Unclaimed money in Hawaii: how to find and claim it

How to claim in Hawaii

1. Search by name on the state's website, or call the office and ask them to search for you.

2. Fill out and sign a Claim for Return of Property Presumed Abandoned form. Every claimant must sign.

3. Get your signature notarized if the claim is $50 or more, or if it is for stock, mutual fund shares or safe deposit box contents.

4. Attach a copy of your photo ID and a document that ties you to the reported address or company.

5. Mail everything to P.O. Box 150, Honolulu, HI 96810. The office will tell you if it needs more.

Official instructions for claims

Documents you may need

• Clear copy of a current state or federal photo ID (driver license, state ID, military ID or passport).
• Proof of ownership that links you to the reported address or company, such as a bank or credit card statement, utility bill, tax return, payroll statement, canceled check, vehicle registration or postmarked envelope.
• If your name changed: marriage certificate, divorce papers, adoption document or birth certificate.
• For stock or mutual funds: a signed IRS Form W-9 (W-8BEN if you are not a U.S. citizen and live abroad).
• For a cashier's check: the original check. For safe deposit box contents: a bank receipt or letter showing fees are paid.

Money owed to a relative who died

Send the claim form, your photo ID, proof the deceased owned the property, a death certificate, and trust or probate papers showing your authority. If there is no trust or probate and the estate in Hawaii is worth $100,000 or less, you can use a notarized Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of the Decedent instead, plus an original certified death certificate and proof of your relationship (birth, death or marriage certificates).

Contact the program

Program

Hawaii Department of Budget and Finance, Unclaimed Property Program

Phone

(808) 586-1589

Claims by mail

State of Hawaii Unclaimed Property Program, P.O. Box 150, Honolulu, HI 96810

Processing time

The program says claims are handled in the order received; incomplete forms or missing documents delay them. No time frame is given.

Finder fees in Hawaii

A finder agreement is void if signed between the date the property is presumed abandoned and 24 months after it is turned over to the state. After that, the agreement must be in writing, describe the property and services, be signed by you, and show the value before and after the fee. A fee above 25% of the property's value cannot be enforced against you, and you can sue to cut it to 25%.

Law: Haw. Rev. Stat. § 523A-25

Good to know

• Claims for less than $100 must be filed within 10 years after the money reaches the state's trust fund, or the money goes to the state general fund for good. On July 1, 2026, amounts under $100 received on or before June 30, 2016 were set to escheat if unclaimed.
• Any claim of $50 or more needs a notarized signature, which is a low threshold.
• A power of attorney lets you sign for a living owner, but it does not let you claim for an owner who has died.

Also check outside Hawaii

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 Hawaii

Other states