Guide

Unclaimed Property After a Death: How to Search and Claim

If an account was never discovered, it may be sitting with a state as unclaimed property. Here is how families find it.

How unclaimed property works

When a bank, insurer, or employer cannot reach an account owner for long enough, state law can require it to turn the money over to the state. The state holds it until the owner or their heirs claim it.

Unclaimed property is reported to the state where the company or organization is located, so it is common for one person to have property in more than one state, especially if they moved.

Be careful with unsolicited messages about unclaimed property. If you are unsure, contact the state’s official program directly.

How to find and claim it

1.Gather the names to search. Use the full legal name plus maiden names, former names, nicknames, and common misspellings. List every state the person lived in or held accounts in.
2.Search for free. Search MissingMoney.com, the national search endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), and the official program of each state where the person lived. Searching through official state programs is free.
3.File a claim as an heir or representative. Each state asks for proof of death and proof that you are entitled to the property. The requirements vary by state and sometimes by the amount.
4.Know what you will pay. You can file directly with the state at no charge. Paid heir finders may take a percentage of what they recover, and some states cap that percentage.

Search MissingMoney.com →

State guides

Each state runs its own program with its own forms. Start with the state where your loved one lived.

CaliforniaClaimIt · ClaimIt.ca.gov TexasClaimItTexas · ClaimItTexas.org FloridaFlorida Treasure Hunt · FLTreasureHunt.gov New YorkUnclaimed Funds · osc.ny.gov/unclaimed-funds PennsylvaniaUnclaimed Property · unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov IllinoisI-CASH · icash.illinoistreasurer.gov OhioUnclaimed Funds · unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov GeorgiaUnclaimed Property Program · dor.georgia.gov North CarolinaNCCash · NCCash.gov MichiganMichigan Unclaimed Property · unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov New JerseyUnclaimed Property Administration · unclaimedproperty.nj.gov VirginiaVirginia Money Search · vamoneysearch.gov ArizonaArizona Unclaimed Property · azdor.gov/unclaimed-property TennesseeTennessee Unclaimed Property · treasury.tn.gov MinnesotaUnclaimed Property · unclaimedproperty.mn.gov MissouriShow Me Money · treasurer.mo.gov/UnclaimedProperty WisconsinUnclaimed Property · revenue.wi.gov/UnclaimedProperty

We are adding more state guides. For every other state, use the official program links below.

Official unclaimed property programs, all 50 states and DC

Each state runs its own free search. Links marked “guide” go to our state page. The rest go directly to that state’s official program, as listed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

Alabama Alaska Arizona guide Arkansas California guide Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida guide Georgia guide Hawaii Idaho Illinois guide Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan guide Minnesota guide Mississippi Missouri guide Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey guide New Mexico New York guide North Carolina guide North Dakota Ohio guide Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania guide Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee guide Texas guide Utah Vermont Virginia guide Washington West Virginia Wisconsin guide Wyoming

The better outcome is never needing this search

The Only Step records which financial institutions you use, so your family knows where to look from the start, instead of hoping an account turns up later.

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