All 50 states and DC
Unclaimed money by state
Every state in the country holds money that belongs to people who do not know it exists. It arrives there by law: when a company cannot reach you for a few years, it is required to stop holding your money and hand it to the state, which becomes custodian and publishes your name.
The rules then diverge sharply. What a recovery firm may charge ranges from 5% to 30% depending on the state. Five states require a professional licence before anyone can file on your behalf. Some states publish their entire database; most publish nothing in bulk. Pick your state below for the specifics.
- 51
- jurisdictions covered on this site
- 584,268
- records searchable right now
- $5.41B
- value of those records
- 10%
- our fee, in every state
Choose your state
“Searchable here” means the state publishes its database and we can search it for you on this site. Everywhere else, start with the state’s own free search — we link it on every state page.
| State | Fee cap | Quiet period | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Alaska | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Arizona | 30% | 24 mo | Licence required |
| Arkansas | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| California | 10% | 24 mo | Searchable here · 584,268 |
| Colorado | 30% | 24 mo | State search |
| Connecticut | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Delaware | — | 36 mo | State search |
| District of Columbia | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Florida | 20% | 24 mo | Licence required |
| Georgia | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Hawaii | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| Idaho | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| Illinois | 10% | 24 mo | Licence required |
| Indiana | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Iowa | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| Kansas | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| Kentucky | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Louisiana | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Maine | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Maryland | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Massachusetts | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Michigan | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| Minnesota | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Mississippi | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Missouri | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Montana | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Nebraska | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Nevada | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| New Hampshire | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| New Jersey | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| New Mexico | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| New York | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| North Carolina | 20% | 24 mo | Licence required |
| North Dakota | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| Ohio | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Oklahoma | 25% | 24 mo | State search |
| Oregon | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Pennsylvania | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| Rhode Island | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| South Carolina | 15% | 24 mo | State search |
| South Dakota | 30% | 24 mo | State search |
| Tennessee | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Texas | 10% | — | State search |
| Utah | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Vermont | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Virginia | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Washington | 10% | 24 mo | Licence required |
| West Virginia | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
| Wisconsin | 20% | 24 mo | State search |
| Wyoming | 10% | 24 mo | State search |
Unclaimed money: common questions
What is unclaimed money?
Money a company owes you but could not deliver. After a dormancy period — usually about three years — escheat law requires the company to stop holding it and hand it to the state, which becomes custodian and holds it in your name indefinitely. Dormant bank accounts, uncashed final paycheques, insurance payouts, utility deposits and forgotten shares are the most common sources.
Is it really free to search and claim?
Yes. Every state runs a free public search and charges nothing to process a claim. You never have to pay anyone to recover your own property. If you choose to use a recovery firm, its fee is capped by state law and should only ever come out of the money after you are paid.
Does unclaimed money expire?
No. States hold it indefinitely as custodian and never take ownership. Any message claiming your unclaimed property is about to be forfeited is a scam signal — urgency is the one thing this process genuinely does not have.
Why do I have to search state by state?
Because unclaimed property is state law, and the money sits with whichever state the reporting company was required to send it to — usually the state of your last known address. If you have lived in several states, search each one. The national aggregator missingmoney.com covers most but not all states; California, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Oregon are not on it.
How much can a recovery firm charge?
It varies by state, from 5% in Washington to 30% in Arizona, Colorado and South Dakota, with most states at 10%. We charge 10% everywhere, which keeps us under every cap in the country. Every state's cap is listed in the table on this page.
Search your name across every record we hold.
Free, instant, no account, and no Social Security number needed just to look.
Search your name — freeFee caps, quiet periods and licensing requirements are compiled from state statutes and administrator guidance and are provided for information, not as legal advice. Record counts come from public state files refreshed weekly. Last reviewed September 2026.
Find My Unclaimed is a private company. We are not a government agency and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any state treasurer, controller, or unclaimed property office. You always have the right to file your own claim directly with the state for free.