How to Claim Virginia (VA)
Lottery Prizes
Claim a Virginia Lottery prize $600 or less at any retailer or a customer service center and over $600 at a customer service center, within 180 days of the drawing. Any prize can be claimed by mail.
Where to Claim Your Virginia Lottery Prize
Won? You have 180 days to cash it in.
Where to Cash a Winning Ticket
Where you can cash a Virginia Lottery prize depends on how much it is.
- Up to $600Signed ticket at a store
- Any lottery retailer
- Any customer service center
- By mail
- Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone)
- Over $600Claim form and ID
- Any customer service center
- By mail
- Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone)
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For $50K to $5M+ jackpots on the best Virginia scratch-offs. ScratchOdds ranks all 61 by today's odds.
For $50K to $5M+ jackpots on the best Virginia scratch-offs.
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Good to Know
Claim deadline
180 days after the drawing
Take a jackpot's cash option within 60 days of claiming the prize.
When you're paid
Retailers can pay prizes up to $600 on the spot, in cash or by check or money order.
Claim by mail
Any prize
Virginia Lottery Claims, P.O. Box 1254, Richmond, VA 23218-1254
Taxes on winnings
24% federal withheld over $5,000
State tax up to 5.75%; 4% withheld over $5,000. See your take-home
Can you stay anonymous?
Yes
Virginia Lottery Claim Forms
Over $600, bring your signed ticket, ID and a completed claim form.
- Prizewinner Claim Form
- Multiple Ownership Form
- Mega Millions & Powerball Payout Election Form
- Millionaire for Life Prize Election Form
Full checklist (6 items)
- The original winning ticket, signed, with the back filled in
- A completed Prizewinner Claim Form, for a prize over $600. You can fill it in before you go or at the office
- A current government-issued photo ID: a driver's license, a government photo ID card, a craft or trade license, a military ID, or a U.S. passport or passport card
- For a prize over $100, your Social Security card or another document from the lottery's list showing your full Social Security number, in exactly the same name as your ID
- If you live in the U.S. but aren't a citizen, your green card (permanent resident card)
- For a group, the Multiple Ownership Form, and a claim form, photo ID and Social Security document for each person being paid
Virginia Lottery Customer Service Centers
Bring your ticket, claim form and ID.
Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone)
600 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 804-692-7000Prize Zone West
1620 East Parham Road, Richmond, VA 23228Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 804-692-7950Northern Virginia Customer Service Center
14550 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 703-494-1501Shenandoah Valley Customer Service Center
1790-26 East Market Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22801Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 540-433-7979Hampton Roads Customer Service Center
2306-2308 West Mercury Boulevard, Hampton, VA 23666Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 757-825-7800Central Virginia Customer Service Center
1524 South Main Street, Farmville, VA 23901Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 434-392-7294Roanoke Valley Customer Service Center
1287 Towne Square Boulevard, Roanoke, VA 24012Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 540-561-7011Southwest Virginia Customer Service Center
408 East Main Street, Abingdon, VA 24210Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PMPhone: 276-676-5540
More Claim Rules
- Claiming in the app
- Prizes up to $5,000 can be cashed into your online wallet in the Virginia Lottery app, or at valottery.com in a phone's browser, with a confirmed Virginia Lottery account. Your first prize over $100 may need more information, and a prize over $600 needs an online claim approved first.
- Prizes won online
- Wins of $100 or less on games played online go straight into your player wallet. For a bigger win, file an online claim, and the lottery emails you as the payment goes through.
- Debts owed to the state
- Before paying a prize over $100 claimed at a Lottery office, the lottery takes out debts registered under Virginia's Setoff Debt Collection Act, like back child support, unpaid state taxes or court fines.
- Staying anonymous
- Since July 1, 2026, the lottery doesn't release a winner's name, hometown or amount won unless the winner agrees in writing. A winner can also agree in writing to the lottery using their photo for publicity.
- Group wins
- When several people share a winning ticket, each one being paid fills in a claim form and brings a photo ID and proof of their Social Security number, and the group signs the Multiple Ownership Form. A group that wins a prize with a cash option must all choose the same way to be paid.
- Claiming by mail
- Sign the ticket and fill in the back. For a prize over $100, write your Social Security number on it and send copies of your photo ID and Social Security document. Keep a copy of both sides of the ticket, and use registered or certified mail: you bear the risk if it's lost.
- Cash or yearly payments
- A Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winner, and a Millionaire for Life winner of either top prize, has 60 days from claiming to choose cash on a notarized election form. Without one, the prize is paid yearly, and the choice can't be undone.
