State Unclaimed Property in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Treasury holds unclaimed property — dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, and similar assets — until the owner or their heirs claim it. Heirs of a deceased owner file a claim through the Treasury portal with proof of death and proof of authority to act for the estate.
Administering agency
Pennsylvania Treasury — Bureau of Unclaimed Property
Authority
72 P.S. 1301.1 et seq. (Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act); 20 Pa.C.S. 3101(e) (heir claims without letters)
State Unclaimed Property in Pennsylvania: key facts
- Administering office
- Pennsylvania Treasury, Bureau of Unclaimed Property.
- Official search
- unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov (free search and online claims).
- Claims contact
- 800-222-2046, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tupmail@patreasury.gov. Completed paper claim forms go to the Bureau of Unclaimed Property, P.O. Box 1837, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1837.
- Heir claim documents
- A short certificate (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration) from the Register of Wills is required when an estate is open, when a personal representative was appointed within the last five years, or when the property is worth more than $20,000. Otherwise a certified death certificate plus a sworn relationship affidavit is accepted.
- No deadline
- The Treasury holds unclaimed property (and the proceeds of any auctioned property) in perpetuity, so heirs generally face no deadline to file a claim.
- Claim without probate
- Under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(e), the State Treasurer may pay a deceased Pennsylvania resident's unclaimed property directly to family — on a Relationship by Entitlement to Decedent Owner Affidavit — when the property is worth $20,000 or less and no personal representative was ever appointed (or five years have lapsed since the appointment). Eligible claimants, in preference order: surviving spouse, then the decedent's issue (child, grandchild, great-grandchild), parents, siblings and their issue (nieces and nephews), and grandparents. Act 65 of 2024 (effective September 15, 2024) expanded the eligible categories; Act 50 of 2025 raised the ceiling from $11,000 to $20,000, effective 180 days after its November 24, 2025 approval.
- Required with the affidavit
- A certified death certificate of the owner and a sworn affidavit setting out the claimant's relationship to the decedent, whether a personal representative was appointed, and any other persons who could claim (20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(e)(2)).
Governing law: 72 P.S. 1301.1 et seq. (Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act); 20 Pa.C.S. 3101(e) (heir claims without letters)
Steps to take when someone dies
- Search unclaimedproperty.patreasury.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:
- A short certificate — Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration — from the Register of Wills when the estate is open, a personal representative was appointed within the last five years, or the property is worth more than $20,000
- A certified death certificate and a sworn Relationship by Entitlement to Decedent Owner Affidavit for property worth $20,000 or less where no personal representative was appointed (or five years have lapsed since the appointment)
- Proof of the deceased's ownership and your identification
- Submit the signed claim forms and documentation to the Bureau of Unclaimed Property, P.O. Box 1837, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1837, for review.
Frequently asked questions
Search unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov, then file a claim with the Treasury with proof of death and proof of authority. A short certificate from the Register of Wills is required when the estate is open, when a personal representative was appointed within the last five years, or when the property is worth more than $20,000. Otherwise a certified death certificate and a sworn relationship affidavit can be used.
No. Under 72 P.S. § 1301.19 a person claiming an interest in property delivered to the Commonwealth may file a claim to the property or to the proceeds from its sale, with no limitation period, so even the proceeds of auctioned property remain available for a rightful owner to claim no matter how much time passes.
Yes. Under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101(e), the State Treasurer may pay a deceased Pennsylvania resident's unclaimed property to family without Letters when the property is worth $20,000 or less and either no personal representative was ever appointed or five years have lapsed since the appointment. The claimant files a Relationship by Entitlement to Decedent Owner Affidavit with a certified death certificate. Preference order: surviving spouse, then the decedent's issue, parents, siblings and their issue, and grandparents. Act 65 of 2024 expanded the eligible categories effective September 15, 2024; Act 50 of 2025 raised the ceiling from $11,000 to $20,000.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Pennsylvania primary sources (6 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Pennsylvania Treasury — Bureau of Unclaimed Property
Authority
72 P.S. 1301.1 et seq. (Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act); 20 Pa.C.S. 3101(e) (heir claims without letters)