The following individuals are authorized to act as certifying officers for the purpose of certifying a request for payment, reissue, or a signature to a Fiscal Service form:

(a) Officers generally authorized—(1) Banks, trust companies, and member organizations of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. (i) Any officer of a bank incorporated in the United States, the territories or possessions of the United States, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(ii) Any officer of a trust company incorporated in the United States, the territories or possessions of the United States, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(iii) Any officer of an organization that is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. This includes Federal savings and loan associations.

(iv) Any officer of a foreign branch or domestic branch of an institution indicated in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (iii) of this section.

(v) Any officer of a Federal Reserve Bank, a Federal Land Bank, or a Federal Home Loan Bank.

(vi) Any employee of an institution in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (v) of this section, who is expressly authorized to certify by the institution.

(2) Credit unions. Any officer or employee of a credit union, who is expressly authorized to certify by the institution. Certification by these officers or designated employees must be authenticated by a legible imprint of either the corporate seal of the institution or of the issuing or paying agent's stamp. The employee expressly authorized to certify by an institution must sign his or her name over the title “Designated Employee”.

(3) Issuing and paying agents. Any officer or expressly authorized employee of an organization that is not included in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) through (v) of this section but is qualified as an issuing or paying agent for savings bonds of Series E, EE, or I. The agent's stamp must be imprinted in the certification.

(4) By United States officials. Any judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of a United States court, including United States courts for the territories and possessions of the United States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; any United States Commissioner, United States Attorney, or United States Collector of Customs, including their deputies; in the Internal Revenue Service, any Regional Commissioner, District Director, Service Center Director, or Internal Revenue agent.

(b) Officers with limited authority—(1) In the Armed Forces. Any commissioned officer or warrant officer of the Armed Forces of the United States, but only for members of the respective services, their families, and civilian employees at posts, bases, or stations. The certifying officer must indicate his or her rank and state that the individual signing the request is one of the class whose request the certifying officer is authorized to certify.

(2) Veterans Administration, Federal penal institutions, and United States Public Health Service hospitals. Any officer in charge of a home, hospital or other facility of the Veterans Administration, but only for the patients, or employees of the facility; any officer of a Federal penal institution or a United States Public Health Service hospital expressly authorized to certify by the Secretary of the Treasury or his designee, but only for the inmates, patients or employees of the institution involved. Officers of Veterans Administration facilities, Federal penal institutions, and Public Health Service hospitals must use the stamp or seal of the particular institution or service.

(c) Authorized officers in foreign countries. Any United States diplomatic or consular representative, or the officer of a foreign branch of a bank or trust company incorporated in the United States whose signature is attested by an imprint of the corporate seal or is certified to the Department of the Treasury. If none of these individuals is available, a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths may certify, but, if not in a country that is a party to the Hague Convention, his or her official character and jurisdiction must be certified by a United States diplomatic or consular officer under seal of his or her office.

(d) Authorized officers in particular localities. The Governor and the Treasurer of Puerto Rico; the Governor and the Commissioner of Finance of the Virgin Islands; the Governor and the Director of Finance of Guam; or the Governor and the Director of Administrative Services of American Samoa.

(e) Special provisions. If no certifying officer is readily accessible, the Commissioner of the Fiscal Service, Deputy Commissioner, any Assistant Commissioner, or other designated official of the Bureau or of a Federal Reserve Bank or Branch is authorized to make special provision for any particular case.

(a) The certifying officer must:

(1) Require the person presenting a bond, or an appropriate Fiscal Service transaction form, to establish his or her identity in accordance with Department of the Treasury instructions and identification guidelines;

(2) Place a notation on the back of the bond or on the appropriate Fiscal Service transaction form, or in a separate record, showing exactly how identification was established; and

(3) Affix, as part of the certification, his or her official signature, title, seal or issuing or paying agent's stamp, address, and the date of execution.

(b) The certifying officer and, if such person is an officer or an employee of an organization, the organization will be held fully responsible for the adequacy of the identification.

(c) A signature guaranteed stamp under the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP) is an acceptable official seal.

Certifying officers may not certify the requests for payment or reissue of bonds, or appropriate Fiscal Service transaction forms if, in their own right or in a representative capacity, they:

(a) Have an interest in the bonds; or

(b) Will, by virtue of the requests being certified, acquire an interest in the bonds.

When required in the instructions on a Fiscal Service transaction form, the form must be signed before an authorized certifying officer.