You can buy 30-year Treasury bonds directly from the U.S. government through TreasuryDirect.gov, through a brokerage account, or through a bank. The minimum purchase is just $100, and the process takes minutes once you have an account set up. Here’s how each method works and what to expect.
Buying Direct Through TreasuryDirect
TreasuryDirect is the government’s own platform for buying Treasury securities, and it’s the most straightforward option for individual investors. You’ll place what’s called a non-competitive bid, which means you accept whatever yield the auction determines. In return, you’re guaranteed to get the full amount you requested.
To get started, create a free account at TreasuryDirect.gov. You’ll need a Social Security number, a U.S. address, a bank account and routing number for funding purchases, and an email address. The setup takes about 10 minutes. Once your account is active, navigate to the “Buy” section, select Treasury Bonds, choose the upcoming 30-year auction, enter the dollar amount you want (minimum $100, in $100 increments), and submit your order. The maximum you can buy through a non-competitive bid is $10 million per auction.
One important restriction: when you buy through TreasuryDirect, you must hold the bond for at least 45 calendar days before you can transfer or sell it. This holding period doesn’t apply if you’re reinvesting proceeds from a maturing security. After 45 days, you can transfer the bond to a brokerage account if you want to sell it on the secondary market.
Buying Through a Broker or Bank
Most online brokerages let you buy 30-year Treasury bonds either at auction or on the secondary market. This route offers more flexibility than TreasuryDirect in a few key ways.
At auction, a broker can place either a non-competitive or a competitive bid on your behalf (but not both for the same auction). A competitive bid lets you specify the exact yield you’re willing to accept. The tradeoff is risk: if the auction clears at a lower yield than you specified, you get nothing. If it clears at exactly your yield, you may only receive a partial fill. Non-competitive bids through a broker work the same as on TreasuryDirect, guaranteeing you the full amount at the auction-determined yield.
The secondary market is where previously issued 30-year bonds trade between investors. Buying here means you don’t have to wait for an auction date. You can purchase a bond any trading day, and you’ll see the price and yield before you commit. The price may be above or below the bond’s face value depending on how interest rates have moved since it was originally issued. Many major brokerages charge no commission on Treasury purchases, though you’ll want to confirm with yours.
Holding bonds in a brokerage account also makes selling easier. There’s no 45-day lockup, and you can liquidate with a few clicks during market hours.
When Auctions Happen
The Treasury auctions 30-year bonds on a monthly schedule, typically in the second week of the month. New issues (fresh 30-year bonds with a new coupon rate) are generally offered in February, May, August, and November. The months in between are “reopenings,” where the Treasury sells additional quantities of the most recently issued bond at the current market price.
For the first half of 2026, the Treasury’s tentative auction dates are February 12, March 12, April 9, May 13, June 11, and July 9. February and May are new issues; March, April, June, and July are reopenings. The exact schedule is published on Treasury.gov and updated quarterly.
If you’re buying through TreasuryDirect, you’ll need to place your order before the auction deadline, which is usually the day before the auction date. The site will show the submission window when you log in. Through a broker, the cutoff may differ, so check your platform’s specific deadline.
How the Yield and Price Work
A 30-year Treasury bond pays a fixed interest rate (the coupon) every six months for 30 years, then returns your principal at maturity. When you buy at auction through a non-competitive bid, you agree to accept the “high yield” that the auction produces. This yield is set by the competitive bidding among large institutional buyers, and your non-competitive bid simply rides along at that rate.
If the auction yield is higher than the bond’s coupon rate, you’ll pay slightly less than $100 per $100 of face value, effectively getting a small discount. If the yield is lower than the coupon, you’ll pay a small premium. Either way, the yield you lock in at auction is what you’ll earn if you hold to maturity.
On the secondary market, prices fluctuate daily with interest rates. Because 30-year bonds have such a long duration, their prices are especially sensitive to rate changes. A 1-percentage-point rise in rates can cause a 30-year bond’s market price to drop roughly 15% to 20%. This only matters if you sell before maturity. If you hold the full 30 years, you’ll receive exactly the face value back regardless of what rates do in between.
Tax Treatment
Interest income from 30-year Treasury bonds is subject to federal income tax but exempt from state and local income taxes. This makes Treasuries particularly attractive if you live in a state with high income tax rates, since the effective after-tax yield can be meaningfully better than a corporate bond or CD offering the same nominal rate.
You’ll report the interest on your federal return each year as it’s paid. If you buy on the secondary market at a discount or premium, the tax treatment of that difference has its own rules, and your broker will typically handle the reporting on your 1099 form.
Choosing Between TreasuryDirect and a Broker
TreasuryDirect works well if you plan to buy at auction and hold for the long term. There are no fees, no middlemen, and the process is simple. The downsides are the 45-day holding restriction, a somewhat dated website interface, and the fact that selling before maturity requires transferring the bond to a broker first.
A brokerage account is the better choice if you want flexibility. You can buy at auction or on the secondary market, sell at any time, and manage your bonds alongside the rest of your portfolio. Most brokerages also make it easier to track your holdings, reinvest interest, and handle tax reporting. If you already have a brokerage account, buying Treasuries there adds no extra complexity to your financial life.