Unclaimed property: how to check for money a relative left behind
5 minute read. Updated November 12, 2026.
When a bank, employer or insurer loses touch with the owner of some money, it must eventually hand that money to the state. The state then holds it, with no deadline in most cases, until the owner or their heirs ask for it.
What ends up there
- Bank accounts that sat untouched for several years
- Uncashed paychecks, refunds and dividend checks
- Life insurance and annuity payouts nobody claimed
- Deposits held by utilities and landlords
- Shares and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes
States return billions of dollars of it every year, and far more is still waiting. Much of what waits belongs to people who have died, simply because their families never knew to look.
Where to search
Each state runs its own unclaimed property program, usually through the state treasurer or comptroller. Searching is free.
- unclaimed.org is the website of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. It links to the official search page for every state.
- missingmoney.com is a free search endorsed by the same association. It checks many states at once, though not every state takes part.
Real state sites are free to search and free to claim from. If a site asks for a fee or a card number to show you results, leave.
How to search well
- Search every state the person lived or worked in, going back decades. Money stays with the state where the company reported it.
- Try every version of the name: maiden name, married names, middle initial, common misspellings, and the name with and without a suffix such as Jr.
- Search your own name while you are there, and the names of parents and grandparents who have died.
- Note the claim number or property ID for anything that matches.
Claiming for someone who has died
You will need to show two things: that the owner has died, and that you are the right person to receive the money. States usually ask for:
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- Your own photo ID
- Proof of the owner's connection to the address on file, if you have it
- Proof of your authority: the court's letters appointing the executor, or, for a small amount with no probate, a form in which the heirs swear to their relationship
Each state sets its own forms and limits. The claim page will tell you exactly what to send. Payment commonly takes from a few weeks to a few months.
About finders
You may get a letter from a company offering to recover money for a share of it. These finders are legal in many states, and the money they mention is often real, but they are doing a search you can do yourself for nothing. Many states cap what they may charge. Before you sign anything, run the free search.
Do it again later
Companies hand money over only after it has sat idle for a set number of years. Something that is not listed today can appear in two or three years. Put a reminder in your calendar to check again.