Signature Certification — TreasuryDirect (2024)

FAQs

Who can certify a TreasuryDirect account authorization? ›

Sign in ink in the presence of a certifying officer or notary. Identification may be required. 2. Authorized certifying officers are available at financial institutions, including credit unions, in the United States.

Who may certify signatures in the U.S. We require the notary public's seal or stamp. We require the institution's seal or signature guarantee stamp. If the institution is an authorized paying agent for U.S. Savings Bonds, we require a legible imprint of the paying agent's stamp.

The form must be signed in the presence of an authorized certifying official available at a bank, trust company, or credit union, and mailed to us for processing. (Certification by a Notary Public is not acceptable.)

Any officer of a corporation or any other organization which is an authorized issuing agent for United States Savings Bonds, Series E.

A certified document needs to be signed in front of a witness who affirms the signature is your true one; and in the case of a copied document, warrants that the copy is true and identical to the original one. The certifier declares this to be true and adds their signature and the date.

Certain formal documents require a Medallion signature guarantee (MSG), which authenticates your signature, and ensures you have the legal authority and capacity to sign. You can typically obtain an MSG from a bank officer, trust company, or member of the U.S. stock exchange. (A notary public cannot provide an MSG.)

A certificate-based signature, like a conventional handwritten signature, identifies the person signing a document. Unlike a handwritten signature, a certificate-based signature is difficult to forge because it contains encrypted information that is unique to the signer.

For account establishment, we'll ask for personal information such as your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, Driver's License Number/State ID Number, bank account information, and Taxpayer Identification Number.

A certified bond is a type of debt security and issuers of bonds are indebted to investors and obligated to repay the debt according to the terms of the bond.

TreasuryDirect requires Treasury marketable securities be held for 45 days following original issue before they may be transferred. 4-Week Bills bought at original issue in TreasuryDirect may not be transferred at all because the term of the security is less than 45 days.

How do I authorize my TreasuryDirect account? ›

TreasuryDirect customers:

You may reach us at 844-284-2676. If you open an account and are asked to send us an Account Authorization form, you must submit the form before you can access your account. Don't forget to have your signature certified. You can make some bank changes online while logged in to your account.

Why is it so hard to get a medallion signature guarantee? Medallion stamps are difficult to obtain because the institutions that provide them, such as banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions are reluctant to provide them, as it exposes the institution to large financial liabilities.

Form 5444 (TreasuryDirect Account Authorization) now states that a NOTARY is sufficient for the form! 1. Sign in ink in the presence of a certifying officer or notary.”

A Certifying Officer is designated by the head of a federal entity in compliance with the requirements outlined in the Treasury Financial Manual (TFM). Certifying Officers are necessary to the payment process in that they must certify all payments prior to their being sent to the Treasury to be disbursed.

In addition to the bonds, you'll need to provide proof of identity, like a United States driver's license, and partner with a notary to notarize and certify your signature on an unsigned FS Form 1522 to your local bank or credit union.

Certifying Officers are responsible for verifying that a payment is legal, proper, and correct prior to certifying it.

Typically, you can obtain a Medallion signature guarantee at a financial institution where you are already a customer. Medallion signature guarantees are generally required when securities are held in physical certificate form.