How long do I have to claim a lottery prize in Pennsylvania?

A year from the drawing. After that the ticket is worth nothing, no matter what it matched.

Does Pennsylvania tax lottery winnings?

Yes. Pennsylvania withholds 3.07%, on top of federal tax.

Can you stay anonymous after winning the lottery in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania releases the winner's name.

How old do you have to be to buy a lottery ticket in Pennsylvania?

18. The age is set by the state, not the game, so it can change the moment you cross a state line.

Where do you claim a big lottery prize in Pennsylvania?

A retailer can pay you up to $2,500 in cash. Anything more goes to a lottery office or by mail, with ID and a claim form.

What time do lottery ticket sales stop in Pennsylvania?

In Pennsylvania, Mega Millions at 9:59pm and Powerball at 9:59pm. Each game and each state sets its own cutoff, so this isn't the time in the next state over. Buy well before it.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania lottery rules

You have 365 days to claim in Pennsylvania, the state withholds 3.07% and winners are named.

What we can confirm

Time to claim: 365 days from the drawing. source, checked 16 Sep 2026
State tax withheld: 3.07%, on top of federal withholding. source, checked 16 Sep 2026
Whether you are named: Name is released. source, checked 16 Sep 2026
What a retailer can pay you: Up to $2,500 in cash at a retailer. Above that means a lottery office or a claim by mail. source, checked 16 Sep 2026
Minimum age: 18 to buy a ticket or claim a prize. source, checked 16 Sep 2026

When sales stop in Pennsylvania

Mega Millions: 9:59 PM on a drawing night, Eastern time. Buying after that puts you in the next drawing instead. source, checked 17 Sep 2026
Powerball: 9:59 PM on a drawing night, Eastern time. Buying after that puts you in the next drawing instead. source, checked 17 Sep 2026

Retailers often stop earlier than the state deadline, and a machine that has closed for the night has closed whatever the published time says. Leave yourself more than the last minute.

What we could not confirm

This page shows 5 things about Pennsylvania, and only what we found stated on a page we could open and cite. Where Pennsylvania Lottery does not publish a figure, it is missing here rather than estimated. A claim deadline or a tax rate invented to fill a gap is how somebody loses money they had already won.

Questions about the Pennsylvania lottery

How long do I have to claim a lottery prize in Pennsylvania?: A year from the drawing. After that the ticket is worth nothing, no matter what it matched.
Does Pennsylvania tax lottery winnings?: Yes. Pennsylvania withholds 3.07%, on top of federal tax.
Can you stay anonymous after winning the lottery in Pennsylvania?: No. Pennsylvania releases the winner's name.
How old do you have to be to buy a lottery ticket in Pennsylvania?: 18. The age is set by the state, not the game, so it can change the moment you cross a state line.
Where do you claim a big lottery prize in Pennsylvania?: A retailer can pay you up to $2,500 in cash. Anything more goes to a lottery office or by mail, with ID and a claim form.
What time do lottery ticket sales stop in Pennsylvania?: In Pennsylvania, Mega Millions at 9:59pm and Powerball at 9:59pm. Each game and each state sets its own cutoff, so this isn't the time in the next state over. Buy well before it.

Check a Pennsylvania ticket

Where you bought a ticket changes what it's worth, so tell us the state when you save one.

Pick your lottery

Claiming, from the people who pay

We are not a lottery operator and we cannot pay a prize. Pennsylvania Lottery can: https://www.palottery.pa.gov

Everything above was last checked on 16 September 2026. State rules change, and the lottery's own page is the one that counts.