Can’t wait to get your big prize. Lottery offers new way to claim.

If you have a winning ticket of $600 or more, we have created a temporary “Stay At Home” claims procedure as an option if you don’t want to wait till our Claim Centers can reopen to get your prize money.

During the time when the Stay At Home Order is in effect, we have temporarily lifted our policy requiring claimants of prizes $100,000 or greater to claim their prize in person. This temporary change puts public safety first while providing big winners an opportunity to claim their prizes during the Stay At Home Order.

This temporary process offers all winners of prizes of $600 assurance that their ticket has been validated by the lottery before they submit the original ticket via certified mail. This process begins with a call to our Customer Services team. We’ll connect you with a lottery staff person who will work one-on-one with you to walk you through the steps you can take if you want to claim a big prize by certified mail.

Closing our Claim Centers was the right thing to do, but we know it’s been a lot to ask those who have won big prizes to wait to get prizes. Please bear with us as we work through this new process to ensure that your claim is properly processed and in compliance with the N.C. State Lottery Act.

• How do I get started?

Easy. Just give our Customer Services team a toll-free call at 1 877 962-7529, option 0. You will be connected with someone to walk you through each step. The helpline is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. till 5 p.m.

• What’s different about the mail-in claim process?

You will be required to take additional steps before mailing in your ticket. As always, first sign the back of your ticket to establish ownership of it. Once you call in, we’ll ask you to email or text a copy of the prize-winning ticket – front and back − along with a copy of a black and white version of a photo ID. After we get those and validate the ticket, we can flag the ticket to prevent someone else from claiming if the ticket is somehow in their possession. Then, we’ll call back and ask you to mail in your signed original ticket and your signed claim form via certified mail.

• How do I get my prize money?

Once we get your signed original ticket and claim form, we’ll mail back your check back to you via certified mail to the address noted on the claim form. If you won $100,000 or more, you also have the option of getting that money through an electronic fund transfer to your bank or financial institution (this requires you to complete a separate bank form).

• How long will it take to get my check?

After we receive your original ticket and claim form, expect to get your check within one to two weeks. We are quarantining the mail for 48 hours and then we’ll get right to work processing your claim and mailing your check to you.

• What happens if my ticket gets lost in the mail?

By using certified mail, you can get tracking and notification for the mail you send us. If it does not arrive, our security team will conduct a review using the information you’ve already provided us. We should be able to establish that you have a valid win and pay the prize.

• When can I claim my prize in person again?

We’re following the guidelines under the governor’s Stay At Home Order. We look forward to reopening our Claim Centers and meeting winners again in person as soon as that order is lifted. Remember, we are also extending the deadline for claiming any prize that expires during this time until 30 days afterward.