Texas Unclaimed Money: How to Search and Claim Yours

A paycheck you never picked up, a utility deposit from an old apartment, a forgotten savings account. When a business can’t reach you, Texas law makes it hand that money to the state. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts holds it for you, and you can claim it at any time, for free.

What counts as unclaimed property

Since 1963, Texas has required banks, businesses and government offices to report personal property they couldn’t return to its owner [2]. Common examples [2]:

• Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
• Dividend checks, payroll checks and cashier’s checks
• Stocks, bonds and mutual fund accounts
• Utility deposits, refunds and overpayments on bills
• Insurance proceeds
• Oil and gas royalties and mineral interest payments
• Court deposits, trust funds and escrow accounts

Real estate and vehicles are not unclaimed property [2].

A company may tell you it “escheated” your money. In Texas that usually just means it reported the funds to the state. The Comptroller holds them until the rightful owner proves ownership [2].

How money ends up with the state

The waiting period is called the dormancy period . The Comptroller’s table lists these periods [3]:

To keep your own accounts active, make a deposit or withdrawal yourself at least once a year. Automatic drafts and interest payments don’t count [2]. Cash checks promptly, too: the Comptroller notes that every check expires, even without a printed date [2].

How to search ClaimItTexas

1. Go to ClaimItTexas.gov. It’s the Comptroller’s official search [1].
2. Type a last name or business name, plus a first name. If you get too many results, add a city [4].
3. Use your property ID if you have one. If you got an owner notice in the mail, you can enter that number instead [4].
4. Select what’s yours. Click Claim on each matching item, then Continue to File Claim [4].

Search old names and addresses, relatives’ names and any business you’ve owned. Can’t find something you expected? The Comptroller has a search request form, and its research staff will look for you [2][8].

Some results show $0. That usually means the item is a safe deposit box or shares of stock, not that it’s worthless [6].

How to file a claim

There are no blank claim forms. You start a claim by selecting property in the search [8]. After you file, your confirmation email or letter lists the documents needed for that claim [5].

• At a minimum, the state needs your signed claim form and photo ID [5].
• Other papers depend on the claim. The Comptroller may contact you later if it needs more [5].
• Send copies, not originals, unless originals are requested. Documents aren’t returned. If you do mail originals, use certified mail and keep copies [6].

Upload documents through the Comptroller’s online portal, or mail them to Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property Claims Section, P.O. Box 12046, Austin, TX 78711-2046 [5].

Claiming for a business, or for someone else? The Comptroller has Limited Authorization forms for people who handle a claim on another person’s or a company’s behalf [8].

Stocks and safe deposit boxes

• Stock: the Comptroller may sell securities as soon as it gets them. If yours haven’t been sold, shares are usually returned electronically in your name. If they were sold, you get the sale proceeds plus dividends earned before the sale [6].
• Safe deposit boxes: most items are kept about 1 year before they’re auctioned. Important papers are kept 5 years. Auction money stays in the owner’s name and can be claimed any time [6].

How long it takes and how you’re paid

The Comptroller doesn’t publish a standard processing time. It says it processed 107,405 claims from August 1 to late October 2026, and it’s adding new software to speed up claims [1].

Payment comes as a paper check by mail. Direct deposit and wire transfers aren’t offered [7]. The Comptroller doesn’t issue an IRS Form 1099 for these payments; ask a tax preparer if you have questions [7].

Claiming for a relative who died

Heirs can claim property that belonged to someone who has died. When you file, you choose your relationship to the owner [5]. What you send next depends on whether the estate went through probate:

• No probate, $10,000 or less: the Comptroller has an Affidavit of Heirship form for these claims [8].
• Probate or larger claims: you may be asked for court papers such as a probated will, letters testamentary or of administration, or a muniment of title. The county clerk keeps these [8].
• Death certificate: get it from the county clerk or the Texas Bureau of Vital Statistics [8].

If several heirs share a claim, the payment can be split among them [7]. Stock is divided and registered in each heir’s name [6].

Finders and fees

You don’t need to sign a contract with anyone to get your money [2]. The Comptroller doesn’t charge, and its staff will help you start a claim [2].

Some people still hire an heir finder . In Texas, heir finders and asset recovery companies must be licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Private Security Bureau, and their fee can’t be more than 10% of the property recovered, including all expenses [2].

How much Texas returns

In fiscal 2024, the Comptroller paid out a record $422.4 million across nearly 250,000 claims [9]. As of October 2026, it still held more than $12.5 billion waiting for owners [1].