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

In Massachusetts, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Massachusetts 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

Massachusetts names 2 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Massachusetts State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-617-367-0400
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST
Website: Search and claim →

Search findmassmoney.gov for free and file a claim online.

Certified copy of the claimant's court appointment as executor or administrator

For: The executor or administrator of an estate that was probated
Documents: The claim form, signed and dated by the claimant
A copy of the original owner's death certificate
A certified copy of the claimant's appointment as executor or administrator
The estate's tax identification number or the claimant's own Social Security number, not the deceased owner's
The holder's certification, which the Division requires on a cash claim of $5,000 or more
Proof of the owner's former address where one was reported, on a cash claim under $5,000
The original check or a surety bond, where it applies

Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)

For: An heir who agrees to act for all the surviving heirs of an owner whose estate was not probated
Limit: Property held for the owner of under $1,000
Conditions: The estate was not probated, or the estate has been closed.
The claimant agrees to notify and pay every heir entitled to a share of the claim.
The claimant agrees to indemnify the Commonwealth against any later claim to the property.
Documents: The Affidavit of Heirs, signed before a notary public
The name and address of everyone entitled to a share of the claim under the intestacy law
Form: Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only on the Affidavit of Heirs, the route for an heir of an estate that was not probated or has been closed, on a claim under $1,000.
Finders: A finder agreement made within 24 months after the property reaches the Treasurer cannot be collected on. A later agreement must be in writing, signed by the owner, and name the property, its value and who holds it; the fee may not exceed 10 percent, and the finder must register with the Division.

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: M.G.L. c. 200A

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 Massachusetts State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. If the estate was probated, the Division asks for a copy of the original court appointment: the Probate and Family Court's Letters of Authority for Personal Representative (MPC 751).

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer), for property held for the owner of under $1,000. For an estate that was not probated and a claim under $1,000, the Treasurer's Affidavit of Heirs form is notarized and lists all beneficiaries under intestate law. The claim on that route includes: The Affidavit of Heirs, signed before a notary public; The name and address of everyone entitled to a share of the claim under the intestacy law.

With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator of an estate that was probated.

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 Treasurer cannot be collected on. A later agreement must be in writing, signed by the owner, and name the property, its value and who holds it; the fee may not exceed 10 percent, and the finder must register with the Division. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Massachusetts

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

Massachusetts names 2 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator of an estate that was probated. Without letters, heirs claim through the Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer), for property held for the owner of under $1,000.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only on the Affidavit of Heirs, the route for an heir of an estate that was not probated or has been closed, on a claim under $1,000.

Massachusetts holds the property until a valid claim is paid. Under M.G.L. c. 200A, s. 10, a person claiming an interest in property surrendered to the State Treasurer may establish the claim at any time thereafter. Allow up to 180 days once the Unclaimed Property Division has received all required documentation.

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

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Data sourced from Massachusetts statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

Massachusetts names 2 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Certified copy of the claimant's court appointment as executor or administrator960 CMR 4.00: Procedures for the administration of abandoned propertyVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)Forms (Unclaimed Property Division)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 Massachusetts

Affidavit of Heirship

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

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IRS Form 56

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Can I Self-File Probate?

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What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get?

Hire a Massachusetts Probate Attorney

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Massachusetts Estate Settlement Resources

Massachusetts names 2 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Certified copy of the claimant's court appointment as executor or administrator960 CMR 4.00: Procedures for the administration of abandoned propertyVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)Forms (Unclaimed Property Division)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Certified copy of the claimant's court appointment as executor or administrator

Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)

Certified copy of the claimant's court appointment as executor or administrator

Affidavit of Heirs (Massachusetts State Treasurer)