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

In Florida, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

Florida names 3 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property

Phone: 1-888-258-2253
Website: Search and claim →
Office: 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0358

fltreasurehunt.gov offers a free search and online claim initiation, available at no cost to owners and heirs.

Clerk-certified records of the personal representative's authority

For: The personal representative of an open estate
Letters dated within: 12 months of the claim
Documents: A certified copy of the death certificate
Records certified by the clerk of court within one year of filing, showing the personal representative's right to act for the estate
A copy of the claimant's driver license or other government photo identification
Documents connecting the claimant to the deceased owner

Certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries

For: The beneficiaries of a closed estate
Conditions: A will on its own is not accepted.
Documents: A certified copy of the death certificate
A probate court order, certified by the clerk, identifying the beneficiaries and each one's share of the estate
Where there is no such order, the probate court documents that show the beneficiaries and their shares, with the order of discharge and the docket sheet
A copy of the claimant's driver license or other government photo identification
Documents connecting the claimant to the deceased owner

Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)

For: All the beneficiaries of the deceased owner, signing together
Limit: Property held for the owner of $20,000 or less
Conditions: No probate proceeding is pending for the estate.
The beneficiaries have agreed on how to divide the estate, and the funeral expenses, the expenses of the last illness and the estate's other lawful claims have been paid.
Each beneficiary who receives property is personally liable for lawful claims against the estate, up to the value received.
The Department makes no partial payments on this route.
Documents: A certified copy of the death certificate
Form DFS-UP-1243 signed by every beneficiary
A copy of the will, if the owner left one
A copy of each claimant's driver license or other government photo identification
Form: Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where a notarized sworn statement of the claimant (Form DFS-A4-2007) takes the place of a copy of the claimant's photo identification.
Finders: A finder, called a claimant representative, must be a Florida-licensed attorney, certified public accountant or private investigator registered with the Department, must use the Department's agreement form, and may not take more than 30 percent of the amount claimed.

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: Fla. Stat. Chapter 717 (Florida Disposition of Abandoned Personal Property Act); §§ 717.124, 717.1243, 717.1261; Fla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022

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 Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property. The search and the claim start at the office's site. Rule 69G-20.0022 requires a claim for a deceased owner to include a certified copy of the death certificate. For an open estate it adds court records certified by the clerk within one year; for a closed estate, a certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries and each one's proportional entitlement.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243), for property held for the owner of $20,000 or less. Section 717.1243 lets beneficiaries claim without a probate court order by filing Form DFS-UP-1243 (Estate Affidavit) signed by all beneficiaries, where all property the Department holds for the owner totals $20,000 or less and no probate proceeding is pending. The claim on that route includes: A certified copy of the death certificate; Form DFS-UP-1243 signed by every beneficiary; A copy of the will, if the owner left one; A copy of each claimant's driver license or other government photo identification.

With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the personal representative of an open estate, with letters dated within 12 months of the claim.

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, called a claimant representative, must be a Florida-licensed attorney, certified public accountant or private investigator registered with the Department, must use the Department's agreement form, and may not take more than 30 percent of the amount claimed. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Florida

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 Florida resident therefore covers Florida and every other state where the person lived, worked or held an account.

Florida names 3 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the personal representative of an open estate, with letters dated within 12 months of the claim. Without letters, heirs claim through the Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243), for property held for the owner of $20,000 or less.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where a notarized sworn statement of the claimant (Form DFS-A4-2007) takes the place of a copy of the claimant's photo identification.

Florida holds the property until a valid claim is paid. There is no deadline to claim. The Department acts as custodian and never takes legal ownership of the property, and the Division states that citizens have the right to claim their property any time, regardless of the amount. Section 717.124 requires the Department to determine a claim within 90 days after receipt of the claim, or after the claimant's response to a request for additional information, whichever is later.

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 Florida statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

Florida names 3 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Clerk-certified records of the personal representative's authorityFla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Certified probate court order identifying the beneficiariesFla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)Fla. Stat. 717.1243, Small estate accountsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

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Named as Executor

Death of a Parent

Inheritance

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Notice to Creditors

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What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get?

Hire a Florida Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Florida Estate Settlement Resources

Florida names 3 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Clerk-certified records of the personal representative's authorityFla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Certified probate court order identifying the beneficiariesFla. Admin. Code R. 69G-20.0022Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)Fla. Stat. 717.1243, Small estate accountsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Clerk-certified records of the personal representative's authority

Certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries

Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)

Clerk-certified records of the personal representative's authority

Certified probate court order identifying the beneficiaries

Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243)