State Unclaimed Property in California
The California State Controller's Office holds unclaimed property — dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, and similar assets — until the owner or their heirs claim it. Heirs of a deceased owner file a claim with proof of death and proof of their relationship to the owner.
Administering agency
California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division
Authority
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)
State Unclaimed Property in California: key facts
- Administering office
- California State Controller's Office, Unclaimed Property Division.
- Official search and claim
- claimit.ca.gov (free search and online claims).
- Who may file for a deceased owner
- An heir, a trustee, or the personal representative, executor, or administrator of the estate.
- Heir claim documents
- A signed Claim Affirmation Form (notarized if the claim is $1,000 or more, or is for securities or a safe deposit box), photo identification, proof of Social Security number, all pages of the deceased owner's certified final death certificate, and documentation of your relationship to the owner such as a marriage or certified birth certificate. A will, trust, letters testamentary or of administration, or a final decree of distribution is submitted where one exists.
- Small estate option (Probate Code 13101)
- Heirs may submit a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101 instead of full probate documents when at least 40 days have elapsed since the death and the gross value of the decedent's California property subject to the procedure does not exceed $208,850 (deaths on or after April 1, 2025; $184,500 for deaths April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2025). The SCO provides its own declaration form, along with a Table of Heirship, on the forms page.
- Claim processing time
- California law allows the State Controller's Office up to 180 days from receipt of a complete claim package to review documentation and decide the claim. Cash-only property owner claims may be processed in as little as 30 to 60 days; heir claims are generally processed within the 180-day period.
Governing law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)
Steps to take when someone dies
- Search claimit.ca.gov for the deceased owner's name and prior addresses.
- File a claim as the heir or estate representative with the State Controller's Office:
- A signed Claim Affirmation Form, notarized if the claim is $1,000 or more
- All pages of the owner's certified final death certificate
- Documentation of your relationship to the owner, such as a marriage or certified birth certificate
- Court or estate documents, or a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101 and a Table of Heirship for a small estate
- Submit the claim through claimit.ca.gov or mail it to the Unclaimed Property Division, P.O. Box 942850, Sacramento, CA 94250-5873, and contact (800) 992-4647 with questions.
California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division
Phone: 800-992-4647
Visit the agency website →Frequently asked questions
Search claimit.ca.gov, then file a claim with the State Controller's Office as the heir, trustee, or personal representative. Required documents include a signed Claim Affirmation Form, the owner's certified final death certificate, proof of your relationship to the owner, and court or estate documents — with a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101 and a Table of Heirship used for small estates.
Under the Unclaimed Property Law (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq.), holders report and deliver property to the State Controller's Office after there has been no activity on the account or contact with the owner for the period specified in the law — generally three years.
No. There is no deadline for claiming property once it is transferred to the State Controller's Office, and no fee to claim it — the state holds it until the owner or their heirs claim it.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in California primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division
Authority
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)