How to Fill Out and Submit the Tennessee Lottery Claim Form

If you’ve won $600 or more on a Tennessee Lottery ticket, you’ll need to fill out a Tennessee Lottery claim form, sign the back of your ticket, and submit both with proof of your identity and Social Security number, either by mail or at one of four claim centers. Prizes under $600 don’t require the form and can be cashed at any lottery retailer.

Do You Actually Need the Form

The lottery uses three prize tiers, and only two of them involve the claim form:

Under $600: cash the ticket at any Tennessee Lottery retailer. No form, no ID paperwork.
$600 to $199,999: the claim form is required. Submit it by mail or in person at any of the four claim centers.
$200,000 and above: the claim must be made in person at the Nashville headquarters. District offices can’t process prizes at this level.¹

What the Form Asks For

Download the form from the Tennessee Lottery website before you go, or pick one up at a district office. Filling it in ahead speeds up the visit.¹ You’ll be asked for:

Your full legal name and mailing address, exactly as they appear on your government-issued ID. This is where the check and any tax documents go.
Your Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number. The lottery won’t process the claim without it, because federal tax reporting requires it.
The serial number and validation number printed on the ticket. These tie your form to the specific winning entry in the lottery’s system.
A phone number, so staff can reach you if anything doesn’t match during verification.
An answer to the retailer-employment question: whether you work for or own a business that sells Tennessee Lottery tickets. If yes, you list the business name and address.

Check every field before you submit. A mistyped Social Security number or a name that doesn’t match your ID will hold up your check until the lottery can resolve the discrepancy.

Documents to Bring or Mail With the Form

The form on its own isn’t enough. You also need:

The signed original winning ticket. Sign the back before anything else. Copies aren’t accepted.¹
A government-issued photo ID. A state driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, passport, voter registration ID card, or alien registration receipt card all work.
Proof of your Social Security number. It has to be a computer-generated document showing your name and all nine digits, such as a Social Security card, pay stub, or tax form. A handwritten note doesn’t qualify.¹

If you’re mailing the claim, include photocopies of your ID and Social Security proof along with the original ticket and the completed form. Keep copies of everything, including both sides of the ticket, before the envelope leaves your hands.

Where to Send It

By Mail

Send the original signed ticket, the completed claim form, and copies of your supporting documents to:

Tennessee Lottery
P.O. Box 290636
Nashville, TN 37229-0636

Use certified or registered mail. You’re sending an irreplaceable original, and a lost envelope means a lost prize. The postmark date is what counts against the claim deadline.¹

In Person

All four claim centers take walk-in claims Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.:¹

Nashville Headquarters: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133

Prizes of $200,000 or more can only be paid at the Nashville headquarters. District offices handle the $600 through $199,999 range.

How Long You Have to Claim

Tennessee law gives you 180 days to claim a prize from a drawing-style game, counted from the date of the winning draw. For instant (scratch-off) tickets, the deadline is 90 days after the lottery announces that particular game has ended, not 90 days from the day you bought the ticket.¹²

For mailed claims, the postmark date is what matters. A ticket postmarked on day 180 is valid even if the envelope arrives on day 185. Miss the window and the prize is forfeited to the state.

What Gets Taken Out Before You’re Paid

Tennessee doesn’t impose a state income tax on lottery winnings.³ Federal tax still applies. For prizes over $5,000 (after subtracting the cost of the ticket), the lottery withholds 24 percent for federal income tax before issuing your check.⁴ You’ll receive a W-2G showing the winnings and the withholding, which you report on your federal return.

Prizes between $600 and $5,000 are also reportable income, but the lottery doesn’t automatically withhold on those amounts. You handle any federal tax owed when you file.

The lottery also checks whether you owe certain debts. The Tennessee Department of Revenue regularly sends the lottery a list of people with unpaid state tax debts over $100, and matching names can have part or all of the prize withheld to cover what’s owed.⁵ Child support arrears and other state obligations can trigger the same offset.

After You Submit

Once staff have your claim package, they verify the ticket against the central gaming system to confirm it’s a legitimate, unpaid winner. For walk-in claims at a district office, verification and payment often happen in the same visit, and you can leave with a check. Nashville handles walk-ins the same way, though larger prizes may need extra review.

Mail-in claims take longer. The lottery doesn’t publish a guaranteed turnaround, but expect at least several business days after the package arrives. Once the ticket passes validation and any debt-offset checks clear, the lottery mails your check to the address on the form.¹

1
Tennessee Education Lottery. How to Claim
2
Justia. Tennessee Code 4-51-123 – Prize Restrictions
3
Tennessee Education Lottery. I Won! Now What?
4
Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754 (01/2026)
5
Tennessee Department of Revenue. GEN-24 – Withholding Lottery Winnings to Offset Tax Liability