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

In Texas, a deceased owner's unclaimed property is claimed from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property.

State Where the Person Lived

Where the Estate Stands

Letters have been issuedA small estate affidavitNothing has been filed

Property Held in This State

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

Where to search and file

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property

Phone: 1-800-321-2274
Website: Search and claim →
Mail: Unclaimed Property P.O. Box 12046 Austin, TX 78711

ClaimItTexas.gov is the free search and online claim portal.

Letters testamentary or letters of administration

For: The executor holding current letters testamentary, or the court-appointed administrator of the estate
Conditions: An independent administrator qualifies only if appointed before the fourth anniversary of the owner's death.
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
Current letters testamentary, or letters of administration
Any further documents the claim form attachment lists, such as a death certificate

A will admitted to probate or filed as a muniment of title

For: The beneficiaries the probated will names
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
A copy of the probated will or the muniment of title
Any further documents the claim form attachment lists, such as a death certificate

Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)

For: The legal heirs of an owner who died without a will, or whose will was not probated
Limit: Property held for the owner of $5,000 or less
Conditions: The witnesses are disinterested: no witness is a claimant or benefits from the property.
Where the owner left a will that was not probated or filed as a muniment of title, the claim is less than $10,000 and the will names the same people who would inherit without a will.
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
An affidavit of heirship from two disinterested witnesses, sworn before a notary, giving the family history of each person the claim passes through
A complete copy of the will, where the owner left one that was not probated
Form: Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)

Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)

For: The legal heirs of an owner who died without a will, or whose will was not probated
Limit: Property held for the owner of $10,000 or less
Conditions: The affidavit is recorded with the county clerk of the county where the owner died or lived at death, and a file-stamped copy goes with the claim.
The witnesses are disinterested: no witness is a claimant or benefits from the property.
Where the owner left a will that was not probated or filed as a muniment of title, the claim is less than $10,000 and the will names the same people who would inherit without a will.
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
A file-stamped copy of an affidavit of heirship from two disinterested witnesses, sworn before a notary and recorded with the county clerk
A complete copy of the will, where the owner left one that was not probated
Form: Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)

Small estate affidavit under Estates Code Chapter 205

This route is for an estate of $75,000 or less.

For: The distributees of an owner who died without a will
Limit: An estate of $75,000 or less
Conditions: The estate assets, apart from the homestead and exempt property, are worth $75,000 or less.
At least 30 days have passed since the death, and no petition to appoint a personal representative is pending or has been granted.
The affidavit is filed with the clerk of the court and approved by the judge.
It is the document the Comptroller's rule names for claims over $10,000 and up to $75,000.
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
A copy of the small estate affidavit approved by the judge
Any further documents the claim form attachment lists, such as a death certificate

Determination of heirship order

For: The legal heirs the order establishes
Conditions: The order is signed by a judge of the county probate court or by a county judge.
It is the document the Comptroller's rule names for claims over $75,000.
Documents: The signed claim form
Photo identification
A copy of the signed determination of heirship order
Any further documents the claim form attachment lists, such as a death certificate

Notarization and finders

Notarization: A notarized document is needed only where the claim rests on the Comptroller's Affidavit of Heirship, whose attestation the witness signs before a notary public.
Finders: A finder may charge no more than 10 percent of the property recovered, plus reasonable attorney's fees, and may not file a claim form for the claimant. The agreement must describe the property and services, be signed by the claimant and state the amount expected before and after the fee.

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: Tex. Prop. Code Title 6 (Unclaimed Property); claims under Tex. Prop. Code §74.501

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 Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property. The search and the claim start at the office's site. A claim for a deceased owner needs proof of death plus proof of authority. If the estate was probated, that is Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, or the probated will.

Heirs can claim without letters from a probate court through the Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B), for property held for the owner of $5,000 or less. If the estate was not probated, the Comptroller's Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-A) covers a non-probate heirship claim worth $10,000 or less. Above that, the claim needs probate documents or a determination-of-heirship order signed by a judge. The claim on that route includes: The signed claim form; Photo identification; An affidavit of heirship from two disinterested witnesses, sworn before a notary, giving the family history of each person the claim passes through; A complete copy of the will, where the owner left one that was not probated.

When the owner died with a will, Property Code section 74.501(d) lets the Comptroller approve the claim of the beneficiaries under a probated will or a will filed as muniment of title, or of the executor who holds current letters testamentary. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor holding current letters testamentary, or the court-appointed administrator of the 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 may charge no more than 10 percent of the property recovered, plus reasonable attorney's fees, and may not file a claim form for the claimant. The agreement must describe the property and services, be signed by the claimant and state the amount expected before and after the fee. The same property can be claimed directly through the state's own program, which charges no fee.

Claiming Unclaimed Property in Texas

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

Texas names 6 routes for a deceased owner's unclaimed property. With letters from a probate court, the claim is made by the executor holding current letters testamentary, or the court-appointed administrator of the estate. Without letters, heirs claim through the Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B), for property held for the owner of $5,000 or less.

Whether the claim form needs a notary is the program's own rule: A notarized document is needed only where the claim rests on the Comptroller's Affidavit of Heirship, whose attestation the witness signs before a notary public.

Texas holds the property until a valid claim is paid. There is no statute of limitations for unclaimed property. Reported funds remain with the state indefinitely until they are returned to the rightful owner, so an owner or their heirs can file a claim at any time.

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

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

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

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

Where to search and file

Letters testamentary or letters of administrationTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

A will admitted to probate or filed as a muniment of titleTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)34 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)34 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Small estate affidavit under Estates Code Chapter 20534 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Determination of heirship orderTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

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Texas Estate Settlement Resources

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

Where to search and file

Letters testamentary or letters of administrationTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

A will admitted to probate or filed as a muniment of titleTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)34 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)34 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Small estate affidavit under Estates Code Chapter 20534 Tex. Admin. Code § 13.9, Documentation Requirements to Establish HeirshipVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Determination of heirship orderTex. Prop. Code Chapter 74, Report, Delivery, and Claims ProcessVerified Oct 26, 2026View source

Notarization and finders

Federal and national databases

Letters testamentary or letters of administration

A will admitted to probate or filed as a muniment of title

Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)

Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)

Small estate affidavit under Estates Code Chapter 205

Determination of heirship order

Letters testamentary or letters of administration

A will admitted to probate or filed as a muniment of title

Affidavit of Heirship (Form 53-111-B)

Affidavit of Heirship recorded with the county clerk (Form 53-111-A)

Small estate affidavit under Estates Code Chapter 205

Determination of heirship order