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Home→Agencies→Unclaimed Property→Wisconsin→When someone dies

State Unclaimed Property in Wisconsin: when someone dies

A 3-step process for Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property after a death in Wisconsin.

OverviewWhen someone dies

Unclaimed Property

Wisconsin

revenue.wi.gov/Pages/UnclaimedProperty/home.aspx→

Administering agency

Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property

Phone(608) 264-4594
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Wis. Stat. ch. 177 (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)

Verified Jul 2026

Steps to take

  1. Search tap.revenue.wi.gov/UCPSearch for the deceased's name and prior addresses, and run a nationwide search at missingmoney.com.
  2. File a claim as the heir or personal representative with:
    • Death certificate for the owner, showing date of birth and date of death
    • Government-issued ID, proof of Social Security number, and current address for the claimant
    • An Affidavit of Heirship and 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: the certified mail return receipt from the DHS Estate Recovery Program for the Transfer by Affidavit
    • If the estate is open: the domiciliary letters, the estate's tax identification number, and the decedent's Social Security number
  3. Allow up to 12 weeks for the claim to be assigned for review; DOR must allow or deny it within 90 days of filing, and payment follows approval in 7 to 10 days.

Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property

Phone: (608) 264-4594

Visit the agency website →

Frequently asked questions

Search tap.revenue.wi.gov/UCPSearch, then file a claim as an heir or personal representative. You will submit a death certificate, your own ID and address, an Affidavit of Heirship and Affidavit of Service, and either a Transfer by Affidavit (claims under $50,000) or a court order (claims of $50,000 or more). If the estate is open, DOR takes the domiciliary letters, the estate tax ID, and the decedent's Social Security number instead.

The Department of Revenue asks claimants to allow up to 12 weeks for a claim to be assigned for review, and 7 to 10 days after approval to receive payment. Wis. Stat. 177.0904(2) requires the Department to allow or deny a filed claim, and notify the claimant, within 90 days.

For ordinary unclaimed property, no. The state takes custody of the property and is responsible for safekeeping it (Wis. Stat. 177.0604(1)), chapter 177 sets no time limit on an owner or heir filing a claim, and the Department must pay a claimant who establishes ownership (Wis. Stat. 177.0904(1)(a)). One exception: an escheated estate — money reported to the state after a probate court could not locate the heirs — can only be claimed for ten years, and the claim goes to the county probate court that reported the funds rather than to DOR (Wis. Stat. 863.39(3)(a)).

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Sources

  • docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
  • revenue.wi.gov
  • tap.revenue.wi.gov

Data sourced from State Unclaimed Property in Wisconsin primary sources (10 pages reviewed). How we research.

Unclaimed Property

Wisconsin

revenue.wi.gov/Pages/UnclaimedProperty/home.aspx→

Administering agency

Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property

Phone(608) 264-4594
WebsiteVisit website →

Authority

Wis. Stat. ch. 177 (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)

Verified Jul 2026
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