What to Do If You Win the Lottery: Your First Steps

Congratulations! Here’s how to go from winning ticket to claimed prize. Confirm the win, sign your ticket where your state lottery says to, and keep it somewhere safe. Then look up your state’s claim deadline and process. For a large prize, a tax professional and a lawyer are great people to talk to before you claim. Every state sets its own rules, so the details below are examples rather than rules for every state.

1. Check the ticket

Check your numbers with our ticket checker or on your state lottery’s official website. You can also scan the ticket at a store. The Florida Lottery says you can check a ticket at a self-check scanner in any retailer, and that doing so can give you more time to claim.

2. Sign it and keep it safe

• Florida tells players to sign a ticket as soon as they buy it, so no one else can claim the prize if the ticket is lost. The lottery also notes that it can’t look up or track down a lost ticket.
• Texas tells players to check tickets for mistakes when they buy them and to sign them.

Played in a group? Sort out the details before anyone claims. The Texas Lottery pays only one claimant per ticket. That claimant can be one person, a trust, a partnership, a company or another legal entity. Texas encourages groups to write down their agreement before buying tickets, and says the way you claim can’t be changed after the prize is paid. If you might claim as a group or through a trust, ask a lawyer how to sign first. Our pool split tool can help you work out shares.

3. Find your deadline

Every prize has a claim window. Some examples:

• Texas: Winning draw game tickets, including Powerball and Mega Millions, are good for 180 days from the drawing. Scratch tickets are good for 180 days after the game closes.
• Florida: You have 180 days after the drawing to claim a draw game prize. For a Scratch-Off, you have 60 days after the game ends.
• Mega Millions jackpots: The time limit depends on the state where the ticket was sold. Mega Millions says it ranges from 90 days to one year.

Give yourself some breathing room, since gathering documents and getting advice can take a little while.

4. Learn how your state pays prizes

How and where you claim depends on the state and the size of the prize:

• California: Prizes of $600 or more can be claimed at a California Lottery District Office or by mail with a claim form. District offices can pay prizes of $1,000 or less the same day. For mail claims without errors, a check usually arrives in 4 to 6 weeks.
• Florida: You can claim by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Prizes over $1 million, and prizes with a yearly payment option, must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters. Powerball and Mega Millions prizes from $600 to $1 million are the exception: those can be claimed at district offices. You need ID for prizes of $600 or more.
• Texas: Stores may pay prizes of $599 or less. Prizes of $600 or more are paid at a Texas Lottery claim center.

Jackpot winners also choose between cash and yearly payments, and states set different deadlines for that choice. Florida gives you 60 days, and the Texas Lottery FAQ says Texas players choose when they buy. Our lump sum vs. annuity guide covers the trade-offs.

5. Get advice before you claim

The Texas Lottery recommends professional advice, including legal or financial advice, before you claim, especially for large prizes or prizes paid in installments. The Florida Lottery suggests building a team of advisors.

Taxes are part of that conversation. The Florida Lottery reports winnings of $2,000 or more to the IRS. For prizes over $5,000, it withholds 24% for federal taxes if you give a valid Social Security number, and 30% on all prizes if you don’t. Withholding may not cover your full tax bill, so read how lottery taxes work and try our tax calculator.

6. Think about privacy

States have different laws on whether winners can stay anonymous. Powerball says some states must give the winner’s name, city, game and prize amount to anyone who asks. Others let winners claim through a trust or other legal entity, which can keep their name private. Either way, the lottery must know who bought the winning ticket.

7. Know how the lottery contacts you

If someone reaches out about your prize, here’s a handy check: the California Lottery says its staff will mention claim details that only you and the lottery know, and point you to official channels so you can confirm. Our lottery scams guide shows how to spot a fake.