Updated November 8, 2026. Quick answer: FS Form 5394 is for a decedent’s Treasury securities and savings bonds in exactly two situations: the estate was administered through court and is now closed, or it is being settled under a state statute such as a small estates act, without a court representative. All entitled people sign, each signature certified by a financial institution (a notary is not accepted), with certified death certificates and the court or statute evidence, and it goes to Treasury Retail Securities Services, PO Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. Revised May 2026, OMB No. 1530-0046.
What FS Form 5394 does
“Use this form to request disposition of United States Treasury Securities (Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds, TIPS, Floating Rate Notes, Savings Bonds, and Savings Notes) and/or related payments belonging to a decedent’s estate, but only under one of the circumstances described in the instructions.”
Treasury names the two circumstances: “The estate was formally administered through the court and has been closed.” and “The estate is being settled in accordance with State statute such as Summary Administration, Small Estates Acts, Texas Muniment of Title, Louisiana Judgment of Possession, etc., without the necessity of the court appointing an administrator, executor, or similar legal representative.”
Outside those two cases, look at FS Form 5336 (no court estate, with its own size limit) or FS Form 1455 (an active court-appointed fiduciary).
The evidence each box requires
| Circumstance | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Box 1: estate administered, representative discharged, estate closed | A certified copy under court seal of the final account or decree of distribution, if any |
| Box 2: estate settled under a state statute | Evidence in accordance with state law or statute: a certified copy, if filed with the court, of the evidence distributing the securities or establishing the authority to collect the proceeds |
The instructions in Treasury’s words: “If the estate is closed, submit a certified copy under court seal of the final account or decree of distribution, if any.” Every deceased registrant needs a certified copy of the death certificate. See how the small estate affidavit process works for the state side.
Who signs, and why every entitled person does
This form is signed by the people entitled, not by a representative. The instructions: “The application must be signed in ink by:” all competent persons listed in Part C Item 1 and Part D Item 1, the legal guardian or similar representative of anyone under a legal disability, and a parent for any minor listed.
Part C lists all persons entitled to the securities and payments according to the supporting evidence, with the basis of each person’s entitlement, and ages if under 21. A person under a disability needs a representative whose “certified copy under court seal of the letters of appointment dated within one year of submission” is attached.
Part D: one entitled person, one type of distribution
A separate Part D covers each person and each type of distribution. The form offers, by security type, a reissue or transfer to a TreasuryDirect account, a transfer of unmatured securities to a financial institution, broker or dealer, payment of a matured paper security by check (not for savings bonds), and payment of a matured electronic security by direct deposit.
“securities can’t be transferred from one series or term to another.” “Reissue or transfer (when applicable) isn’t an option if there is not sufficient time to process the transaction before the security matures. If we are unable to process a reissue or transfer request before the security matures, payment will be issued.”
Individual savings bonds still cannot be split: “Each savings bond must be distributed, in its entirety, to an entitled individual or entity.”
Certification and where to send
Each signature “must appear before and establish identification to the satisfaction of an authorized certifying individual.” “Certification by a notary isn’t acceptable.” The stamp is an official seal or stamp of a financial institution (Signature Guaranteed, Endorsement Guaranteed, Corporate, or Issuing or paying agent), or the seal or stamp of a Treasury-recognized Signature Guarantee Program or other Treasury-approved Medallion Program; see refused Medallion guarantees.
Mail the form without its instruction pages, the securities, related checks and the evidence to Treasury Retail Securities Services, PO Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. “Legal evidence or documentation you submit cannot be returned.”
The form states no processing time. Its only timing statement is the completion estimate: “We estimate it will take you about 30 minutes to complete this form.”
Tax on the bonds
Interest due or becoming due on the estate’s securities is paid to the person to whom the securities are distributed, unless otherwise requested. How that interest is reported, and the choices open to an heir, are at inherited savings bonds and Form 1099-INT box 3.
Common mistakes
- Using the form while the court estate is still open with an acting representative. Box 1 is for an estate that has been closed and a representative who is discharged.
- Sending the wrong evidence for the box checked: the final account or decree of distribution for a closed estate, the state-statute evidence for a small-estate route.
- Missing a signature. Every competent person entitled signs, plus a guardian or parent for anyone under a disability or a minor.
- Using a notary. This form accepts a financial-institution or Medallion certification only.
- Asking to move a security from one series or term to another. The form says that cannot be done.
Related: inherited savings bonds, how the small estate affidavit process works, and a TreasuryDirect account at death.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
Compare vetted advisors for your finances
For U.S. investors with $250,000 or more in investable assets. WiserAdvisor is an independent service matching you with 2 to 3 vetted advisers. Its form asks for your ZIP code and answers to a few questions; a match is not guaranteed.
Free to request, with no obligation to hire. By submitting, you consent to calls, texts and emails from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisers. Advisers pay for introductions.
Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form. An introduction is not a Clear Money Guide recommendation.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Explore optional adviser matching today
Considering financial advice? Request an adviser introduction with no obligation to hire.
The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Requesting an introduction is free. Submitting the form shares your contact details with advisers, so expect calls and texts. Advisers pay for introductions. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying submitted form, whether or not you hire anyone. A match is not guaranteed.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- FS Form 5394 (Revised May 2026), Agreement and Request for Disposition of a Decedent’s Treasury Securities: treasurydirect.gov PDF
- TreasuryDirect, Forms for Savings Bonds (current list of forms): treasurydirect.gov page
Source: the Fiscal Service form and forms list linked above, read on November 8, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, an attorney or a tax preparer is the right place to confirm anything consequential.