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

In Illinois, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Illinois State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

Illinois names 5 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Illinois State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-800-961-8303
Email: unclaimedproperty@illinoistreasurer.gov
Website: Search and claim →

icash.illinoistreasurer.gov offers a free search and online claims.

Court-certified Letters of Office

For: The representative appointed in an open probate estate
Letters dated within: 36 months of the claim
Documents: A completed claim form
The death certificate of every owner listed on the property
The estate's tax identification number
A court-certified Letter of Office certifying the claimant's appointment, dated within the last three years
Proof that the deceased owned the asset

Certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closed

For: The heirs or beneficiaries of an estate whose probate has closed
Conditions: Other documents may be required, depending on what the will provides.
Documents: A completed claim form
The owner's death certificate
A court-certified copy of the will, or, where there is no will, a court-certified Order Declaring Heirship
A certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closed
Proof that the deceased owned the asset

Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)

This route is for an estate of $150,000 or less.

For: The heirs, or the beneficiaries of a will filed but not probated, of an owner who died in Illinois
Limit: An estate of $150,000 or less
Conditions: No letters of office are outstanding, and no petition for letters is contemplated or pending in Illinois or anywhere else.
The amount counts the personal estate passing by intestacy or under a will, leaving out motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State.
The affidavit is completed in full and signed before a notary public.
Documents: A completed claim form
The death certificate of every owner listed on the property
A small estate affidavit listing all heirs, their addresses and the share of the estate each would receive
Where there is no will, proof of the claimant's relationship to the deceased through death, birth or marriage records
Where a will was filed, a court-certified copy of the will
Proof that the deceased owned the asset
Form: Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)

The small estate affidavit of the state where the death occurred

For: The heirs of an owner who died in another state
Conditions: The affidavit is one that is valid in the state where the death occurred.
Documents: A completed claim form
The death certificate of every owner listed on the property
A small estate affidavit listing all heirs, their addresses and the share of the estate each would receive
Where there is no will, proof of the claimant's relationship to the deceased through death, birth or marriage records
Where a will was filed, a court-certified copy of the will
Proof that the deceased owned the asset

Capacity to Claim Affidavit

For: An heir, or an agent for an heir
Limit: Property held for the owner of $250 or less
Conditions: The affidavit takes the place of a certified copy of the will.
The affiant agrees to distribute the property under the probate law that applies, generally that of the state where the owner died.
Documents: A completed claim form
The death certificate of the listed owner, or other proof of death
The Capacity to Claim Affidavit, signed and sworn before a notary public
Form: Capacity to Claim Affidavit

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only on a claim form for a claim over $5,000 or for safe deposit box contents or securities; a claim over $5,000 verified on the Treasurer's website is notarized only if the Treasurer asks.
Finders: A finder must be licensed by the Treasurer. An agreement made from the time the property is presumed abandoned until 24 months after it reaches the Treasurer is void, and a fee above 10 percent of the amount collected is unenforceable except by the owner.

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: 765 ILCS 1026 (Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act); claims 765 ILCS 1026/15-903

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 Illinois State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. An heir claim needs a claim form, notarized if the claim is over $5,000 or involves a safe deposit box or securities, the death certificate of the listed owner, and proof that the deceased owned the asset. The added documents depend on the estate: no will, a will filed but no probate, an open estate, or a closed one.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1), for an estate of $150,000 or less. Section 25-1 of the Probate Act allows an Illinois Small Estate Affidavit in place of Letters of Office when no letters of office are outstanding, contemplated, or pending and the personal estate, excluding motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State, does not exceed $150,000. The claim on that route includes: A completed claim form; The death certificate of every owner listed on the property; A small estate affidavit listing all heirs, their addresses and the share of the estate each would receive; Where there is no will, proof of the claimant's relationship to the deceased through death, birth or marriage records; Where a will was filed, a court-certified copy of the will; Proof that the deceased owned the asset.

With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the representative appointed in an open probate estate, with letters dated within 36 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 must be licensed by the Treasurer. An agreement made from the time the property is presumed abandoned until 24 months after it reaches the Treasurer is void, and a fee above 10 percent of the amount collected is unenforceable except by the owner. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Illinois

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

Illinois names 5 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the representative appointed in an open probate estate, with letters dated within 36 months of the claim. Without letters, heirs claim through the Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1), for an estate of $150,000 or less.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only on a claim form for a claim over $5,000 or for safe deposit box contents or securities; a claim over $5,000 verified on the Treasurer's website is notarized only if the Treasurer asks.

Illinois holds the property until a valid claim is paid. There is no deadline. The Treasurer holds unclaimed property in a custodial capacity until the rightful owner or heir claims it. Claims are reviewed in the order received. Processing time before a claimant receives a first communication or payment may be up to 12 weeks, depending on the number of claims submitted.

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 Illinois statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

Illinois names 5 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Court-certified Letters of OfficeI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closedI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)I-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

The small estate affidavit of the state where the death occurredI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Capacity to Claim Affidavit765 ILCS 1026, Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (full text)Verified 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 Illinois

Petition for Probate and Letters

Notice to Creditors

Renunciation of Executor

Small Estate Affidavit

Estate Inventory

Estate Closing

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

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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 an Illinois Probate Attorney

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Illinois Estate Settlement Resources

Illinois names 5 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Court-certified Letters of OfficeI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closedI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)I-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

The small estate affidavit of the state where the death occurredI-Cash Contact UsVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Capacity to Claim Affidavit765 ILCS 1026, Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (full text)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Court-certified Letters of Office

Certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closed

Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)

The small estate affidavit of the state where the death occurred

Capacity to Claim Affidavit

Court-certified Letters of Office

Certified copy of the Final Distribution and Order showing the estate closed

Illinois Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)

The small estate affidavit of the state where the death occurred

Capacity to Claim Affidavit