- When you can claim
- Millionaire for Life tickets can be cashed from the day after the drawing.
- Tickets bought in Virginia
- Powerball, Mega Millions and Millionaire for Life tickets bought in Virginia can only be claimed in Virginia.
- Military service
- A winner on active military duty can claim a prize up to 180 days after their discharge, even after the 180-day claim period has passed.
- Claiming for someone else
- Virginia law bars selling a winning ticket, or having someone else claim it, to hide who won, and the lottery fines anyone who does.
Reviewed by Bishop Woosley, former Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery and NASPL President.
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More Virginia Lottery Help
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Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about the Virginia Lottery
Where can I claim lottery winnings in Virginia?
$600 or less: Any lottery retailer, any customer service center, by mail or Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone). Over $600: Any customer service center, by mail or Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone).
Where can I cash a $1,000 lottery ticket in Virginia?
Not at a store: Virginia Lottery retailers pay prizes up to $600. Over $600: Any customer service center, by mail or Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone).
Where are the Virginia Lottery customer service centers?
Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone), 600 East Main Street, Richmond; Prize Zone West, 1620 East Parham Road, Richmond; Northern Virginia Customer Service Center, 14550 Potomac Mills Road, Woodbridge; Shenandoah Valley Customer Service Center, 1790-26 East Market Street, Harrisonburg; Hampton Roads Customer Service Center, 2306-2308 West Mercury Boulevard, Hampton; Central Virginia Customer Service Center, 1524 South Main Street, Farmville; Roanoke Valley Customer Service Center, 1287 Towne Square Boulevard, Roanoke; Southwest Virginia Customer Service Center, 408 East Main Street, Abingdon.
What time can you cash lottery tickets in Virginia?
Any Virginia Lottery retailer cashes prizes up to $600 whenever it's open. The Virginia Lottery customer service centers are open Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM.
What should I do if I win the Virginia Lottery?
Sign your ticket and keep it safe, then claim it within 180 days of the drawing. $600 or less: Any lottery retailer, any customer service center, by mail or Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone). Over $600: Any customer service center, by mail or Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone). Over $600, bring your signed ticket, ID and a completed claim form.
How long do you have to claim a Virginia Lottery prize?
180 days after the drawing. A jackpot's cash option must be chosen within 60 days of claiming the prize.
Do Virginia Lottery tickets expire?
Yes. A winning ticket must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing, or the prize can no longer be paid.
What do I need to claim a Virginia Lottery prize?
At a store, a prize up to $600 needs just the signed ticket. Over $600: The original winning ticket, signed, with the back filled in; A completed Prizewinner Claim Form, for a prize over $600. You can fill it in before you go or at the office; A current government-issued photo ID: a driver's license, a government photo ID card, a craft or trade license, a military ID, or a U.S. passport or passport card; For a prize over $100, your Social Security card or another document from the lottery's list showing your full Social Security number, in exactly the same name as your ID; If you live in the U.S. but aren't a citizen, your green card (permanent resident card); For a group, the Multiple Ownership Form, and a claim form, photo ID and Social Security document for each person being paid.
Can I claim a Virginia Lottery prize by mail?
Yes, any prize. Mail the signed ticket, with any copies the Virginia Lottery asks for, to Virginia Lottery Claims, P.O. Box 1254, Richmond, VA 23218-1254. Prizes over $600 also need a completed claim form.
How long does it take to get Virginia Lottery winnings?
Retailers can pay prizes up to $600 on the spot, in cash or by check or money order. App claims go into your online wallet, once an online claim is approved for a prize over $600. Mailed claims are paid by check or Visa debit card. A jackpot taken as cash is paid about 7 business days after the election form is signed.
Can you claim lottery winnings anonymously in Virginia?
Yes.
Can I claim a Virginia Lottery prize online?
For some prizes, yes: prizes up to $5,000 can be cashed into your online wallet in the Virginia Lottery app, or at valottery.com in a phone's browser, with a confirmed Virginia Lottery account. Otherwise, claim in person or by mail.
What is the Virginia Lottery phone number?
804-692-7777 for customer service. Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone): 804-692-7000.
Where is Virginia Lottery headquarters?
Virginia Lottery Headquarters (Prize Zone) is at 600 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, open Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM. Call 804-692-7000.
Are lottery winnings taxed in Virginia?
Virginia taxes lottery winnings at up to 5.75%, and federal income tax applies too. 24% federal and 4% state tax are withheld from prizes over $5,000.
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