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West Virginia · Unclaimed property

Unclaimed money in West Virginia: how to find and claim it

West Virginia holds over $476 million in unclaimed money. Searching and claiming are free.

Checked against official sources: Oct 21, 2026

Search West Virginia's official list of unclaimed property by name.

Search West Virginia's list (free, official) →

Scam warning: the state never charges a fee to claim, and the FTC warns that state programs don't text you alerts or links. How to spot a scam

Over $476 millionwaiting to be claimed (as of July 2025)
$40.2 millionreturned in claims paid in fiscal 2026 (after a record $40.6 million on 20,908 claims in fiscal 2025)
Freeto search and claim
MissingMoney.comalso searches West Virginia's list

How to claim in West Virginia

  1. Search your name for free at WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.

  2. File your claim online; the Treasurer says this is faster than mailing a paper claim.

  3. If you prefer paper, fill in the paper claim form, pick your claim type (owner, heir, business, legal representative or trust), and sign it.

  4. Send a copy of your driver's license and proof of your Social Security number. The office may ask for more proof after it reviews your claim.

  5. Mail paper claims to P.O. Box 4228 in Charleston. Send copies only: the office does not return original documents.

Yes. Through WV Cash Now, the Treasurer mails checks automatically, with no claim needed, for certain single-owner property under $5,000 that it can verify through its own data matching. Letters go out each July and checks are mailed in the fall (October in 2026). Property owned by businesses or estates, and securities, do not qualify.

Official instructions for claims

Documents you may need

  • Copy of a valid driver's license
  • Proof of your Social Security number, such as a Social Security card or W-2
  • Signed claim form
  • If asked: proof of a past address (the state provides an Affidavit of Previous Address form), or proof of a name change
  • W-9 form if the property earned interest or is a security

Money owed to a relative who died

Pick the right heir claim type on the form: no estate, open estate (executor) or closed estate. If no estate was opened, sign a notarized Estate Claim Declaration with a copy of the death certificate, the will if there is one, and a Table of Heirship; other heirs can sign a limited power of attorney so you can collect their shares.

Contact the program

Program
West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division
Phone
1-800-642-8687
Claims by mail
West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division, Post Office Box 4228, Charleston, WV 25364
Processing time
The paper claim form says to allow up to 90 days for verification and processing. State law requires a decision within 90 days and payment within 30 days after approval.

Finder fees in West Virginia

West Virginia law sets no cap on what a finder can charge and no waiting period. The Unclaimed Property Act (W. Va. Code ch. 36, art. 8) has no section on finder agreements. The Treasurer's Office never charges a fee and never sends owners to a third party, so you can always claim yourself for free.

Law: W. Va. Code ch. 36, art. 8 (no finder-fee provision)

Watch out: The Treasurer's Office never charges a fee to search or claim and never sends owners to a third party; if someone offers to find your property for a fee, call the office.

Good to know

  • Fiscal 2025 set a record for the fourth year in a row: $40.6 million returned on 20,908 claims.
  • Since the program began in 1967, it has returned more than $350 million.
  • WV Cash Now letters arrive in July to confirm your address and assure you the program is real, not a scam.

Also check outside West Virginia

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

MissingMoney.com and NAUPA state unclaimed property search

Money that businesses could not return to you and had to hand over to a state, such as old bank accounts and insurance policies. USA.gov says state governments hold most unclaimed money.

Official site

U.S. savings bonds (TreasuryDirect)

Old paper or electronic U.S. savings bonds that were never cashed, including bonds that have matured and stopped earning interest (EE and I bonds earn interest for up to 30 years), plus lost, stolen or destroyed bonds.

Official site

IRS refunds from tax returns never filed (3-year rule)

Tax refunds owed to people who never filed a federal tax return for a year, often because they earned little and were not required to file. The IRS says taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim a refund; after that the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Official site

Questions about West Virginia

How do I find unclaimed money in West Virginia?

Search the official database run by the West Virginia State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division. Searching is free. Search every name you have used and every address where you lived in West Virginia.

Does it cost anything to claim money in West Virginia?

No. The state does not charge a fee to claim. West Virginia law sets no cap on what a finder can charge and no waiting period. The Unclaimed Property Act (W. Va. Code ch. 36, art. 8) has no section on finder agreements. The Treasurer's Office never charges a fee and never sends owners to a third party, so you can always claim yourself for free.

How do I claim money for a relative who died in West Virginia?

Pick the right heir claim type on the form: no estate, open estate (executor) or closed estate. If no estate was opened, sign a notarized Estate Claim Declaration with a copy of the death certificate, the will if there is one, and a Table of Heirship; other heirs can sign a limited power of attorney so you can collect their shares.

How long does a claim take in West Virginia?

The paper claim form says to allow up to 90 days for verification and processing. State law requires a decision within 90 days and payment within 30 days after approval.

Sources

Last checked: Oct 21, 2026.

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