State Unclaimed Property in Florida

State Unclaimed Property in Florida: key facts

Administering office

Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property, 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0358.

Official search

fltreasurehunt.gov — free search and online claim initiation, available at no cost to owners and heirs.

Heir claim documents

A certified copy of the death certificate, plus — if the estate is open — court records certified within the past year showing the personal representative's authority, or — if the estate is closed — a certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries and each one's share. A will standing alone is never sufficient. Every claimant also submits photo identification and a signed claim form.

Small estate accounts (no probate order)

Under Fla. Stat. 717.1243, beneficiaries may claim without a probate court order by filing Form DFS-UP-1243 (Estate Affidavit) signed by all beneficiaries, where all property the Department holds for the owner totals $20,000 or less and no probate proceeding is pending. The affidavit states that the beneficiaries have amicably agreed on a division of the estate and that funeral expenses, expenses of the last illness, and other lawful claims have been paid. A copy of the will is filed if the owner died testate. No partial payments are made.

Claim processing time

The Department must determine a claim within 90 days after receipt of the claim, or after the claimant's response to a request for additional information, whichever is later. That period is extended by 60 days for good cause or in specified cases (bankruptcy, a foreign address, a claimant outside the United States, non-English documents). The Division does not publish an expected processing time.

Governing law: Fla. Stat. Chapter 717 (Florida Disposition of Abandoned Personal Property Act); § 717.124 (abandoned property claims); § 717.1243 (small estate accounts); § 717.1261 (death certificates); Fla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022

Steps to take when someone dies

1. Search fltreasurehunt.gov for the deceased's name, including maiden and prior names.
2. File the claim with a certified copy of the death certificate and proof of entitlement:
   • Open estate: clerk-certified estate records, dated within one year of filing, showing the personal representative's authority to act
   • Closed estate: a certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries and each one's proportional entitlement
   • Property totaling $20,000 or less with no probate pending: Form DFS-UP-1243 (Estate Affidavit) signed by all beneficiaries, plus a copy of the will if the owner died testate
3. Include photo identification and a signed claim form for every claimant, then respond to any Department request for additional documentation within 60 days.

Frequently asked questions