State Unclaimed Property
Searching for and claiming a deceased person's unclaimed property held by the states
Every state and the District of Columbia operates an unclaimed property program. When a bank account, uncashed check, insurance payout, security deposit, or other asset goes inactive for a set dormancy period — NAUPA describes it as no activity or owner contact "for one year or a longer period," with the exact period set by state law and property type — the holder must turn it over to the state, which safeguards it until the rightful owner or their heirs claim it. After a death, the executor or surviving family can search the state where the deceased lived or did business, and claim property on behalf of the estate. The administering agency, search portal, and claim process are set by each state.
Unclaimed property in your state
Administered by each state's unclaimed property program. Select a state for its administering office, key facts, and the steps that apply there.
Claiming a deceased person's unclaimed property
Executors and heirs search state databases and file claims with proof of death and authority.
No notification is needed. Unclaimed Property's page on what to do after a death →
- •The deceased's name and last known address
- •The death certificate
- •Proof of authority: letters testamentary, letters of administration, a small-estate affidavit or proof of heirship, as the state requires
Required Documents
- Death certificate
- Proof of the claimant's authority: Letters testamentary, letters of administration, a small-estate affidavit or proof of heirship, as the state requires.
- The deceased's prior addresses and Social Security number: if requested
- Documentation linking the deceased to the reported property
Timeline
Processing time varies by state; some states complete the process in less than 30 days.
Deadlines1
- A claim for property a state holds
no uniform deadline; some states set a time limit1
What happens to each matter2
- Unclaimed property held by the state
Money or assets a business or government holds but cannot return to the owner, such as dormant bank and brokerage accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, security deposits, refunds and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes. The state holds it until the owner or their heirs claim it.2, 3
The executor or administrator claims it for the estate with proof of death and proof of authority to act. With no formal estate, an heir uses the state's heir or small-estate claim process.3
- Savings bonds and securities
States may hold escheated securities only for a limited period before liquidating them and keeping the sale proceeds.1
What Unclaimed Property's rules say5
- Who reports the death
There is no death notification to file. The executor or heirs search the state unclaimed property database for the deceased's assets and submit a claim with proof of death and proof of authority to act for the estate.3
- Processing and payment
A claim can usually be started online as part of the property search.3
- Who may act for the estate or the survivor
A business can have unclaimed property under its own name. The executor or successor searches under the business name as well as the individual's, and files a business claim under the state's rules for proof of authority over the business.4
- Fees
Searching and claiming are free through a state's official unclaimed property program or missingmoney.com. Third-party finders or locators charge a fee, usually a percentage of the amount recovered, and the same property can always be claimed directly at no cost.5
Some states limit the maximum fee a finder may charge, and many states require finders to register or be licensed.5
- What the agency does and does not handle
A holder turns an asset over to the state after it has been inactive for the state's dormancy period, and the state holds it until the owner or their heirs claim it.2
Property is reported to the state where the company holding it is located, so it often sits outside the state where the deceased lived.4
State programs hold property turned over by businesses and institutions; federal unclaimed assets sit in separate databases.6, 7
Other agencies and offices involved6
- The Treasury (TreasuryDirect)
Unredeemed savings bonds; claims are made on FS Form 1048, as the Treasury Hunt search was withdrawn8, 9
Programs for survivors1
- MissingMoney.com
The national database endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators searches the participating states at once for free and links to each one's official program. Most states participate; a state that does not is searched on its own official site.11, 12, 13
Sources13
- 1.SEC investor bulletin: the escheatment process
- 2.NAUPA: What is unclaimed property?
- 3.NAUPA: Claim your found property
- 4.NAUPA: National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators
- 5.NAUPA: Can I really search for free?
- 6.NAUPA: Search beyond your state
- 7.USA.gov: Unclaimed money
- 8.TreasuryDirect: Savings bond forms
- 9.TreasuryDirect: Treasury Hunt
- 10.PBGC: Search unclaimed retirement benefits
- 11.MissingMoney.com
- 12.NAUPA: How states return missing money
- 13.MissingMoney.com state index
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property primary sources (14 pages reviewed). How we research.
State Unclaimed Property national resources
NAUPA (National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators)
Mailing address
Website
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate, by state: will and trust costs, probate, executor and trustee pay, and inheritance taxes.