State Unclaimed Property in Pennsylvania: when someone dies
A 3-step process for Pennsylvania Treasury — Bureau of Unclaimed Property after a death in Pennsylvania.
OverviewWhen someone dies
Administering agency
Pennsylvania Treasury — Bureau of Unclaimed Property
Phone800-222-2046
WebsiteVisit website →
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)
Verified Jul 2026
Steps to take
- 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 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. The Treasury holds unclaimed property under the Disposition of Abandoned and Unclaimed Property Act, and 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; Act 50 of 2025 raised the ceiling from $11,000 to $20,000 effective May 25, 2026.
Sources
Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Pennsylvania primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Administering agency
Pennsylvania Treasury — Bureau of Unclaimed Property
Phone800-222-2046
WebsiteVisit website →
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)
Verified Jul 2026