Reclaiming What’s Yours
What to Know About Virginia’s Unclaimed Property Program
It’s possible that the Virginia Treasury has money with your name on it. The Treasury uses the term “unclaimed property” to refer to money or property that belongs to someone but could not be returned because contact was lost. The Treasury holds this property in safekeeping until the rightful owner or their heirs come forward.
We’ll walk you through how the program works, how to avoid unclaimed property scams, and how to reclaim what’s yours.
What Counts as Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property can result from everyday financial activity. Common examples include:
- Inactive or dormant bank accounts
- Uncashed checks or refunds
- Utility deposits
- Unpaid wages
- Insurance payments
- Dividends or securities
- Contents of safe deposit boxes
Even the school lunch accounts that you funded for kids or grandkids and then forgot about qualify as unclaimed property. Anyone who has ever lived or worked in Virginia may have unclaimed property with the Virginia Treasury.
How the Program Works
When a business loses contact with an account holder for a certain period of time, Virginia law requires the funds or property to be transferred to the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program.
Unclaimed property remains available indefinitely, and there is no deadline to reclaim it. Since the program began in 1961, the Treasury has returned more than $1.3 billion in unclaimed property to Virginians.
How to Search for Unclaimed Property
Searching for unclaimed property and filing a claim is a free public service with no required fees.
To check, visit www.vamoneysearch.gov and search by name. If a match is found, the site provides instructions for submitting a claim and uploading any required documentation through a secure portal.
If you’ve lived in many states during your life, you can also check www.missingmoney.com, the official unclaimed property website of the National Association of State Treasurers, for property across all states.
Beware of third parties who contact you offering to help for a fee or requesting personal information.
The Virginia Department of the Treasury is the only official source for unclaimed property in the Commonwealth, and assistance is provided at no charge.
For most people, unclaimed property amounts are modest, but they can still help with routine expenses or ease financial pressure.
Plus, who doesn’t love finding money? You never know what may be waiting for you. Happy searching!
Note: Information in this article was provided by the Virginia Department of the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program.
You will need to upload proof of identity to claim your missing funds. Need help?
Click the document below for assistance.