State Unclaimed Property in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Treasury holds unclaimed property — dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, stock, insurance payouts, and contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes — until the owner or their heirs claim it. There is never a charge to search or file a claim.
Administering agency
Michigan Department of Treasury — Unclaimed Property
Authority
MCL 567.221 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, Act 29 of 1995)
State Unclaimed Property in Michigan: key facts
- Administering office
- Michigan Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property.
- Official search and claim
- unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov — free search with secure online document upload.
- Phone
- 517-636-5320, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Claims email: TreasUPD@michigan.gov.
- Heir or estate claim
- If the owner is deceased, Treasury accepts a claim from a biological heir or devisee of the original owner, a beneficiary, or the personal representative if the estate is currently in probate. The claimant uploads proof of death and the requested supporting documentation through the portal.
- Small estate option
- Heirs of a decedent who died in 2026 may use the sworn-statement procedure under MCL 700.3983 (SCAO form PC 598) when the estate includes no real property and its value net of liens does not exceed $53,000 — the statutory $50,000 adjusted for inflation under MCL 700.1210, as certified annually by the Department of Treasury — at least 28 days after death, with no personal representative appointed or applied for.
- Claim processing time
- The administrator must consider each claim within 90 days of filing and provide written notice of any denial (MCL 567.245). Treasury asks claimants to allow 90 days for processing, then roughly 6 weeks from the start of the approval process to receive payment.
Governing law: MCL 567.221 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, Act 29 of 1995)
Steps to take when someone dies
- Search unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov for the deceased's name, maiden name, and prior addresses, and run a multi-state search at missingmoney.com.
- Start a claim through the portal as the heir or estate representative.
- Provide proof of death and, as applicable, proof of your relationship to the owner or of your authority to act for the estate, and upload the documentation the portal requests. A qualifying small estate can be settled instead by sworn statement under MCL 700.3983 (SCAO form PC 598) — no real property, value at or below the adjusted limit ($53,000 for 2026 deaths), and at least 28 days after death.
- The Department of Treasury must consider each claim within 90 days of filing and give written notice of any denial (MCL 567.245); allowed claims are then paid to the verified claimant.
Frequently asked questions
Search unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov for the deceased's name, then file a claim through the portal. Treasury accepts a claim from a biological heir or devisee of the owner, a beneficiary, or the personal representative if the estate is currently in probate. Supporting documents are uploaded securely through the portal, and there is never a charge to search or claim.
The Michigan Department of Treasury is custodian of unclaimed property under the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (MCL 567.221 et seq.). It holds dormant accounts, uncashed checks, stock, and similar assets until the owner or their heirs claim them.
No. Treasury states there is no time limit for filing a claim; it serves as custodian and holds the funds until the rightful owner or their heirs come forward.
Yes. Treasury's own claim rules let a biological heir, devisee, or beneficiary claim a deceased owner's property directly — Letters of Authority are needed only where a personal representative is claiming for an estate in probate. Separately, a small estate with no real property and a value at or below the adjusted limit ($53,000 for deaths in 2026, from the statutory $50,000 in MCL 700.3983 adjusted under MCL 700.1210) can be settled by sworn statement on SCAO form PC 598 at least 28 days after death, with no personal representative appointed or applied for.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Michigan primary sources (10 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Michigan Department of Treasury — Unclaimed Property
Authority
MCL 567.221 et seq. (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, Act 29 of 1995)