ATTENTION PLAYERS: All Lottery offices are currently open to the public by appointment only for prizes valued at $600 or more.
Players with prizes valued at $600 or more can be mailed to the nearest Florida Lottery district office. Players with prizes valued at $250,000 or more can be mailed to Florida Lottery Headquarters.
To claim your prize by mail, simply mail the ticket(s) along with a Winner Claim Form and the documentation listed under the "Required Documentation" tab. Tickets mailed to Florida Lottery Headquarters or district offices are processed in approximately 30 - 45 days*.
If a Draw game ticket has been validated by a retailer and the prize was not paid, the envelope and its contents, including the winning ticket, must be postmarked on or before the 30th day after the claim deadline. If the ticket has not been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents must be postmarked on or before the claim deadline as detailed under the "Ticket Expiration" section below. If all required documentation is not received by the Lottery by the applicable extended claim date, the prize will be forfeited. All Florida MEGA MILLIONS, POWERBALL, CASH4LIFE, and Fast Play prizes must be claimed in Florida.
For Scratch-Off or Fast Play tickets that have been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents, including the winning ticket, must be postmarked on or before the 90th day after the official end of the game. If the Scratch-Off or Fast Play ticket has not been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents must be postmarked on or before the 60th day after the official game close. If all required documentation is not received by the Lottery by the applicable extended claim date, the prize will be forfeited.
NOTE: U.S. Postal Service regulations include various restrictions on mailing Lottery tickets. The risk of mailing tickets remains with the player and will not be assumed by the Lottery.Tickets mailed to the Florida Lottery Headquarters will be processed in the order in which they are received by the claims processing department. Damaged, state owed debt and disputed tickets may take longer.
*Processing timeframes are a general estimate; actual processing time may vary.Players with prizes valued at $600 or more can schedule claim appointments at Lottery offices.
Claim appointments are available Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., EST (Pensacola's hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., CST). The first hour of each day is reserved for players 65 and older and for those with serious underlying medical conditions.
For the safety of our employees and players, health screenings will be conducted prior to entry into a Lottery office building and players must wear a face covering while inside. To limit the number of people in an office at one time, players are asked to attend their claim appointment by themselves unless they require the assistance of another person for medical reasons.
Players with prizes valued at $600 or more can be claimed via secured drop box located inside any Florida Lottery district office.
To claim a prize via drop box, simply place the ticket(s) along with a Winner Claim Form and the documentation listed under the "Required Documentation" tab in an envelope and drop it off at Florida Lottery Headquarters or any district office. Tickets submitted via drop box to Florida Lottery Headquarters or district offices are processed in approximately 10 - 14 days*.
For the safety of our employees and players, health screenings will be conducted prior to entry into a Lottery office building and players must wear a face covering while inside.
If a Draw game ticket has been validated by a retailer and the prize was not paid, the envelope and its contents, including the winning ticket, must be submitted on or before the 30th day after the claim deadline. If the ticket has not been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents must be submitted on or before the claim deadline as detailed under the "Ticket Expiration" section below. If all required documentation is not received by the Lottery by the applicable extended claim date, the prize will be forfeited. All Florida MEGA MILLIONS, POWERBALL, CASH4LIFE, and Fast Play prizes must be claimed in Florida.
For Scratch-Off or Fast Play tickets that have been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents, including the winning ticket, must be submitted on or before the 90th day after the official end of the game. If the Scratch-Off or Fast Play ticket has not been validated by a retailer, the envelope and its contents must be submitted on or before the 60th day after the official game close. If all required documentation is not received by the Lottery by the applicable extended claim date, the prize will be forfeited.
Tickets submitted via drop box to Florida Lottery Headquarters will be processed in the order in which they are received by the claims processing department. Damaged, state owed debt, and disputed tickets may take longer.
