A 3-step process for Florida Department of Financial Services — Division of Unclaimed Property after a death in Florida.
Administering agency
Florida Department of Financial Services — Division of Unclaimed Property
Authority
Fla. Stat. Chapter 717 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property); § 717.124 (claims); § 717.1243 (small estate accounts); Fla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022
Florida Department of Financial Services — Division of Unclaimed Property
Phone: 1-888-258-2253
Visit the agency website →Search fltreasurehunt.gov, then file a claim with the Division of Unclaimed Property using a certified copy of the death certificate plus proof of entitlement — clerk-certified estate records showing the personal representative's authority if the estate is open, or a certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries and their shares if the estate is closed. A will standing alone is not sufficient. Each claimant also submits identification and a signed claim form.
Yes, in limited cases. Under Fla. Stat. 717.1243, beneficiaries may claim without a probate court order by filing Form DFS-UP-1243, an affidavit signed by all beneficiaries, where the total unclaimed property the Department holds for the owner is $20,000 or less and no probate proceeding is pending. No partial payments are made.
No. The Department acts as custodian and never takes legal ownership of the property; the Division states that citizens have the right to claim their property, at no cost, any time, regardless of the amount.
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Florida primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Florida Department of Financial Services — Division of Unclaimed Property
Authority
Fla. Stat. Chapter 717 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property); § 717.124 (claims); § 717.1243 (small estate accounts); Fla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022