All On-line game prizes must be claimed at a Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery office on or before the 180th day after the winning drawing. All Scratch-Off game prizes must be claimed at a Florida Lottery retailer or Lottery office on or before the 60th day after the official end of the game. For fast 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.
General questions about claiming prizes can be answered by Florida Lottery District Offices, the Player Information Line at (850) 487-7787, or via e-mail at Asklott@flalottery.com. We recommend that players contact the Florida Lottery office in their area to confirm the hours of operation for same-day payment and to confirm the necessary documentation for their claim to be processed.
Where to Claim
In Person:
Prizes of less than $600 may be claimed at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer, Florida Lottery district offices, or at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Prizes of less than $600 do not require the completion of a Florida Lottery Winner Claim Form, unless the player is specifically directed by either a Florida Lottery retailer or a Florida Lottery official to file a claim.
Prizes of $600 to $250,000 may be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office or at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
Prizes greater than $250,000 must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Players should call the Player Information Line at (850) 487-7787 or TDD (850) 487-7784 for instructions and assistance.
By Mail:
All winning tickets of $250,000 or less may be mailed to the Florida Lottery for prize payment. A photocopy of required identification must accompany claims valued at $600 or more that are submitted by mail. To claim your prize by mail, simply mail a completed Winner Claim Form, a photocopy of the required identification (if the prize is valued at $600 or more) and the ticket to:
The envelope in which a ticket is mailed must be postmarked on or before the 60th day after the official end of game for a Scratch-Off ticket and on or before the 180th day after the winning drawing for an On-line ticket.
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.
Required Documentation
To claim a prize of $600 or more, the player must:
Complete a Florida Lottery Winner Claim Form. You may click here to download a Florida Lottery Winner Claim Form in PDF format; however, you will need Acrobat Reader to view the PDF file. To obtain a Florida Lottery Winner Claim Form, visit any Florida Lottery office or write to: Florida Lottery Customer Service Division, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-4016. Payment will be made to the person whose name appears first on the name line on the back of the ticket. Processing time may increase if additional names are listed.
Present one form of identification that is current or was issued within the past five years and bears a serial number or other identifying number. Acceptable forms of identification include:
An identification card or driver's license issued by a public agency authorized to issue driver's licenses in Florida, a state other than Florida, a territory of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
A passport issued by the U.S. Department of State.
A passport issued by a foreign government.
An identification card issued by any branch of the U.S. armed forces.
An identification card issued by the United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Players must provide to the Florida Lottery all documentation required to pay a prize at the time the claim is filed. If an On-line ticket has been validated by a retailer and the prize was not paid, the ticket and all required documents must be received by the Lottery on or before the 210th day after the draw date. For Scratch-off tickets, all documentation required to pay a prize must be submitted to the Florida Lottery on or before the 90th day after the official end of the game. If all required documentation is not received by the Lottery by the 210th or 90th day, as applicable, the prize will be forfeited.
Privacy Act Notice: 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.
Prize Options
Annuities: FLORIDA LOTTO™ jackpot prizes may be paid in 30 annual installments, and MEGA MONEY™ jackpot prizes may be paid in 20 annual installments.
Cash option: FLORIDA LOTTO, MEGA MONEY 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 wire transfer to a bank or brokerage account in the winner's name; however, the Lottery strongly recommends the wire transfer method of payment. A winner electing the wire transfer method of payment must provide the Lottery with a void check or wire transfer instructions to an appropriate account. FLORIDA LOTTO and MEGA MONEY jackpot winners who want the Cash Option payment must claim their prizes within the first 60 days after the draw date. If the prize is not claimed within the first 60 days of the redemption period, it will be paid out in annual payments.
Free Quick Pick Tickets: Players with FANTASY 5® tickets that mach 2-of-5 winning numbers and/or MEGA MONEY tickets that match only the winning MEGABALL number, will win a free Quick Pick ticket for the same game 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 winning FANTASY 5 tickets that match 2-of-5 winning numbers or MEGA MONEY tickets that match only the winning MEGABALL number will receive a check for the value of the free ticket(s), instead of the free Quick Pick ticket(s) due to U.S. Postal regulations.
Federal Withholding Taxes: Appropriate federal income taxes will be withheld from both Cash Option and annual payments at the time payments are made. If a Florida Lottery prizewinner is a U.S. citizen or resident alien with a Social Security number, the Internal Revenue Service requires the Florida Lottery to withhold 25 percent federal withholding tax from prizes greater than $5,000. If the prizewinner is a U.S. citizen or resident alien who does not have a Social Security number, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 28 percent federal withholding tax from any prize of $600 or more. For nonresident aliens, the Florida Lottery is required to withhold 30 percent federal withholding tax from all prize amounts. The Internal Revenue Service requires the Florida Lottery to report all winnings of $600 or more for U.S. citizens and resident aliens.
For information on Lottery prizes and your Federal tax obligations visit: www.irs.gov.
How To Care For Your Ticket
Store your ticket in a safe place until you are ready to redeem it.
DO NOT expose your ticket to extreme sunlight or heat including from irons, dryers or windowpanes.
DO NOT laminate Lottery tickets.
DO NOT expose your ticket to fatty substances such as oil, butter or milk.
DO NOT submerge your ticket underwater. Water will affect a ticket if it is submerged for a prolonged period of time.
If your ticket is damaged, a Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery office may be able to redeem your ticket if the barcode or ticket number is legible.
"Remember, players are responsible for the safekeeping of tickets"
