North Carolina Pick 4 FAQs

Pick 4 is a draw game offered by the NC Lottery. It has two draws every day, making it a very fast-paced game. Players must pick four numbers from 0 to 9, and match them according to the conditions on their ticket. The top prize of $5,000 is a lot lower than most lotteries, but the odds of winning are much better. Pick 4 is played in the majority of US states, but it isn't a multi-state lottery; each state has its own draws, and there are slight rule quirks and changes in terminology from state-to-state. Give it a try, it's fun!

The NC Lottery holds two Pick 4 drawings every day. The Day draw is held at 03:00 PM, while the Evening drawing is at 11:22 PM.

Yes, for the Day draw, sales at retailers are suspended from 02:45 to 03:01 PM. For the Evening drawing, Pick 4 sales are suspended from 10:58 to 11:30 PM.

Players win Pick 4 by matching the drawn numbers according to the conditions laid out on their ticket. To read more about the options there are, and how to win with them, we'd recommend heading over to our Ways to Play guide, where we cover them all in full.

In NC Pick 4, the play types are: Exact Order, Any Order, 50/50, Combo, and Pairs. We'd explain them here, but we've already prepared a comprehensive guide which you can read on our Ways to Play page.

This depends on the play type you've chosen, and the wager you've placed. You can make a bet of either $1 or $0.50 on Exact Order, Any Order, 50/50, and Pair plays. For Combo plays, the cost of your ticket depends on the wager placed, as well as the number of Ways you've chosen to play – prices range from $2 to $24. If this isn't making much sense to you at the moment, head to our Ways to Play page where we explain how the number of Ways to Play affects the cost of Combo tickets. Also, if you choose to add the Fireball to your ticket, it will double the cost.

The biggest prize on offer in NC Pick 4 is $5,000, which can be won by matching all four numbers in drawn order with a $1 Exact Order ticket. The $5,000 can also be won with a Combo play ticket, which will have improved odds, but a higher cost too. You decide whether it's worth it! For all the other prize tiers, check the table on our Odds and Prizes page.

The odds of winning the top prize in Pick 4 ($5,000) are 1 in 10,000 for a $1 Exact Order ticket. Of course, there are lots of other ways to win Pick 4, and the odds for these can be found on our Odds and Prizes table.

No, the age limit for playing NC Lottery games is 18.

Yes, you can use the Multidraw section on your playslip to enter your ticket in up to 7 consecutive drawings. Alternatively, you can use the Advance Play option to pick a future day of the week to enter your tickets in.

Yes, prizes of $600 or more must be reported when filing your taxes.

Prizes up to $600 can be claimed from any NC Lottery authorized retailer. For prizes higher than this, you'll have to visit an NC Lottery payment center with some ID to make your claim. Regardless of how much you've won, you can also make your claim by mail. This is the only way to make your claim if you can't visit North Carolina for any reason. You can find out more about claiming towards the end of our Odds and Prizes page.

All North Carolina Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days from the date of the draw. Tickets left unclaimed after this deadline are expired, and prizes can no longer be redeemed.

Tickets are considered "bearer instruments", the same as banknotes. Without your ticket, you won't be able to make any claims. If the ticket has suffered minor damage preventing it from being redeemed, you could try to contact the NC Lottery for a solution, but we can't promise any success. If you've had issues with lost, damaged, or stolen tickets, why not try playing pick 4 online? That way, your tickets are stored securely online, with digital receipts!