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

In Kentucky, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Kentucky State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division. The claimant for a deceased owner must be the executor, administrator, or next of kin.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

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

Where to search and file

Kentucky State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-800-465-4722
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Website: Search and claim →

Search by name at missingmoney.com or through treasury.ky.gov. The search and claims are free.

Court order appointing the executor or administrator of the estate

For: The executor or administrator the court appointed for an open estate
Conditions: The copy of the appointment reaches the Treasury within 60 days after the court issues it.
An heir of an open intestate estate may claim with the administrator's appointment and a letter from the administrator releasing the property from the estate.
Documents: A copy of the death certificate
A current copy of the court order of appointment
Proof of the deceased owner's Social Security number
A copy of a government-issued photo ID for each person signing the claim form
Proof of the Social Security number of each person signing the claim form
The completed claim form with original signatures

Final order of distribution of the probate estate

For: The personal representative or heirs of an estate the court has closed
Documents: A copy of the death certificate
A copy of the court order of appointment
The estate's final order of distribution
Proof of the deceased owner's Social Security number
A copy of a government-issued photo ID for each person signing the claim form
Proof of the Social Security number of each person signing the claim form
The completed claim form with original signatures

Court order dispensing with administration

For: The person the District Court directed the property to when it dispensed with administration of the estate
Conditions: The court may dispense with administration where the $30,000 exemption for the surviving spouse or children, with the preferred claims paid, equals or exceeds the distributable assets.
The court may also dispense with administration where the estate owes no debts and every beneficiary agrees in writing, under penalty of perjury, after creditors are advertised for.
Documents: A copy of the death certificate
A copy of the order dispensing with administration
Proof of the deceased owner's Social Security number
A copy of a government-issued photo ID for each person signing the claim form
Proof of the Social Security number of each person signing the claim form
The completed claim form with original signatures

Small estate affidavit

For: A claimant for a deceased owner who presents a small estate affidavit
Documents: A copy of the death certificate
The small estate affidavit
Proof of the deceased owner's Social Security number
A copy of a government-issued photo ID for each person signing the claim form
Proof of the Social Security number of each person signing the claim form
The completed claim form with original signatures

Claim by the next of kin where no estate was opened

For: The next of kin of an owner whose estate was never opened in court
Conditions: Claim staff review what was sent and decide what other documentation, if any, is needed.
For property worth over $400, the heir evidence the Treasury may consider is a final decree of probate or, for an intestate estate, an order dispensing with administration or an administrator's release.
Where several heirs are entitled, the Treasury may pay one heir for distribution to the others.
Documents: A copy of the death certificate
Proof of the deceased owner's Social Security number
A copy of a government-issued photo ID for each person signing the claim form
Proof of the Social Security number of each person signing the claim form
The completed claim form with original signatures
Without court documents, other proof such as family or church records, an obituary, or a notarized affidavit from someone else who knows of the claim

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where a claimant without the listed documents offers an affidavit from someone other than the claimant who knows of the claim, that affidavit is notarized.
Finders: A finder claims under a notarized contract with the owner or heir and files the claimant's notarized affidavit that the finder explained the property can be claimed without a fee. Kentucky sets no fee cap and no registration for finders.

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: KRS Chapter 393A (Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act); KRS 393A.510, 393A.520, 393A.530, 393A.540; 20 KAR 1:040

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 Kentucky State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. Every claim needs a government-issued photo ID and proof of the Social Security number of the person signing. For a deceased owner, add a copy of the death certificate and proof of the reported owner's Social Security number.

Under 20 KAR 1:040, when the owner is deceased the Treasury accepts a copy of the death certificate plus any one of: a copy of the probate distribution, a court order appointing an administrator, a court order dispensing with administration, or a small estate affidavit.

The claimant for a deceased owner must be the executor, administrator, or next of kin. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator the court appointed for an open 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 claims under a notarized contract with the owner or heir and files the claimant's notarized affidavit that the finder explained the property can be claimed without a fee. Kentucky sets no fee cap and no registration for finders. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Kentucky

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

Kentucky names 5 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator the court appointed for an open estate.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where a claimant without the listed documents offers an affidavit from someone other than the claimant who knows of the claim, that affidavit is notarized.

Kentucky holds the property until a valid claim is paid. The Treasury states that unclaimed property is always available to the owner, so there is no time limit for an owner or their heirs to file a claim. Under KRS 393A.520, the administrator must allow or deny a claim within 90 days of filing and notify the claimant of the decision.

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 Kentucky statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

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

Where to search and file

Court order appointing the executor or administrator of the estateClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final order of distribution of the probate estateClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Court order dispensing with administration20 KAR 1:040Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Small estate affidavit20 KAR 1:040Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the next of kin where no estate was openedClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)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 Kentucky

Petition for Probate and Letters

Renunciation of Executor

Affidavit of Heirship

Estate Inventory

Estate Closing

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

IRS Form 56

Tools for Settling an Estate in Kentucky

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 Kentucky Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Kentucky Estate Settlement Resources

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

Where to search and file

Court order appointing the executor or administrator of the estateClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Final order of distribution of the probate estateClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Court order dispensing with administration20 KAR 1:040Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Small estate affidavit20 KAR 1:040Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the next of kin where no estate was openedClaim Instruction: Required Evidence (Kentucky State Treasury)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Court order appointing the executor or administrator of the estate

Final order of distribution of the probate estate

Court order dispensing with administration

Small estate affidavit

Claim by the next of kin where no estate was opened

Court order appointing the executor or administrator of the estate

Final order of distribution of the probate estate

Court order dispensing with administration

Small estate affidavit

Claim by the next of kin where no estate was opened