Unclaimed money in Ohio: how to find and claim it

How to claim in Ohio

1. Search your name (and old addresses) at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov. Check family members too.

2. Pick the matching property and follow the on-screen steps to start a claim. You get a claim number.

3. Watch for an email from [email protected]. It either says your claim is approved as-is or sends a claim form listing the documents you need.

4. Sign the claim form. If it asks for a notarized signature, sign it in front of a notary. Then upload the form and documents on the state's Document Upload page with your claim ID, or mail them to the Division. Don't email them.

5. Track your claim with your claim number on the Claim Status page. Claims are handled in the order received.

Ohio's claim system, launched in 2025, verifies identity automatically and can approve some claims right away with no extra paperwork. There is no separate no-claim automatic payment program described on the official site.

Official instructions for claims

Documents you may need

• Signed claim form (if the email asks for one)
• Photo ID: driver's license, state ID, passport, or U.S. Department of Defense ID
• Proof of your Social Security number, such as your Social Security card
• Proof you lived at the reported address: utility bill, bank, credit card or investment statement, paycheck, tax form, driver's license, legal papers (deed, mortgage, divorce or separation papers), or a postmarked envelope with your name and that address
• Name-change papers if your name is different now (marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order)
• A notarized signature on the claim form, if the form asks for one. Ohio has required this for claims of $5,000 or more, but says it is removing the notary requirement.

Money owed to a relative who died

If a probate court appointed an executor or administrator, only that person can claim; otherwise next of kin (children, then parents, then siblings) can claim, and all of the decedent's children or siblings may need to sign a Table of Heirship or waivers. You'll need a certified, unredacted death certificate, proof of relationship, and probate papers dated within 2 years; amounts over $5,000 must go through probate court. Ohio has no small estate affidavit, but accepts one from a state that allows it.

Contact the program

Program

Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Unclaimed Funds

Phone

614-466-4433

Claims by mail

Ohio Division of Unclaimed Funds, 77 S. High Street, 20th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215-6108

Processing time

The claim status page says to allow up to 120 days after the Division has all required documents. It also warns that processing may take longer than expected, and if it asks you for more documents, your claim goes back to the end of the line.

Finder fees in Ohio

A finder may charge no more than 10% of the amount recovered. Any finder agreement signed within 2 years after the business reported the funds to the state is invalid, and finders may not contact you during that 2-year window. Later agreements must be in writing, signed by you, notarized, and list the property and what you will get after the fee. Finders must hold an Ohio Certificate of Registration.

Law: Ohio Rev. Code § 169.13

Good to know

• Ohio no longer holds money forever. Under a 2025 law (HB 96, now Ohio Rev. Code § 169.08(I)), funds reported before 2026 can be claimed until Jan. 1, 2036. Funds reported later can be claimed for 10 years from the date they were reported. After that, the money goes to a state fund for cultural and sports facilities and can't be claimed.
• The original amount you get back is not taxable, but any interest paid is reported on a Form 1099-INT.
• Each year Ohio publishes county lists of names with $50 or more in unclaimed funds.

Also check outside Ohio

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 Ohio

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