Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds

Ohio · Unclaimed Property

com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/unclaimed-funds/unclaimed-funds

State Unclaimed Property in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds, holds dormant accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and similar assets for ten years after they are reported. Heirs of a deceased owner file a claim with proof of death and proof of authority to act for the estate.

Steps to take Key facts Forms

Steps to take when someone dies

Search unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov for the deceased's name and any address they lived at or were associated with.

Start the claim online by selecting the matching property; a claim form with a Claim ID is emailed, listing the documents required for that specific claim.

Gather the documents proving identity, relationship, and authority to claim for the deceased:

•A certified, unredacted death certificate showing the deceased's Social Security number
•The claimant's government-issued photo ID and Social Security card
•Proof of relationship to the deceased (birth or marriage certificate, etc.)
•Probate documents current within two years — the Division emails a Table of Heirship form if the claim requires one, and that form can be used only for claims under $3,000

Upload the claim form and documents through the Division's document upload page using the Claim ID. The Division does not accept documents by email.

Required Documents

Claimant's government-issued photo ID
Claimant's Social Security card
Proof the deceased lived at or was associated with the reported address
Death certificate: Certified and unredacted, showing the deceased's Social Security number.
Proof of relationship to the deceased: A birth certificate, marriage certificate or similar document.
Probate documents: Current within two years.
Small estate affidavit: where another state's small estate affidavit applies. A certified copy.
Court release from administration: where an estate was opened. Date-stamped within two years of the claim.

State Unclaimed Property in Ohio: key facts

What Ohio says6

Official search

The Division's free search and online claim filing are at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov.¹

Who may claim for a deceased owner

If the probate court appointed an executor or administrator, that person is the only one authorized to file the claim. The Division will not consider an unprobated will.²

If no representative was appointed, the surviving spouse or the next of kin in the order set by R.C. 2105.06 (children, then parents, then siblings) may file.²

When claiming for a deceased parent with no appointed representative, all of the decedent's children must be listed and each sibling must sign a waiver or consent on the Division's Table of Heirship form.³

Documents for an heir or estate claim

Each claim form is customized: the Division emails it with a Claim ID when the claim is started online, listing the documents required for that specific claim.²

Claims of $5,000 or more require a notarized signature on the claim form.²

Claiming without a probate order

Ohio does not have a small estate affidavit, and the Division accepts one issued by another state that allows them. Unclaimed funds properties over $5,000 must be submitted to probate court.²

The Division's Table of Heirship form can be used only for claims under $3,000.³

Where an estate was opened, the Division accepts a court release from administration date-stamped within two years of the claim.^{2, 4}

O.R.C. 2113.03 makes a release from administration available for estates of $35,000 or less, or $100,000 or less when the surviving spouse inherits everything.⁵

Processing time

The Division's standard is 120 days, and it states that claim processing is currently taking longer than that standard because of high claim volume.⁶

Claims are processed in the order in which they are received.⁷

A claim that needs additional documents goes back to the beginning of the review line.²

Deadline to claim

Under O.R.C. 169.08(I), added by House Bill 96, funds first reported after January 1, 2016 escheat to the state on the tenth anniversary of the reporting date if no valid claim is filed by then. Funds reported on or before January 1, 2016 escheated on January 1, 2026.^{8, 9}

Under O.R.C. 169.08(I)(3), escheated funds can still be claimed for an equivalent amount at any time on or before January 1, 2036, after which any post-escheat claim is void.⁸

The Division states that all funds reported before January 1, 2026 may be claimed through January 1, 2036.⁷

Governing law: O.R.C. Chapter 169 (Unclaimed Funds); O.R.C. 169.08(I) (escheat and the ten-year claim window)

Deadlines2

Claim for funds first reported after January 1, 2016: by the tenth anniversary of the reporting date after the date the funds were reported to the Division; the funds escheat to the state⁸
Claim for an equivalent amount of escheated funds: on or before January 1, 2036; a claim filed after escheat and after January 1, 2036 is void⁸

Forms Ohio uses2

Claim form: Emailed with a Claim ID when the claim is started online, listing the documents that claim requires; claims of $5,000 or more require a notarized signature.²
Table of Heirship: Emailed by the Division when a claim requires it, to list all of the decedent's children with each sibling's waiver or consent; it can be used only for claims under $3,000.³

Other offices involved1

Ohio probate court: Appointing an executor or administrator, and unclaimed funds properties over $5,000²

Sources9

Ohio unclaimed property

Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds

Phone

1-614-466-4433

Website

Visit website →

Verified Aug 2026

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