Unclaimed money · 51 state guides · Updated Oct 2026
Forgotten bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, deposits, refunds and insurance payouts end up with the state. Here is where to search in every state and how to claim it for free.
Search the official site of each state where you have lived or worked. Try your maiden name, nicknames, old business names and common misspellings.
Money owed to a parent or grandparent who died can often be claimed by the heirs or the estate.
Pick the matching properties and file the claim online or on paper, as the state allows.
States usually ask for ID and proof that you lived at the address on record. Some small claims need little or no paperwork.
The state reviews the claim and pays by check or direct deposit. Keep your claim number.
Some money is held by federal agencies, not states. Check these too.
Money that businesses could not return to you and had to hand over to a state, such as old bank accounts and insurance policies. USA.gov says state governments hold most unclaimed money.
Official siteOld paper or electronic U.S. savings bonds that were never cashed, including bonds that have matured and stopped earning interest (EE and I bonds earn interest for up to 30 years), plus lost, stolen or destroyed bonds.
Official siteTax refunds owed to people who never filed a federal tax return for a year, often because they earned little and were not required to file. The IRS says taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim a refund; after that the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.
Official siteRefund checks that were returned to the IRS as undeliverable (often because you moved) or that were lost or stolen.
Official siteLife insurance policies and annuities of a person who has died that the family may not know about. It does not search for policies of living people.
Official siteRetirement benefits from private-sector employers whose plans ended and could not find the worker; the employer may have sent the money to PBGC for safekeeping.
Official siteClaiming is free. Your state never charges a fee to search or to claim. Be careful with letters, calls or texts that ask for a fee, a percentage or your bank login to release money. Search the official state site yourself.
Finders who track down owners often ask for a share of the money. Many states limit that share by law. See the limit in each state.
Yes. Every state lets you search and claim through its official program without paying a fee. Private finders may offer to do it for a share of the money; that is optional, and many states cap what they can charge.
When a business can't reach the owner of an account, check, deposit or refund for a set number of years, state law requires it to send the money to the state. The state holds it until the owner or heir claims it.
In most states there is no deadline: the state holds the money until it is claimed. Check your state's page for any exceptions.
Search each state where you have lived, worked, had a bank account or did business. Many states also appear on MissingMoney.com, a free multi-state search run with the state administrators.
Usually yes, as an heir or the estate's representative. You will need a death certificate and documents that show your right to the money. Each state page explains its rules.