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

In Indiana, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division. The documentation each claim requires is listed on the claim form the online system generates.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

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

Where to search and file

Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-866-462-5246
Email: updmail@atg.in.gov
Website: Search and claim →

The free search and online claims are at indianaunclaimed.gov.

Letters testamentary or other court appointment of the personal representative

For: The court-appointed executor, administrator or personal representative of the estate
Documents: A copy of the claimant's driver's license or other picture identification
A document proving the claimant's Social Security number
A copy of the letters testamentary
Records connecting the owner to the property, as the attorney general lists them for each type of property

Final decree of probate or court decree of distribution

For: The heirs of an owner whose estate was probated, paid as the court decree distributes the property
Conditions: The attorney general may ask for one or more of the listed documents, depending on the claim.
Where several heirs claim, one heir is paid only after obtaining releases from all the others.
Documents: A copy of the final decree of probate
The death certificate
A copy of the claimant's driver's license or other picture identification
A document proving the claimant's Social Security number

Affidavit of proof of death and heirship

For: The heirs of an owner whose estate was not probated
Conditions: The estate was not probated.
The affidavit is signed by a person with no interest in the claim, and the attorney general decides whether it is acceptable.
Where several heirs claim, one heir is paid only after obtaining releases from all the others.
Documents: An affidavit of proof of death and heirship signed by a person with no interest in the claim
The death certificate
A copy of the claimant's driver's license or other picture identification
A document proving the claimant's Social Security number

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where a representative hired under a contract files the claim, a notarized copy of that contract goes with it.
Finders: A finder agreement made within 24 months after the property reaches the attorney general is void. A fee over 10 percent of the amount collected, or over $5,000, can be enforced only by the owner, and the agreement must tell the owner a claim can be made free through the attorney general.

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: Ind. Code 32-34-1.5 (Revised Unclaimed Property Act); Ind. Code 29-1-8-1 (small estate affidavit)

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 Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. The documentation each claim requires is listed on the claim form the online system generates.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Affidavit of proof of death and heirship. Indiana Unclaimed accepts an heir-to-a-small-estate claim. The claim on that route includes: An affidavit of proof of death and heirship signed by a person with no interest in the claim; The death certificate; A copy of the claimant's driver's license or other picture identification; A document proving the claimant's Social Security number.

A legal heir may claim the assets of a deceased original owner. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the court-appointed executor, administrator or personal representative of the estate.

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 agreement made within 24 months after the property reaches the attorney general is void. A fee over 10 percent of the amount collected, or over $5,000, can be enforced only by the owner, and the agreement must tell the owner a claim can be made free through the attorney general. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Indiana

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

Indiana names 3 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the court-appointed executor, administrator or personal representative of the estate. Without letters, heirs claim through the Affidavit of proof of death and heirship.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where a representative hired under a contract files the claim, a notarized copy of that contract goes with it.

Indiana holds the property until a valid claim is paid. A claim may be filed up to 25 years after the date the property is presumed abandoned. After 25 years the property becomes the property of the state. The attorney general must allow or deny a claim within 90 days of filing.

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 Indiana statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

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

Where to search and file

Letters testamentary or other court appointment of the personal representative10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final decree of probate or court decree of distribution10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of proof of death and heirship10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)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 Indiana

Notice to Creditors

Renunciation of Executor

Affidavit of Heirship

Small Estate Affidavit

Estate Inventory

Estate Closing

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

Tools for Settling an Estate in Indiana

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 an Indiana Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Indiana Estate Settlement Resources

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

Where to search and file

Letters testamentary or other court appointment of the personal representative10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final decree of probate or court decree of distribution10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of proof of death and heirship10 IAC 1.5 (Unclaimed Property rules of the Office of the Attorney General)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Letters testamentary or other court appointment of the personal representative

Final decree of probate or court decree of distribution

Affidavit of proof of death and heirship

Letters testamentary or other court appointment of the personal representative

Final decree of probate or court decree of distribution

Affidavit of proof of death and heirship