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

In Tennessee, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division. Any claim valued at $10,000 or more must use the Estate Claim option, which pays the estate.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

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

Where to search and file

Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division

Phone: 1-866-370-9429
Website: Search and claim →

ClaimItTN.gov is the free search and online claim portal, hosted at unclaimedproperty.tn.gov.

Estate claim, paid to the estate of the original owner

For: The executor or administrator named in letters testamentary or of administration
Conditions: A claim with a value of $10,000 or more is paid on this route only.
The estate is still open; for a closed estate the Treasury may ask that it be reopened, with a certified copy of the judge's order to reopen.
The check is made payable to the estate in care of the executor or administrator.
Documents: The claim form, signed by the claimant
A photocopy of the claimant's driver's license or other photo identification
Documentation of the claimant's address
Documentation of the claimant's Social Security number
Proof of the owner's ownership of the property, such as the owner's Social Security number or a link to the last known address
A certified death certificate of the original owner
Certified letters testamentary or of administration naming the executor or administrator
The estate's federal tax identification number (FEIN)

Heir claim, splitting the funds between the heirs

For: Each heir of the deceased owner, filing a separate claim
Limit: Property held for the owner of under $10,000
Conditions: Each heir completes his or her own claim and is paid that heir's portion once the claim is approved.
The claim form records whether there was a will.
Documents: Each heir's own claim form, signed by that heir
A photocopy of the heir's driver's license or other photo identification
Documentation of the heir's address and Social Security number
Proof of the owner's ownership of the property, such as the owner's Social Security number or a link to the last known address
A certified death certificate of the original owner
The original owner's probated will, bearing the court's stamp or seal
Where there was no will, a copy of the obituary or funeral program listing the survivors
A certified birth certificate of each heir

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where the Treasury encloses an affidavit, an indemnity agreement or a release-of-interest letter with the claim form, the signature on it is notarized.
Finders: A finder agreement for property the Treasury holds is signed by the owner, states the value before and after the fee and charges at most 10% or $50, whichever is greater. One made within two years after the property reached the Treasury is void. Finders file proof of a private investigator license.

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: Tenn. Code Title 66, Chapter 29, Part 1 (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)

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 Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division. The search and the claim start at the office's site. An Estate Claim needs a certified death certificate of the original owner, certified Letters Testamentary or of Administration naming the executor, and the estate's federal tax identification number (FEIN).

Any claim valued at $10,000 or more must use the Estate Claim option, which pays the estate. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor or administrator named in letters testamentary or of administration.

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 for property the Treasury holds is signed by the owner, states the value before and after the fee and charges at most 10% or $50, whichever is greater. One made within two years after the property reached the Treasury is void. Finders file proof of a private investigator license. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

There is no time limit to claim property held by the Treasury; it is held until the owner or their heirs claim it.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Tennessee

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

Tennessee 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 named in letters testamentary or of administration.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where the Treasury encloses an affidavit, an indemnity agreement or a release-of-interest letter with the claim form, the signature on it is notarized.

Tennessee holds the property until a valid claim is paid. There is no time limit to claim property held by the Treasury; it is held until the owner or their heirs claim it.

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 Tennessee statutes and official state code. How we research.

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

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

Where to search and file

Estate claim, paid to the estate of the original ownerProve Your Ownership (Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Heir claim, splitting the funds between the heirsProve Your Ownership (Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property)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 Tennessee

Notice to Creditors

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 Tennessee

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 Tennessee Probate Attorney

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Tennessee Estate Settlement Resources

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

Where to search and file

Estate claim, paid to the estate of the original ownerProve Your Ownership (Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Heir claim, splitting the funds between the heirsProve Your Ownership (Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property)Verified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Estate claim, paid to the estate of the original owner

Heir claim, splitting the funds between the heirs

Estate claim, paid to the estate of the original owner

Heir claim, splitting the funds between the heirs