If you’re a California lottery player and have run into an issue where your ticket won’t scan, don’t panic. There are a few potential reasons why your CA lottery ticket may not be scanning properly at a retailer. The good news is there are steps you can take to remedy the situation.
Why Your CA Lottery Ticket Won’t Scan
There are a handful of common reasons why your California lottery ticket may fail to scan:
- The barcode is damaged – If the barcode area on your ticket gets smudged, torn, or otherwise damaged, it may have trouble scanning.
- Scanner issues – The retailer’s scanner could be malfunctioning or needing calibration. Trying another scanner may help.
- Expired game – If it’s an instant scratcher ticket, the game may no longer be valid and have expired.
- Already cashed – If the ticket was already cashed by you or someone else, it will no longer scan as a winner.
- Fake ticket – Though rare, counterfeit and fake tickets will not scan as legitimate.
Steps to Take When Your CA Lottery Ticket Won’t Scan
If you find yourself in this situation where a CA lottery retailer’s scanner won’t accept your ticket, here are the steps to take:
- Calmly ask the retailer to try scanning your ticket using another scanner, if available. Faulty scanners do occur and simply trying another can resolve things.
- Check the ticket to ensure the barcode area is not damaged. Look for tears, smudges, creases or marks over the barcode that could interfere.
- Have the retailer manually validate the ticket by entering the ticket’s serial number into their terminal.
- If other options fail, kindly ask the retailer to call the CA Lottery helpline. They can speak to a customer service agent to resolve the issue.
- Politely request a ticket check at the nearest CA Lottery district office. They can inspect your ticket and verify whether you have a winner.
Getting Your CA Lottery Ticket Manually Validated
If you’ve determined the ticket itself is fine and the scanners are simply not reading it, your best recourse is to have the retailer manually enter the ticket into their terminal.
Every California Lottery ticket is printed with a 14-digit serial number located below the barcode in small print. By looking up a ticket by this serial number, a retailer can manually validate your ticket.
Here’s how manual ticket validation works:
- Locate the 14-digit serial number on your ticket
- Politely ask the retailer to enter the serial number into their terminal
- The terminal will connect to the California Lottery’s database to retrieve the ticket details
- If your ticket is a winner, the prize amount will display on the terminal screen
- The retailer can then process your payout as normal and redeem your winning ticket
This allows winning tickets to be cashed even if damaged or unable to scan. If the ticket was already cashed or not a winner, the terminal will display that result.
Getting a Ticket Check at a District Office
If for any reason a retailer is unable to validate your ticket either by scanning or manually entering the serial number, your last option is to visit a California Lottery district office.
At one of the Lottery’s more than two dozen district offices statewide, you can request to have your ticket physically examined and verified. This “ticket check” can determine if your ticket is damaged, expired, already paid, or a winner.
To get a ticket check, simply present your ticket at the Claims office counter. Be sure to:
- Bring valid ID
- Bring the original ticket – no copies
- Write your name and phone number on the back of the ticket
The Lottery staff will then physically inspect the ticket, input the serial number into their system, and inform you if it can be validated and redeemed. This ticket check is done for free.
Claiming Prizes on Damaged Tickets
If your CA lottery ticket is damaged to the point retailers cannot validate it, all is not lost. You can still claim possible prize winnings by submitting a claim form to the Lottery.
Follow these steps to claim prizes on damaged tickets:
- Download a Claim Form from the CA Lottery website or pick one up at a district office
- Fill out the form completely and accurately
- Attach your damaged ticket, if available
- Make a copy of the entire claim package for your records
- Mail the signed claim package to the address printed on the form
Be sure to provide sufficient information on where and when you purchased the ticket. The Lottery will research and verify the submission against the original ticket details to validate your claim.
If approved, your prize winnings will be mailed to you in 4-6 weeks minus applicable state and federal taxes. Damaged tickets can take longer to validate and pay out.
Expired Scratchers Tickets
For instant scratchers games in California, all tickets expire 180 days after a game ends. If you are trying to cash or scan an expired scratcher past this timeframe, it will not validate as a winner.
The quickest way to check if your scratcher is still valid is to use the Ticket Checker feature on the CA Lottery Official Mobile App. Simply scan your ticket barcode and it will display whether it’s valid or expired.
You can also check scratchers expiry dates by looking up the game number on the Lottery’s website or asking a retailer to check in their terminal.
If your ticket is expired, it can sadly no longer be cashed or scanned. Always be sure to check unscratched tickets for expiry dates before purchasing to avoid this.
Other Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some other quick troubleshooting tips for dealing with CA lottery tickets that won’t scan:
- Clean any dirt, grime or dust from the ticket surface and barcode
- Try not to fold or crease the ticket, which can damage the barcode
- Ensure the ticket was not already cashed by another person
- Go to a different retailer location in case their scanners are malfunctioning
- Avoid getting tickets wet which can ruin the barcode
Following proper ticket storage and handling procedures can minimize scanning issues. But should problems still occur, use the step-by-step guide outlined here to get your CA lottery ticket validated.
With patience and persistence, a winning ticket can still be redeemed even if damaged or expired. Knowing what steps to take will help ensure you walk away with your rightful California Lottery prize winnings!