Savings bonds mature on a fixed schedule set by the U.S. Treasury when you buy them

A savings bond reaches maturity on a specific date printed on the bond itself — usually 20 or 30 years after you purchase it, depending on the type. Series EE bonds mature in 30 years. Series I bonds mature in 30 years as well. Once a bond matures, it stops earning interest, even if you leave the money in your account.

The maturity date is not something you choose or change. It is determined by the Treasury at the moment of purchase. If you buy a Series EE bond today, that bond will mature exactly 30 years from today. If you buy a Series I bond, same timeline — 30 years out.

You do not have to cash the bond when it matures. You can leave it sitting in your Treasury Direct account indefinitely, but it will earn nothing after the maturity date passes. This is why knowing your maturity date matters: it tells you when your money stops growing.

Key Takeaways

  • Series EE and Series I bonds both mature 30 years after purchase, and the maturity date is printed on your bond confirmation.
  • After maturity, the bond stops earning interest even if you do not cash it, so money left in a mature bond grows at zero percent.
  • You can cash a mature bond anytime through Treasury Direct, your bank, or a financial institution — there is no deadline to redeem it.
  • If you need the money before maturity, you can redeem early, but Series EE and I bonds have penalties if cashed within the first five years.

How to find your bond's maturity date

Log into your Treasury Direct account and look at your bond holdings. Each bond shows a purchase date and a maturity date side by side. The maturity date is always exactly 30 years after the purchase date for both Series EE and Series I bonds — no exceptions.

If you own paper bonds issued before 2012, the maturity date is also printed on the bond certificate itself, usually in small text near the serial number. You can calculate it by adding 30 years to the issue date shown on the front.

For bonds held at a bank or brokerage instead of Treasury Direct, ask your institution for a statement showing the maturity date. They will have this information in their records.

What happens when a bond matures

The bond reaches its final maturity value — the amount of money you will receive if you cash it. For Series EE bonds, this is at least double what you paid (the Treasury guarantees this). For Series I bonds, the final value depends on the interest rates that were in effect during the 30 years you held it.

After maturity, the bond no longer accrues interest. If you leave $5,000 in a mature bond sitting in Treasury Direct for another 10 years, it will still be worth $5,000 (or whatever the final maturity value was). No growth happens.

The bond itself does not expire or become worthless. You can redeem it at any point after maturity — there is no deadline. But the longer you wait after maturity to cash it, the longer your money sits earning nothing when it could be earning interest elsewhere.

Cashing a bond before it matures

You can redeem a Series EE or Series I bond before the 30-year maturity date, but the Treasury charges a penalty if you cash it within the first five years of ownership. The penalty is the last three months of interest earned.

After five years, you can cash the bond with no penalty. The amount you receive is the current value of the bond at that moment, not the final maturity value. If you bought a Series EE bond for $50 and it has grown to $65 after seven years, you receive $65 (minus any taxes owed).

Redeem through Treasury Direct by logging in and selecting the bond, or take a paper bond to your bank or a financial institution that handles savings bonds. Most banks will cash them for free, though some charge a small fee.

Tax treatment at maturity

You owe federal income tax on the interest your bond earned, but only when you cash it — not when it matures. If you let a mature bond sit for years without redeeming it, you still do not owe tax until you actually cash it.

You can choose to report the interest each year as it accrues (called the accrual method), or wait and report it all at once when you redeem. Most people wait. When you do redeem, the financial institution will issue you a Form 1099-INT showing the total interest earned, which you report on your tax return.

State and local taxes do not apply to savings bond interest — only federal tax does. This is one reason savings bonds are sometimes used for education savings, though the tax advantage is modest.

Planning around maturity dates

If you own multiple bonds, they will mature on different dates depending on when you bought each one. Keep a simple list or spreadsheet with the purchase date and maturity date of each bond. This helps you see which bonds are approaching maturity and which still have years to grow.

Some people use bond maturity dates to align with major expenses — a bond maturing when a child turns 18, for example. Because you know the exact maturity date at purchase, you can plan around it. Just remember that the bond will stop earning interest on that date, so if you do not need the money yet, consider moving it to another savings vehicle.

If you are holding a bond past maturity because you forgot about it, cashing it and moving the money to a high-yield savings account or a CD will put your money back to work earning interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I extend a bond past its maturity date?

No. Once a Series EE or Series I bond reaches 30 years, it stops earning interest and cannot be extended. You must either cash it or leave it sitting earning nothing. If you want to keep money growing, you need to redeem the mature bond and move it to another savings vehicle.

What if I lose track of a bond's maturity date?

Log into Treasury Direct and check your account — every bond shows its maturity date. If you own paper bonds, the issue date is printed on the certificate; add 30 years to find maturity. Your bank or brokerage can also look up the maturity date if they hold the bond for you.

Do I have to cash a bond on its maturity date?

No. You can cash it anytime after maturity, or leave it uncashed indefinitely. However, after maturity it earns zero interest, so keeping money in a mature bond is the same as keeping it in a non-interest-bearing account. There is no penalty for cashing late, but there is also no benefit to waiting.

What is the difference between maturity and final maturity value?

Maturity is the date — 30 years after purchase. Final maturity value is the amount of money the bond will be worth on that date. For Series EE bonds, the final value is at least double the purchase price. For Series I bonds, it depends on the interest rates during the holding period.

Can I reinvest the money from a cashed bond into a new bond?

Yes. When you redeem a mature bond through Treasury Direct, you can use the proceeds to buy new Series EE or Series I bonds immediately. New bonds will have their own 30-year maturity dates. This is a common way to keep money in savings bonds across multiple generations.