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Home→Agencies→Unclaimed Property→California→When someone dies

State Unclaimed Property in California: when someone dies

A 3-step process for California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division after a death in California.

OverviewWhen someone dies

Unclaimed Property

California

sco.ca.gov/search_upd.html→

Administering agency

California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division

Phone800-992-4647
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)

Verified Jul 2026

Steps to take

  1. Search claimit.ca.gov for the deceased owner's name and prior addresses.
  2. 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
  3. 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.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Sources

  • sco.ca.gov
  • leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • courts.ca.gov

Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in California primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.

Unclaimed Property

California

sco.ca.gov/search_upd.html→

Administering agency

California State Controller's Office — Unclaimed Property Division

Phone800-992-4647
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)

Verified Jul 2026
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