State Unclaimed Property in Iowa
The Iowa Treasurer of State holds unclaimed property — dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, and similar assets — through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt until the owner or their heirs claim it. When the rightful owner has died, the property is paid to the estate, or to an heir who provides evidence of the right to claim it.
Administering agency
Iowa Treasurer of State — Great Iowa Treasure Hunt
Authority
Iowa Code Chapter 556 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property)
State Unclaimed Property in Iowa: key facts
- Administering office
- Iowa Treasurer of State, Unclaimed Property Division (Great Iowa Treasure Hunt).
- Official search
- greatiowatreasurehunt.gov (free search and online claims).
- Deceased owner claims
- Property of a deceased owner is paid to the owner's estate, or to an heir under a valid will or under Iowa probate law who submits the required evidence.
- No deadline
- A claim can be made at any time; Iowa holds unclaimed property until the rightful owner or heir claims it. Stock and safe deposit box contents may be sold after a holding period, but the claimant is still entitled to the value at which they were sold. The exception is U.S. savings bonds: they escheat to the state three years after they are presumed abandoned and legal title vests solely in the state, though a claim may still be filed and the treasurer may pay it (Iowa Code 556.9B).
- Deceased owner claim form
- Iowa does not offer a simplified small-estate dollar-threshold procedure for unclaimed property. All deceased-owner claims require an Affidavit of Administration provided by the Iowa Treasurer of State's division, regardless of the amount. An executor or administrator submits the form with evidence of appointment; an heir submits it with evidence of entitlement under the will or Iowa probate law (Iowa Admin. Code r. 781-9.26(8)).
- Claim processing time
- The Treasurer's office tells claimants to allow up to 90 days for review, and notes that processing time varies with the type of claim — heir, business, or stock. Iowa Code 556.20 requires payment "forthwith" once a claim is allowed. Claims over $5,000 in cash value require an additional level of approval from a division manager before final payment is issued (Iowa Admin. Code r. 781-9.34). No calendar-day payment deadline is stated in the statute or rules.
Governing law: Iowa Code Chapter 556 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property)
Steps to take when someone dies
- Search greatiowatreasurehunt.gov for the deceased's name and prior addresses, and run a multi-state search at missingmoney.com.
- File a claim as the estate representative or heir with supporting documentation:
- Proof of the owner's death
- Proof of authority to act for the estate, such as letters of appointment, where the estate was probated
- Evidence of the right to claim as an heir under a will or under Iowa probate law
- The Treasurer reviews the claim and the supporting evidence before paying the property to the estate or heir.
Frequently asked questions
Search greatiowatreasurehunt.gov, then file a claim with the Iowa Treasurer of State. When the owner has died, the property is paid to the estate, or to an heir who provides proof of death and evidence of the right to claim under a will or under Iowa probate law.
No. The Iowa Treasurer's office states that a claim can be made at any time, because unclaimed property is held under Iowa Code Chapter 556 until the rightful owner or heir claims it. The one exception is U.S. savings bonds, which escheat to the state three years after they are presumed abandoned (Iowa Code 556.9B) — a claim can still be filed after that, and the treasurer may pay it.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Iowa primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Iowa Treasurer of State — Great Iowa Treasure Hunt
Authority
Iowa Code Chapter 556 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property)