Connecticut Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division
Connecticut · Unclaimed Property
portal.ct.gov/ott/unclaimed-property/overviewState Unclaimed Property in Connecticut
The Connecticut Office of the State Treasurer holds unclaimed property — dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and similar assets — as custodian until the owner or their heirs claim it. The CT Big List at ctbiglist.gov is the free official search, and there is no time limit for the owner or their heirs to file a claim.
Steps to take when someone dies
- •A signed claim form
- •A copy of photo identification and a copy of the Social Security number
- •Proof of address and proof of ownership (tax return, original check, utility bill)
- •Any additional documents the claim identifies for that property type
Required Documents
- Signed claim form
- Copy of photo identification: Such as a driver's license.
- Copy of the Social Security number
- Proof of address: Current and/or previous address.
- Proof of ownership: Such as a tax return, original check, or utility bill. Additional documents depend on the type of property and are listed on the claim itself.
- Sworn affidavit of entitlement: claiming a deceased owner's solely owned property worth less than $500 without a probate decree. Made under penalty of perjury; it affirms that the claimant is the sole heir or attaches attestations from the other heirs.
State Unclaimed Property in Connecticut: key facts
What Connecticut says8
- Official search
The CT Big List at ctbiglist.gov is the free official search, and a claim is initiated from the search result.1
- Who may claim for a deceased owner
Only owners of the property or their legal heirs may file a claim.2
- Documents for an heir or estate claim
The Treasurer's claims FAQ says claims typically require a signed claim form, photo identification, the Social Security number, proof of address and proof of ownership. Additional documents depend on the type of property and are listed on the claim itself.2
- Deadline to claim
Conn. Gen. Stat. 3-70a(a) allows a claim at any time after the property is surrendered to the Treasurer, and the claims FAQ says there is no time limit. The Treasurer holds the property as custodian until the rightful owner or their heirs claim it.3, 2
- Claiming without a probate order
Conn. Gen. Stat. 3-70a(g) lets the Treasurer pay a claimant directly, without a probate transfer decree or fiduciary certificate, for solely owned property of a deceased owner worth less than $500 in the aggregate, on a certified claim plus a sworn affidavit of entitlement.3
The route is open where no affidavit in lieu of administration or similar petition has been filed, where more than a year has passed since the last transfer decree, or where a fiduciary was appointed but the estate closed more than a year before the property was discovered.3
- Processing time
Conn. Gen. Stat. 3-70a(b) has the Treasurer consider each claim within 90 days of filing.3
- How an approved claim is paid
Conn. Gen. Stat. 3-70a(d) has the Treasurer pay each allowed claim without deduction for costs of notices, sale, or service charges.3
Above $500, the ordinary probate documentation applies, and under Conn. Gen. Stat. 3-70a(d) the Treasurer notifies the Commissioner of Revenue Services of payments of $500 or more made to a deceased owner's administrator or executor.3
- Fees
The Treasurer states that claiming is free: property a claimant can prove is theirs is returned without charge, and no one needs to be hired to locate unclaimed assets.4
Governing law: Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 3, Chapter 32 (Sec. 3-64a, 3-65a, 3-70a)
Not in Connecticut's published guidance1
- A separate document checklist for a deceased owner's claim
Connecticut unclaimed property
Connecticut Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division
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