State Unclaimed Property in Ohio

State Unclaimed Property in Ohio: key facts

Administering office

Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds.

Official search

unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov — free search and online claim filing.

Who may claim for a deceased owner

The court-appointed executor or administrator if the estate was probated; otherwise the next of kin in the order set by R.C. 2105.06 (descent and distribution) — children, then parents, then siblings.

Heir-claim documents

A certified, unredacted death certificate; documentation of the claimant's relationship to the deceased; and probate documents current within two years, or a completed table of heirship or beneficiary release if the estate was not probated.

Small estate option

Ohio does not issue its own small estate affidavit, but the Division accepts a court-issued Release from Administration (O.R.C. 2113.03) in lieu of full Letters — available for estates of $35,000 or less (or $100,000 or less when the surviving spouse inherits everything). For claims under $3,000 with no probate proceeding, the Division's own Table of Heirship form may substitute for court documents.

Claim processing time

The Division targets up to 120 days from receipt of all required documents. Claims are processed in the order received; complex heir claims or incomplete submissions may take longer.