State Unclaimed Property in Wisconsin

State Unclaimed Property in Wisconsin: key facts

Administering agency

Wisconsin Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property Unit. Phone (608) 264-4594; email DORUnclaimedProperty@wisconsin.gov; mail WI Dept. of Revenue – Unclaimed Property, P.O. Box 8982, Madison, WI 53708-8982.

Official search

tap.revenue.wi.gov/UCPSearch (free state search). DOR also directs claimants to missingmoney.com to search for unclaimed property nationwide.

Heir claim documents

Proof of Social Security number and a government ID plus current address for the claimant; the decedent's Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death (death certificate); an Affidavit of Heirship showing the heirs, plus an Affidavit of Service showing the other heirs were notified; a Transfer by Affidavit for a claim under $50,000, or a court order at $50,000 or more. If the decedent or their spouse may have received Medicaid, DOR also requires the certified mail return receipt from the DHS Estate Recovery Program for the Transfer by Affidavit. If the estate is open, DOR instead requires the domiciliary letters, the estate's tax identification number, and the decedent's Social Security number.

Processing time

DOR asks claimants to allow up to 12 weeks for a claim to be assigned for review; once a claim is approved, payment takes 7 to 10 days. By statute, DOR must allow or deny a filed claim within 90 days (Wis. Stat. 177.0904(2)).

Small estate option

Wisconsin allows a Transfer by Affidavit when the decedent's property subject to administration in the state does not exceed $50,000 in gross value (Wis. Stat. 867.03(1g)), avoiding full probate. The form is published by the State Bar of Wisconsin, and DOR accepts it in place of domiciliary letters. For unclaimed property claims specifically, DOR requires a court order if the property subject to administration is $50,000 or more.

Governing law: Wis. Stat. ch. 177 (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)