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

In Iowa, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Iowa Treasurer of State, Unclaimed Property Division (Great Iowa Treasure Hunt).

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

Iowa names 6 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Iowa Treasurer of State, Unclaimed Property Division (Great Iowa Treasure Hunt)

Phone: 1-515-281-5367
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm CT
Email: FoundIt@tos.iowa.gov
Website: Search and claim →

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

Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executor

For: The court-appointed administrator or executor of an estate that is currently in probate
Conditions: Payment is made to the estate.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the owner's death certificate
A copy of the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executor
Where there is no will, the owner's obituary listing the family members who survived the owner and those who died before
Where there is a will, a file-stamped copy of the will
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary under the will, or every heir where there is no will
Form: Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executor

Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final Report

For: The heirs or will beneficiaries of an owner whose estate was probated and closed
Conditions: Each heir is paid separately, unless the Treasurer lets one heir accept payment for all of them.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the owner's death certificate
A copy of the estate's Final Report and the Order Approving the Final Report
Where there is no will, the owner's obituary listing the family members who survived the owner and those who died before
Where there is a will, a file-stamped copy of the will
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary under the will, or every heir where there is no will
Proof of relationship, such as an obituary or death certificate, for any beneficiary the will or a trust does not name
Form: Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final Report

Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)

For: The heirs or will beneficiaries of an owner whose estate never had any document filed with a court
Conditions: No documents were ever filed with a court about the distribution of the owner's property.
The affidavit states the value of the owner's whole estate, leaving out property titled jointly with another person and life insurance paid directly to a beneficiary.
Each heir is paid separately, unless the Treasurer lets one heir accept payment for all of them.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the owner's death certificate
The owner's obituary listing the family members who survived the owner and those who died before
The will, if the owner left one
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary under the will, or every heir where there is no will
Proof of relationship, such as an obituary or death certificate, for any beneficiary the will or a trust does not name
Form: Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)

Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estate

For: The beneficiaries of an owner whose will was filed with a court where full probate was not required
Conditions: Each heir is paid separately, unless the Treasurer lets one heir accept payment for all of them.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the owner's death certificate
A file-stamped copy of the will
The small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estate
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary under the will
Proof of relationship, such as an obituary or death certificate, for any beneficiary the will or a trust does not name
Form: Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estate

Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)

For: The trustee of the trust
Conditions: The affidavit also marks the option, A to D, that describes how the rest of the owner's estate was handled, with that option's documents.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the trust instrument
A recent bank statement or accounting of the trust
The trust's federal tax ID number
A copy of the Letters of Appointment as trustee, or another document showing the claimant is the trustee
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary
Form: Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)

Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)

Conditions: The affidavit also marks the option, A to D, that describes how the rest of the owner's estate was handled, with that option's documents.
Documents: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary
A copy of the trust instrument
The trust's federal tax ID number
The trust's final tax return
Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary
Form: Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)

Notarization and finders

Notarization: The claim form must be notarized.
Finders: An agreement to recover the property made within 24 months after it reaches the Treasurer is unenforceable; a later one must be in writing, signed by the owner, and charge no more than 15 percent. A finder must hold an Iowa private investigation business license, and payment goes to the owner alone.

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: Iowa Code Chapter 556 (Disposition of Unclaimed Property)

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 Iowa Treasurer of State, Unclaimed Property Division (Great Iowa Treasure Hunt). The search and the claim start at the office's site. Under Iowa Admin. Code r. 781-9.26(8), an executor or administrator submits the Affidavit of Administration with evidence of appointment; an heir submits it with evidence of entitlement under the will or Iowa probate law.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court). Iowa does not offer a simplified small-estate dollar-threshold procedure for unclaimed property. Every deceased-owner claim requires an Affidavit of Administration, regardless of the amount. The claim on that route includes: The Affidavit of Administration, signed before a notary; A copy of the owner's death certificate; The owner's obituary listing the family members who survived the owner and those who died before; The will, if the owner left one; Page 3 of the affidavit, listing every beneficiary under the will, or every heir where there is no will; Proof of relationship, such as an obituary or death certificate, for any beneficiary the will or a trust does not name.

Property of a deceased owner is paid to the owner's estate, or to an heir under a valid will or under Iowa probate law who submits the required evidence. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the court-appointed administrator or executor of an estate that is currently in probate.

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.

An agreement to recover the property made within 24 months after it reaches the Treasurer is unenforceable; a later one must be in writing, signed by the owner, and charge no more than 15 percent. A finder must hold an Iowa private investigation business license, and payment goes to the owner alone. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Iowa

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

Iowa names 6 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the court-appointed administrator or executor of an estate that is currently in probate. Without letters, heirs claim through the Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court).

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: The claim form must be notarized.

Iowa holds the property until a valid claim is paid. A claim can be made at any time; Iowa holds unclaimed property until the rightful owner or heir claims it. The Treasurer's office tells claimants to allow up to 90 days for review, and notes that processing time varies with the type of claim, such as an heir, business or stock 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 Iowa statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

Iowa names 6 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executorAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final ReportAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estateAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

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Hire an Iowa Probate Attorney

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Iowa Estate Settlement Resources

Iowa names 6 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executorAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final ReportAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estateAffidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)Affidavit of Administration (Iowa Treasurer of State)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executor

Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final Report

Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)

Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estate

Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)

Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)

Affidavit of Administration with the Letters of Appointment as administrator or executor

Affidavit of Administration with the Final Report and the Order Approving the Final Report

Affidavit of Administration, option A (no will) or option C (a will never filed with a court)

Affidavit of Administration with the small estate or probate without administration documents used to distribute the estate

Affidavit of Administration, option E (the owner's estate passed through a trust that is still open)

Affidavit of Administration, option F (the owner's estate passed through a trust that has closed and distributed all its assets)