Do Lottery Tickets Expire in Ohio? 180-Day Claim Deadline & Rules

Yes, lottery tickets do expire in Ohio. Every Ohio Lottery ticket carries a 180-day validation period set by the Ohio Lottery Commission, and once that window closes the prize is gone for good. What changes from game to game is the date the clock starts running.¹

Three triggers, one deadline length:

Draw games (Mega Millions, Powerball, Classic Lotto, Rolling Cash 5, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, Lucky for Life) run 180 days from the drawing date printed on the ticket.¹
Scratch-off (instant) tickets run 180 days from the game’s official closing date, not from the day you bought or scratched the ticket. A scratch-off game can stay on sale for months or years, so an old-looking ticket may still have a long deadline ahead of it.¹
EZPLAY games run 180 days from the date of purchase.¹

Under Ohio Revised Code 3770.07, once 180 days pass without a claim, the prize moves to the state’s unclaimed lottery prizes fund. There is no extension and no appeal.

How to Find Your Exact Deadline

For draw-game tickets, read the drawing date off the face of the ticket and count 180 days forward. That’s your last day to claim.

Scratch-offs are the tricky ones because the deadline isn’t printed anywhere on the ticket. What you need is the game’s closing date, which the Ohio Lottery publishes on a running “Last Day to Redeem” page listing every scratch-off game and its final redemption date.² If you’re holding an older scratch-off, check that list before assuming anything.

To find out whether a ticket is a winner at all, the Ohio Lottery mobile app includes a barcode scanner. Any authorized retailer can also scan it for you, either at a self-service checker or at the counter. For scratch-offs, make sure the barcode is fully uncovered first.

How to Claim Before the Deadline

Where you go depends on how much you’ve won. The tiers:

Up to $599: cash the ticket at any Ohio Lottery retailer. No paperwork.³
$600 to $5,000: a retailer validates the ticket, issues a Pay-to-Bearer receipt, and helps you fill out a claim form. You can collect at an authorized cashing location, through the mobile app, or by mail. Ohio Lottery Super Retailer locations also handle prizes in this range.¹
$5,001 to $25,000: use the mobile cashing feature in the Ohio Lottery app, visit any of the state’s seven racinos, or get direct deposit through an Ohio Lottery regional office.¹
Over $25,000, jackpots, and annuity prizes: call your nearest regional office to schedule an appointment. Mega Millions, Powerball, and Classic Lotto jackpots must be processed through a regional office regardless of amount.¹

For any prize of $600 or more, you need a completed claim form, a valid photo ID showing your current address, and your Social Security number. Accepted IDs include a driver’s license or state ID from any state, a military ID, and a valid passport, among other government-issued photo IDs. Prizes of $600 or more are reported to the IRS on a W-2G.¹⁴

Claiming by Mail

Any prize can be claimed by mailing the signed winning ticket and claim form to the Ohio Lottery’s central office. Ohio administrative rules recommend certified or registered mail, and the Lottery is not responsible for tickets lost in transit. The ticket isn’t considered received until the claims bureau logs it in, so if you’re close to the 180-day deadline, build in time for mail transit.⁵ The address:

The Ohio Lottery Commission
The Lausche Building – Room 452
615 West Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44113¹

For mailed prizes over $5,000, include a copy of your photo ID.

If the Winner Has Died

The deadline does not reset at death. A deceased winner’s executor, administrator, or trustee can claim the prize, but only within the same 180-day window that applied to the original ticket. Heirs who find a winning ticket among a relative’s belongings should act quickly and work through the estate representative.

What Comes Off the Top Before You’re Paid

Knowing the deadline is one thing; knowing the net is another. Several things leave your prize before you see it.

Federal withholding of 24% applies to any lottery prize over $5,000.⁶ Ohio withholds state income tax on prizes of $600 or more.⁷ Those withholdings aren’t necessarily your final tax bill. Winnings count as income for the year and can push you into a higher bracket, so additional tax may be due when you file. The W-2G issued for prizes of $600 or more documents both the winnings and the amount withheld; keep it for your records.⁴

Child and spousal support arrears come off too. Under Ohio Revised Code 3770.071, whenever a prize reaches the IRS reporting threshold the Lottery runs the winner’s information through a data match, and amounts in default on a support order are withheld before payout. The claim form requires you to declare any default.⁸⁴ For other state debts such as back taxes, the Attorney General’s office runs a separate intercept on prizes of $5,000 or more, deducting what’s owed before you receive the balance.

What Happens if You Miss the 180 Days

Once the window closes, the prize transfers to the unclaimed lottery prizes fund in the state treasury under Ohio Revised Code 3770.07. From there it flows into the Lottery Profits Education Fund, which supports elementary, secondary, vocational, and special education programs. The Ohio Lottery’s total payments to education reached $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2025.⁹ Good for Ohio schools, bad for anyone who left a winner in a jeans pocket.

1
The Ohio Lottery. How To Claim
2
The Ohio Lottery. Last Day to Redeem
3
The Ohio Lottery. Claim Prizes
4
Ohio Lottery. Claim Form
5
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Rule 3770 1-8-02 – Manner of Claiming Prize Awards
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Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754
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Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Section 5747.062 – Withholding Tax From State Lottery Winnings
8
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Section 3770.071 – Lottery Prize Award Offset for Child Support
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The Ohio Lottery. Ohio Lottery Commission Annual Report 2025