Man finds $30,000 Mega Millions ticket after it falls out of his car's sun visor
A Maryland man discovered a forgotten Mega Millions ticket in his sun visor was worth $30,000 after it dropped into his lap.
The winning ticket was there the whole time, tucked into a place plenty of drivers use every day and rarely think much about. A Maryland man only realized what he had after the Mega Millions slip he had forgotten in his car dropped back into view.
A forgotten ticket drops back into view
The Mount Airy player told Maryland Lottery officials he bought the ticket on Oct. 2 at the 7-Eleven on Ridgeside Drive in Mount Airy. After buying it, he placed it in the sun visor in his car and left it there.
That might have been the end of the story if the ticket had stayed put. Instead, a few weeks later, it fell out of the visor and landed in his lap. That was the moment he checked the numbers and saw that he had matched four of the five numbers on the ticket.
Even then, he was not sure what that meant for the prize. So he took the ticket back to the same 7-Eleven, where a clerk scanned it and confirmed it was worth $30,000.
How the winner plans to use the money
The forgotten slip turned out to be a sizable Mega Millions win, and the Maryland man already has a plan for it.
He said most of the money will be put away for a rainy day. He also plans to use part of the prize for a meal out with his roommate, whom he wanted to thank for driving him to collect the winnings.
What makes the story stand out is how ordinary the hiding place was. The ticket was not locked away in a drawer or stored somewhere special. It spent weeks tucked into a car sun visor before a simple slip brought a $30,000 surprise back into sight.
How draw lottery tickets work
A draw ticket is usually a printed receipt showing the game, the numbers chosen, the draw date and a barcode used for validation. For big jackpot games, prizes are tied to how many winning numbers match, and the ticket itself is the proof of purchase. In many places, the paper ticket matters more than a bank statement or a memory of buying it.
That is why a ticket can be easy to overlook but still very important. It may end up in a wallet, coat pocket, glove box, bag or visor. Heat, moisture and fading can damage the print, so keeping it flat, dry and out of direct sunlight is a smart habit.
What to do if you think you have a winner
First, check the draw date and numbers carefully using an official lottery website, app or authorised retailer. Small mistakes are common, especially with older slips or multiple tickets from different draws. If the barcode will not scan, the printed details may still be usable.
If local rules allow it, signing the back can help show ownership. It is also sensible to take clear photos of the front and back, then store the ticket somewhere secure until you know exactly what it is worth. Do not post the barcode online. Rules on anonymity, claim methods and deadlines vary by place, so rely on the official instructions for the area where the ticket was bought.
Useful habits for any ticket buyer
Treat lottery tickets like cash receipts with unusually high stakes. Keep all recent tickets together in one place, and check them soon after each draw instead of letting them build up in a car or drawer. Many players use a small envelope, phone reminder or lottery app to stay organised.
If you buy tickets regularly, review old ones before throwing anything away. Unclaimed prizes are common simply because people forget to check, misread a date or lose the slip. If you do have a winning ticket, be cautious about who you tell at first. Scams and bad advice often appear quickly around lottery wins, so official channels should be your first stop.
