Unclaimed money in Florida: how to find and claim it

How to claim in Florida

1. Search ClaimYourCashFL.gov using every name you have used, including maiden, married and business names.

2. Start a claim online and save your claim number. Starting a claim online does not file it.

3. Print the claim form the system creates for you. It lists the exact documents your claim needs.

4. Sign the form. If there is more than one claimant, each one must sign and send ID.

5. Mail the signed form and all documents to the address on the form. Your claim counts as filed only when the Division receives everything.

6. Check your status online with your claim number. Claims are handled in the order they arrive.

Partly. For claims of $2,000 or less submitted electronically, the Division may confirm your identity with an online identity check instead of a copy of your ID. We found no automatic-payment program on the official site.

Official instructions for claims

Documents you may need

• A copy of your driver's license or other government-issued photo ID (or a notarized sworn statement, Form DFS-A4-2007, instead)
• Proof of your current mailing address
• Proof that links you to the property, such as a past address, employer, bank or account number
• Sometimes more, such as Social Security verification, employment records or account statements
• Not accepted as proof: handwritten letters, letterhead, business cards, internet printouts, phone directories

Money owed to a relative who died

Start a claim and mark the owner as deceased. You need a certified death certificate plus probate papers: for an open estate, court records (certified within the last year) showing the personal representative; for a closed estate, a certified court order naming the beneficiaries. If everything the state holds for the person totals $20,000 or less, you can use a copy of the will (if any) and an Estate Affidavit (Form DFS-UP-1243) signed by all beneficiaries.

Contact the program

Program

Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property

Phone

(850) 413-5555; toll-free (888) 258-2253

Claims by mail

Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Unclaimed Property, Claimant Services, P.O. Box 8599, Tallahassee, FL 32314-8599 (always use the address printed on your claim form)

Processing time

Claims are processed in the order received, and the Division says it cannot give an exact timeframe. Missing documents are the most common cause of delay.

Finder fees in Florida

A finder ("claimant representative") must be a Florida-licensed attorney, CPA, or private investigator registered with the Division. They must use the state's official Abandoned Property Recovery Agreement (or, if they buy your claim, the Abandoned Property Purchase Agreement); any other agreement is void. Total fees and costs are capped at 30% of the claim, and anything above that is paid back to you by the state. A purchase discount above 30% gets the claim denied. Fees can be paid only after the claim is approved. Section 717.135 sets no waiting period.

Law: Fla. Stat. § 717.135

Good to know

• About 1 in 5 Floridians has abandoned property, the Department says.
• There is no deadline to claim, and the state never becomes the owner of your money.
• Florida's old search site, FLTreasureHunt.gov, now redirects to ClaimYourCashFL.gov.

Also check outside Florida

Search every other state where you lived or worked. Some money, like old savings bonds and IRS refunds, is held by federal agencies.

Questions about Florida

Other states