official end of Scratchers games and the day of the drawing of Draw Games. The Missouri Lottery is not liable for any lost, stolen or damaged tickets.

Claims of $600 and Less

Missouri Lottery retailers may be able to redeem prizes up to $600 (pending the store's cash balances for that day). You can also claim your prize in person at any of the Lottery's offices.

Claims of $600.01 and More

Prizes from $600.01 to $36,000 can be paid the same day of the claim at any Lottery office, but it takes approximately two weeks to redeem prizes of more than $36,000. For any prize of $600.01 and above, you must submit an official Missouri Lottery winner claim form with your winning ticket. Please come in person; a photo ID is also required when claiming your prize. It is also your responsibility to complete IRS Form W-9 — Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. This form is required for any taxable winnings of $600.01 and above.

Lotto and Powerball prizes, which are $1 million and higher, are paid either in annual installments (in 25 annual payments for Lotto prizes and in 30 annual payments for Powerball prizes) or in a lump sum. Mega Millions jackpot prizes are paid in either annual installments (paid out over 26 years) or in a lump sum. Cash option prizes are approximately half of the advertised jackpot. For more information about these special prizes, see If You Win A Jackpot.

Claim Prizes by Mail

Any Lottery prize may be claimed by mail. Your name, address, telephone number and signature must be on the back of the ticket. If the prize is $600.01 or more, be sure to include a completed claim form. In addition to the claim form, it is your responsibility to complete IRS Form W-9 — Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification for any taxable winnings of $600.01 or more.

The original ticket and claim form should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

PO Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO  65102-7777

Taxes

All Lottery winnings are subject to federal and state taxes. The Missouri Lottery is required to withhold 4 percent Missouri state tax on prizes of $600.01 or more, along with 25 percent federal tax for prizes of more than $5,000. Winners may owe additional taxes for the prize or they may receive a refund, depending on personal income.

Claim Form

Obtain an official Missouri Lottery Winner Claim Form from this Web site. All prizes of $600.01 or more must be accompanied by a claim form. In addition to the claim form, it is your responsibility to complete IRS Form W-9 — Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification. This form is required for any taxable winnings of $600.01 and above.

To access and print the claim form, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may download it for free at the Adobe Acrobat Web site.

Complete the Form

You can type in the information right in the open form. However, you must print the completed form and mail it along with your winning ticket to the Missouri Lottery. Claim forms printed from this Web site must be printed on one sheet of paper to be valid.

Claim form

IRS Form W-9 — Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
(Required for all taxable winnings $600.01 and above.)

To access the forms above, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher. It is available for free from Adobe for Windows, Macintosh and Unix platforms.