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

In North Carolina, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division (NCCash).

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

North Carolina names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division (NCCash)

Phone: 1-866-622-2741
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Website: Search and claim →
Mail: Unclaimed Property Division PO Box 20431 Raleigh, NC 27619-0431

Search is free at nccash.gov, which also takes claims online; search before filing a claim.

Certified copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority

For: The executor or administrator appointed for the deceased owner's estate
Conditions: Every claimant agrees to indemnify the State against any other claim to the property paid.
Documents: A certified true copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority
Evidence that the deceased owner is the true and actual owner of the property claimed
The claim form, signed, where the claim is not processed electronically
Proof of ownership from the Division's list, such as a copy of a document showing the Social Security number or the name and address reported

Documentation of authority to claim, gathered with the Clerk of Superior Court

For: A relative of the deceased owner
Conditions: The relative contacts the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the owner lived before death.
The Clerk helps decide the most efficient route, since some estates need less documentation than others.
Documents: Current, valid documentation showing the claimant has authority to claim on behalf of the deceased owner
The claim form, signed, where the claim is not processed electronically
Proof of ownership from the Division's list, such as a copy of a document showing the Social Security number or the name and address reported

Claim by the surviving co-owner of property reported with survivorship rights

For: A living co-owner named on the property with the deceased owner
Conditions: The property was reported as survivorship property, or as property that belongs entirely to either owner.
Property reported as common property without survivorship rights goes through the Clerk of Court in the county where the deceased owner lived.
Documents: The claim form, signed, where the claim is not processed electronically
Proof of ownership from the Division's list, such as a copy of a document showing the Social Security number or the name and address reported

Claim by the payable-on-death beneficiary

For: The beneficiary of an account payable on death to an alternate owner
Documents: Identification
A copy of the original owner's death certificate

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where the paper claim form the Division issues calls for a notary; the Division's rule dates a claim from receipt of a signed and notarized form with its documents.
Finders: A finder must register with the Treasurer yearly and be a licensed private investigator. An agreement made before the property has been with the Treasurer for 24 months is void; a later one needs the owner's notarized signature and a fee of at most $1,000 or 20 percent, whichever is less.

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: N.C.G.S. Chapter 116B (Escheats and Abandoned 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 North Carolina Department of State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division (NCCash). The search and the claim start at the office's site. For a deceased owner, the heir or representative contacts the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the deceased lived to obtain documentation showing authority to claim on behalf of the estate.

N.C.G.S. 28A-25-1 (intestate estates) and 28A-25-1.1 (testate estates) let an heir, an executor named in the will, or a creditor present a small-estate affidavit filed with the Clerk of Superior Court, rather than opening full probate.

With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator appointed for the deceased owner's 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 must register with the Treasurer yearly and be a licensed private investigator. An agreement made before the property has been with the Treasurer for 24 months is void; a later one needs the owner's notarized signature and a fee of at most $1,000 or 20 percent, whichever is less. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in North Carolina

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

North Carolina names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator appointed for the deceased owner's estate.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where the paper claim form the Division issues calls for a notary; the Division's rule dates a claim from receipt of a signed and notarized form with its documents.

North Carolina holds the property until a valid claim is paid. NCCash states there is no time limit for filing claims: the state maintains unclaimed assets for the rightful owners forever, so an owner or their heirs can claim at any time. Claims are processed in the order they are received, and normal processing time is approximately 90 days.

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 North Carolina statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

North Carolina names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Certified copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority20 NCAC 08 .0402, Required Documentation of Application for RefundVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Documentation of authority to claim, gathered with the Clerk of Superior CourtClaims Frequently Asked Questions (NCCash)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the surviving co-owner of property reported with survivorship rightsClaims Frequently Asked Questions (NCCash)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the payable-on-death beneficiaryOwner Relationship Codes (NCCash)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 North Carolina

Petition for Probate and Letters

Notice to Creditors

Renunciation of Executor

Small Estate Affidavit

Estate Inventory

Estate Closing

IRS Form 1310

Letter of Instruction

Tools for Settling an Estate in North Carolina

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 North Carolina Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

North Carolina Estate Settlement Resources

North Carolina names 4 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property.

Where to search and file

Certified copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority20 NCAC 08 .0402, Required Documentation of Application for RefundVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Documentation of authority to claim, gathered with the Clerk of Superior CourtClaims Frequently Asked Questions (NCCash)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the surviving co-owner of property reported with survivorship rightsClaims Frequently Asked Questions (NCCash)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Claim by the payable-on-death beneficiaryOwner Relationship Codes (NCCash)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Certified copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority

Documentation of authority to claim, gathered with the Clerk of Superior Court

Claim by the surviving co-owner of property reported with survivorship rights

Claim by the payable-on-death beneficiary

Certified copy of the personal representative's appointment and authority

Documentation of authority to claim, gathered with the Clerk of Superior Court

Claim by the surviving co-owner of property reported with survivorship rights

Claim by the payable-on-death beneficiary