In most cases, no. Once a company has turned your money over, the state holds it for you with no deadline in most cases. The clock that does run is the dormancy period: usually one to five years before a company must hand it to the state.
Open the official searchUnclaimed.org. Free. We take no cut and ask for nothing.
Companies must turn over money they cannot return after a dormancy period. After that the state is the keeper, not the new owner, and it will pay the rightful owner or heir who proves the claim.
Rules differ by state and by type of property, and some items may be treated differently. Read your state's own page before you assume there is no limit.
Our 12-minute money check lists nine official searches in a fixed order, with the minutes each one takes: your state (2), savings bonds (1), a lost pension (1), a failed bank (1), a closed credit union (1), an undelivered tax refund (2), an FHA refund (1), veterans' life insurance (1) and federal court funds (2). Nine steps, twelve minutes, and none of them costs a cent. On our state pages we link each state's own claim page rather than state a deadline for it. The one rule that holds across our guides: waiting does nothing, so search now.
Facts on this page match our official-source guides, last checked 2 October 2026. Rules and screens change, so follow the agency's own instructions.
It stays with the state. Nothing is lost by searching late, but proof gets harder to find with time, so do it now.
The time a company must wait, with no contact from you, before it turns your money over to the state. It is usually one to five years depending on the item and state.
In most cases there is no deadline for the owner to claim. Check your state's page for any exception.
A matured bond stops earning interest, but it is still money to claim. The Treasury Hunt search tool closed on 30 September 2025, so a claim now goes in on a form.
Once you have done the free searches, The Unclaimed Money Handbook puts every state's office and the paperwork in one PDF. The searches on this site stay free either way.
Open refunds and settlements, with the official link next to each. Free, no finder fee, one click to leave.
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