Financial institutions now have the option to not cash savings bonds for both non-customers or new customers. Our Secret Service partners recommend that a customer be established for 12 months before cashing bonds at a financial institution. Where prior guidance directed financial institutions to cash bonds in both situations, the updated guide leaves this choice up to the financial institution.
Please direct your customers to TreasuryDirect.gov for information about how to cash their bonds. As always, you can direct any customer or non-customer with questions directly to the Treasury via email. Refer to The Guide to Cashing Savings Bonds (Off-site, PDF) for details.