When Do Series EE Bonds Mature? 20 vs. 30 Years

Series EE savings bonds mature in two stages: they reach original maturity at 20 years, when the Treasury guarantees the bond has at least doubled in value, and they reach final maturity at 30 years, when they stop earning interest for good.¹ The 30-year date is the one that matters most. Once a bond passes it, your money sits idle with the Treasury earning nothing, and cashing it triggers federal income tax on decades of accumulated interest all at once.

Final Maturity: 30 Years After Issue

Every Series EE bond ever issued stops earning interest exactly 30 years after the issue date printed on the bond.² A bond issued in June 2000 stopped growing in June 2030. One issued in January 1990 stopped in January 2020. There is no extension, renewal, or rollover option.

The practical takeaway: if you are holding EE bonds issued more than 30 years ago, they are not investments anymore. They are just a claim on a fixed dollar amount. Every month you delay cashing them is a month you could have redeployed that money somewhere that earns.

Original Maturity: The 20-Year Doubling Guarantee

Before final maturity, EE bonds hit an earlier milestone the Treasury calls original maturity. This is the point at which the government guarantees the bond will be worth at least its face value, or for electronic bonds, at least double the purchase price.³

For every EE bond issued from May 2005 onward, original maturity comes at 20 years. These bonds earn a fixed rate set at purchase that stays the same for the entire 30-year life of the bond.² If the accumulated interest at year 20 does not double the bond’s value on its own, the Treasury makes a one-time adjustment to bring it up to the guaranteed minimum. That is effectively a floor of roughly 3.5% annual return over the first 20 years, even when the stated fixed rate on the bond is much lower.

After the year-20 adjustment, the bond keeps earning at its original fixed rate for another 10 years until it reaches final maturity at year 30.

How the Timeline Differs for Older Bonds

The 30-year final maturity rule applies to every EE bond, but the original maturity period has changed over the years.

Bonds issued from May 1997 through April 2005 earn a variable rate that resets every six months based on five-year Treasury yields.⁴ The pace at which these bonds reached face value varied with rates, but all still hit final maturity 30 years from issue.

Bonds issued May 1995 through April 1997 had a 17-year original maturity to face value, then continued earning through an extended period until year 30.⁵

Bonds issued between January 1980 and April 1995 had shorter original maturity periods tied to the higher interest rates of that era:⁶

March 1993 through April 1995: 18 years at a 4% guarantee
November 1986 through February 1993: 12 years at 6%
November 1982 through October 1986: 10 years at 7.5%
May 1981 through October 1982: 8 years at 9%
November 1980 through April 1981: 9 years at 8%
January 1980 through October 1980: 11 years at 7%

Every bond in that 1980-through-April-1995 group has already hit its 30-year final maturity and stopped earning. If you still hold any of them, they are no longer growing.

Look Up Your Bond’s Exact Dates and Value

For electronic bonds, log in to TreasuryDirect and open the Current Holdings screen. Each bond displays its issue date, current value, interest rate, and maturity date.⁷

For paper bonds, you need the series (EE), serial number, and issue date from the front of the certificate. Enter those into the Savings Bond Calculator on the TreasuryDirect website and it returns the current value, the interest rate, and both the original and final maturity dates.

The Tax Bill Comes Due at Maturity

Interest on EE bonds is taxable at the federal level but exempt from state and local income tax.⁸ Most people use the cash method, which defers reporting the interest until the year the bond is redeemed, transferred, or reaches final maturity, whichever comes first.⁹

That last trigger is the trap. If you hold a bond past its 30-year final maturity, the IRS treats the maturity itself as a taxable event. You owe federal tax on all 30 years of accumulated interest in the year the bond matures, whether or not you actually cash it. On a bond that has more than doubled, this can be a large number, and it can push you into a higher bracket for that year. If your total taxable interest for the year exceeds $1,500, you must file Schedule B with your return.¹⁰

The less common accrual method has you report interest each year as it accrues, spreading the tax over the life of the bond. Once you elect it, it applies to all EE bonds you own and any you acquire later.⁹

Cashing a Matured Bond

For electronic bonds, log in to TreasuryDirect, go to ManageDirect, and select Redeem securities.¹¹ You can redeem the full amount or part of it, and the proceeds go to your linked bank account.¹²

For paper bonds, a bank or credit union that handles savings bonds can cash them, though not every institution does, and many limit the amount per visit or require you to be an established customer. Federal guidance suggests customers should have an account open for at least 12 months before cashing bonds at a bank.¹³ If no local bank will help, you can mail the bonds with a signed FS Form 1522 to Treasury Retail Securities Services at the address on the form.¹⁴ Your signature on the form must be certified by a bank officer, notary, or other authorized certifying agent with an official seal or stamp.¹⁵

Lost or destroyed paper bonds are handled differently. File FS Form 1048 (Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds) with as much identifying information as you have, and the Treasury will search its records.¹⁴

Inherited Bonds and Maturity

Inheriting an EE bond does not reset the clock. A bond that has not yet reached final maturity keeps earning interest under its original terms in the new owner’s hands. A bond already past its 30-year mark earns nothing regardless of who holds it, so heirs of older bonds should cash them without delay.

If a beneficiary was named on the bond, that person becomes the sole owner on providing proof of the original owner’s death and can cash or reissue the bond.¹⁶ A surviving co-owner is recognized as the sole owner automatically. With no beneficiary or co-owner, the bond passes through the estate. Reissue requests use FS Form 4000, and paper bonds converted through reissue become electronic bonds held in TreasuryDirect.¹⁷

1
eCFR. 31 CFR Part 351 Subpart B – Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds
2
eCFR. 31 CFR Part 351 Subpart B – Maturities, Redemption Values, and Investment Yields of Series EE Savings Bonds – Section: Series EE Savings Bonds With Issue Dates of May 1, 2005, or Thereafter
3
eCFR. 31 CFR 351.35 – What Do I Need To Know About Interest Rates, Penalties, and Redemption Values for Series EE Bonds With Issue Dates of May 1, 2005, or Thereafter
4
eCFR. 31 CFR Part 351 Subpart B – Series EE Savings Bonds With Issue Dates of May 1, 1997, Through April 1, 2005
5
eCFR. 31 CFR 351.24 – What Are the Maturity Periods of Bonds With Issue Dates From May 1, 1995, Through April 1, 1997
6
TreasuryDirect. EE Bonds Interest Rates for Bonds Issued From 1980 Through April 1995
7
TreasuryDirect. EE Bonds
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TreasuryDirect. Tax Information for EE and I Bonds
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eCFR. Appendix to Part 351, Title 31 – Tax Considerations
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Internal Revenue Service. Savings Bonds 1
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TreasuryDirect. Cashing EE or I Savings Bonds
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TreasuryDirect. Redeem Saving Bonds
13
Federal Reserve Financial Services. Savings Bond Redemptions Frequently Asked Questions
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TreasuryDirect. Forms for Savings Bonds
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TreasuryDirect. Signature Certification
16
eCFR. 31 CFR Part 315 Subpart L – Deceased Owner, Coowner or Beneficiary
17
TreasuryDirect. Request To Reissue United States Savings Bonds