How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property in California?

In California, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the California State Controller's Office, Unclaimed Property Division. An heir, a trustee, or the personal representative, executor, or administrator of the estate may file for a deceased owner.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

California names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

California State Controller's Office, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-800-992-4647
Website: Search and claim →
Mail: Unclaimed Property Division P.O. Box 942850 Sacramento, CA 94250-5873

claimit.ca.gov offers a free search and online claims.

Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration

For: The appointed personal representative; where several are appointed, all of them sign
Documents: A Claim Affirmation Form signed by each claimant
A copy of the claimant's current driver license or state-issued photo identification
Proof of the claimant's Social Security number
Proof of the claimant's current mailing address
All pages of the deceased owner's certified final death certificate
An endorsed or filed copy of the letters, signed by a judicial officer
The estate's federal employer identification number (FEIN)

Final Decree of Distribution

For: A beneficiary of a probated estate
Conditions: A petition, or an order the judge has not signed, is not accepted.
Documents: A Claim Affirmation Form signed by each claimant
A copy of the claimant's current driver license or state-issued photo identification
Proof of the claimant's Social Security number
Proof of the claimant's current mailing address
All pages of the deceased owner's certified final death certificate
An endorsed or filed copy of the Final Decree of Distribution, signed by a judicial officer

Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101

This route is for an estate of $208,850 or less.

For: The heirs, or the executor or beneficiaries named in the deceased owner's will
Limit: An estate of $208,850 or less
Conditions: At least 40 days have passed since the death.
No proceeding to administer the estate is being or has been conducted in California, or the personal representative has consented in writing.
Documents: A Claim Affirmation Form signed by each claimant
A copy of the claimant's current driver license or state-issued photo identification
Proof of the claimant's Social Security number
Proof of the claimant's current mailing address
All pages of the deceased owner's certified final death certificate
A signed Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101
A complete copy of the signed will and its codicils, where there is a will
A completed Table of Heirship and documents showing the relationship to the deceased owner, where there is no will
Form: Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101

The deceased owner's trust

For: The trustee, or a beneficiary of a trust already distributed
Documents: A Claim Affirmation Form signed by each claimant
A copy of the claimant's current driver license or state-issued photo identification
Proof of the claimant's Social Security number
Proof of the claimant's current mailing address
All pages of the deceased owner's certified final death certificate
A complete signed copy of the trust with all its amendments
The trust's federal employer identification number (FEIN), from a trustee
A copy of the final Schedule K-1, from a beneficiary of a distributed trust

Notarization and finders

Notarization: The claim form must be notarized where the claim is $1,000 or more, or is for safe deposit box contents or securities.
Finders: A finder's agreement is valid only if it is made after the property reaches the State Controller, is in writing with a disclosure of the property and of how to claim it directly, and charges no more than 10 percent of the property recovered.

Federal and national databases

MissingMoney.com: The national database endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators searches the participating states at once for free and links to each one's official program. Most states participate; a state that does not is searched on its own official site.
The Treasury (TreasuryDirect): Unredeemed savings bonds; claims are made on FS Form 1048, as the Treasury Hunt search was withdrawn
PBGC: Unclaimed pensions from terminated plans, searched at pbgc.gov
The IRS: Undelivered tax refunds
The FDIC: Unclaimed deposits and checks from failed banks, searched by name, business name or check number
The NCUA: Unclaimed share accounts at liquidated federally insured credit unions, listed by last name and first initialamacmail@ncua.gov
The NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator: A deceased person's life insurance and annuities; a participating insurer contacts the beneficiary if it finds onehelp@naic.org
The VA: Unclaimed VA life insurance

Governing law: Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 1500 et seq. (Unclaimed Property Law)

General information about claiming a deceased person's unclaimed property, not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions. Data verified Aug 24, 2026

File the claim with the California State Controller's Office, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. An heir claim needs a signed Claim Affirmation Form (notarized if the claim is $1,000 or more, or is for securities or a safe deposit box), photo identification, and proof of Social Security number.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101, for an estate of $208,850 or less. Heirs may submit a Declaration Under Probate Code 13101 instead of full probate documents when at least 40 days have passed since the death and the gross value of the decedent's California property subject to the procedure does not exceed $208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025.

An heir, a trustee, or the personal representative, executor, or administrator of the estate may file for a deceased owner. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the appointed personal representative; where several are appointed, all of them sign.

Every state where the person had an address can hold some of the property: the holding company reports it to the state of the owner's last-known address, and to its own home state where it has no address on record. MissingMoney.com searches most states at once. Insurance, savings bonds, pensions, refunds and failed-bank deposits sit in federal and national databases: the Treasury (TreasuryDirect), PBGC, the IRS, the FDIC, the NCUA, the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator and the VA.

A finder's agreement is valid only if it is made after the property reaches the State Controller, is in writing with a disclosure of the property and of how to claim it directly, and charges no more than 10 percent of the property recovered. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in California

Property goes to the state of the owner's last-known address in the holding company's records. Where the records show no address, it goes to the state where the company is organized, so a deceased person's property can sit in any state they once lived in or where a company that owed them is based. A search for a deceased California resident therefore covers California and every other state where the person lived, worked or held an account.

California names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the appointed personal representative; where several are appointed, all of them sign. Without letters, heirs claim through the Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101, for an estate of $208,850 or less.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: The claim form must be notarized where the claim is $1,000 or more, or is for safe deposit box contents or securities.

California holds the property until a valid claim is paid. There is no deadline for claiming property once it is transferred to the State Controller's Office. California law allows the State Controller's Office up to 180 days from receipt of a complete claim package to review documentation and decide the claim.

Searching and claiming are free through a state's official unclaimed property program or missingmoney.com. Third-party finders or locators charge a fee, usually a percentage of the amount recovered, and the same property can always be claimed directly at no cost.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 26, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from California statutes and official state code. How we research.

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How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property in California?

California names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Letters Testamentary or Letters of AdministrationDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final Decree of DistributionDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101Deceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

The deceased owner's trustDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Is this your situation?

Named as Executor

Death of a Parent

Inheritance

Forms for Settling an Estate in California

Petition for Probate and Letters

Notice to Creditors

Renunciation of Executor

Small Estate Affidavit

Estate Inventory

Estate Closing

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

Tools for Settling an Estate in California

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Can I Self-File Probate?

How Do I Get Letters Testamentary?

What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?

How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies?

What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get?

Hire a California Probate Attorney

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California Estate Settlement Resources

California names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Letters Testamentary or Letters of AdministrationDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final Decree of DistributionDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101Deceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

The deceased owner's trustDeceased Owner Heir Claim Filing Instructions and Requested DocumentationVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration

Final Decree of Distribution

Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101

The deceased owner's trust

Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration

Final Decree of Distribution

Declaration Under Probate Code Section 13101

The deceased owner's trust