*Processing timeframes are a general estimate; actual processing time may vary.To claim a prize of $600 or more, the player must:
PLAYERS SHOULD PROVIDE ALL DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED TO PAY A PRIZE AT THE TIME THE CLAIM IS FILED WITH THE LOTTERY.
Under the Federal Privacy Act, disclosure of a person's Social Security number is voluntary unless a Federal statute specifically requires such disclosure or allows states to collect the number. For claimants of Florida Lottery prizes valued at $600 or more, disclosure is required by 26 U.S.C. s. 3402 and 26 U.S.C. s. 6109 for tax withholding and reporting purposes. Social Security numbers will also be used to determine whether a claimant owes an outstanding debt to a state agency or child support collected through a court, pursuant to Section 24.115, Florida Statutes.
The deadlines for claiming prizes for Draw, Fast Play, and Scratch-Off games have been extended as follows:
Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire. For more information on the documents needed to claim a prize, click here.
For faster payment, Florida Lottery winners should complete the information on the back of their winning ticket and take it to any retailer for validation. The ticket issued is the only valid receipt for claiming a prize.
FLORIDA LOTTO®, MEGA MILLIONS® and POWERBALL® jackpot prizes may be paid in 30 annual installments, and JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY™ jackpot prizes may be paid in 25 annual installments. CASH4LIFE™ Grand Prize and second prize may be paid for the natural life of the winner. Certain Scratch-Off games that offer an annual payment option may be paid in annual installments in accordance with the rule for that game.
FLORIDA LOTTO, MEGA MILLIONS, POWERBALL, JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY, CASH4LIFE and certain Scratch-Off games also offer a Cash Option method of payment – a one-time, lump-sum payment that jackpot winners may choose to receive instead of receiving their winnings in annual payments. Payment may be made by check or by ACH transfer to a bank or brokerage account in the winner's name; however, the Lottery strongly recommends the ACH transfer method of payment. A winner electing the ACH transfer method of payment must provide the Lottery with a voided check or ACH transfer instructions to a financial institution. FLORIDA LOTTO, MEGA MILLIONS, POWERBALL, JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY and CASH4LIFE winners who wish to elect the Cash Option method of payment must claim their prizes and make their payment election within 60 days after the winning draw date. If the winner does not elect the Cash Option within 60 days after the winning draw date, the prize will be paid in annual payments.
FLORIDA LOTTO players who match 2-of-6 winning numbers will win a free FLORIDA LOTTO Quick Pick ticket for the next available drawing. JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY with Combo players with 4 winning number matches will win a free JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY with Combo Quick Pick ticket for the next available drawing. FANTASY 5™ players who match 2-of-5 winning numbers will win a free FANTASY 5 Quick Pick ticket for the next available drawing. CASH4LIFE® players who match 1-of-5 winning numbers and the Cash Ball number will win a free CASH4LIFE Quick Pick ticket for the next available drawing. Players may claim their free Quick Pick tickets at any Florida Lottery retailer. Once a free Quick Pick ticket has printed, it cannot be canceled. Out-of-state players who mail in FLORIDA LOTTO tickets that match 2-of-6 winning numbers, JACKPOT TRIPLE PLAY with Combo tickets with 4 winning number matches, FANTASY 5 tickets that match 2-of-5 winning numbers, or CASH4LIFE tickets that match 1-of-5 winning numbers and the Cash Ball number will receive a check for the value of the free Quick Pick ticket(s), in lieu of the free Quick Pick ticket(s) due to U.S. Postal regulations, which prohibit the mailing of Lottery tickets across state lines.
Winnings and any taxes withheld are reported in accordance with the Internal Revenue Code and Code of Federal Regulations on all Florida Lottery winnings with a value of $600 or more. If a Florida Lottery prizewinner is a U.S. citizen or resident alien, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires the Florida Lottery to withhold 24 percent federal withholding tax from prizes greater than $5,000. For non-resident aliens, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 30 percent federal withholding tax from all prize amounts. For information on Lottery prizes and your Federal tax obligations visit: www.irs.gov.