Lottery rules by state
How long you have to claim, what comes off the top, and whether your name gets published. Ten states so far, each one checked against the lottery or the statute rather than against another website.
The differences are bigger than people expect
| State | Time to claim | State tax | Cash at a shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 180 days | None | $599 |
| Florida | 180 days | None | $599 |
| Georgia | 180 days | 4.99% | $600 |
| Maine | 365 days | 7.15% | $599.99 |
| Michigan | 365 days | 4.25% | not published |
| New Hampshire | 365 days | None | $599.99 |
| New York | 365 days | not published | $599.99 |
| Pennsylvania | 365 days | 3.07% | $2,500 |
| Texas | 180 days | None | $599 |
| Vermont | 365 days | 6%+ | $499 |
Why "not published" appears at all
Because it is the honest answer. New York states only that it withholds "the highest effective rate of state tax" and never prints a number. Michigan's rules oblige a retailer to pay up to "the retailer's cashing limit as determined by the commissioner" without saying what that limit is. Both gaps are left as gaps here. Every site that fills them in is guessing, and a guess about a claim deadline is how somebody loses a prize they had already won.
Where the differences actually bite
A Pennsylvania retailer can hand you $2,500 in cash. A Vermont one can hand you $499. Same ticket, same prize, five times the difference in whether you leave the shop with the money or start a claim.
California gives you 180 days for an ordinary win and a full year for the jackpot, which is the only state here that splits the two. Texas and Florida give 180 days for everything. Most of the rest give a year.
And the anonymity rules are where the popular answer is most often wrong. Florida's exemption above $250,000 is a ninety-day delay, not permanent. Michigan's protection above $10,000 does not cover Powerball or Mega Millions at all, because the law exempts games run jointly with other states.