When a business owes you money but can’t send it to you, they may turn it over to the state. But you can file a claim and get your missing money back!

Find out if you have missing money!

It's More Money March – here's a tip you may not know about!

Did you know that you may have unclaimed money that's owed to you … and not even know it?! 😱 Whenever a business owes you money but can’t send it to you for various reasons (change of address, phone number, etc), they often turn it over to the state. Each state holds onto that money and keeps a detailed list of whom it belongs to.

If some of it’s yours, you can file a claim to get it back into your pocket ~ and we'll show you how!

A few years ago, my friend Mary visited the Missing Money Site and saw that she was owed almost $100 – so it's definitely worth checking out! And she did in fact get a check in the mail!

AND, she just went and checked the site again and found that she had over $235 of unclaimed funds from when she was in college back in 2005! So if you've received money before, it's worth checking again!

Here's how to get started: 

1. Search Your State Website – Using the Missing Money search page, enter your last name and state. find your state, and click on the link to go to its unclaimed property website.

2. Verify Your Identity – If you’ve found missing money in your name and want to claim it, you’ll need to verify your identity. The requirements may vary by state, but here are some of the documents you may need.

• A state-issued ID (ie – driver’s license)
• Proof of Social Security number (ie – copy of your Social Security card or IRS Form W-2)
• Proof of the address associated with the property you’re claiming (ie utility bill)
• Proof of your current address
• These documents help verify your full name and address to confirm you’re the rightful owner of the missing money. Some states will accept copies of documentation, while other states will require originals.

3. File Your Claim – Once you’ve gone to the right website and have your documents ready, you can file a claim. Be sure to carefully read the claim instructions on your state-specific site (see links below). Some states don’t allow for electronic submissions, while some allow you to file online if you meet certain conditions.

4. Wait for your check – Once you’ve found missing money and submitted your documentation either online or by snail mail, you must wait for your check to arrive. It can take two weeks from the date you filed your claim, or more than six months in some cases. You can track the progress of your claim on your state's website.

Here are the state websites & how to submit claim-

Alabama
Mail claim form

Alaska
Accepts online claims

Arizona
Mail claim form

California
Accepts some online claims

Colorado
Mail claim form

Connecticut
Mail claim form

Delaware
Accepts online claims

Florida
Mail claim form

Georgia
Accepts online claims

Hawaii
Mail claim form

Idaho
Accepts online claims

Illinois
Mail claim form

Indiana
Mail claim form

Iowa
Accepts online claims

Kansas
Mail claim form

Kentucky
Mail claim form

Louisiana
Mail claim form

Maine
Mail claim form

Maryland
Mail claim form

Massachusetts
Mail claim form

Michigan
Mail claim form

Minnesota
Accepts online claims

Mississippi
Mail claim form

Missouri
Accepts online claims

Montana
Accepts online claims

Nebraska
Accepts some online claims

Nevada
Mail claim form

New Hampshire
Mail claim form

New Jersey
Accepts online claims

New Mexico
Mail claim form

New York
Accepts online claims

North Carolina
Mail claim form

North Dakota
Mail claim form

Ohio
Mail claim form

Oklahoma
Mail claim form

Oregon
Mail claim form

Pennsylvania
Mail claim form

Rhode Island
Accepts online claims

South Carolina
Mail claim form

South Dakota
Accepts online claims

Tennessee
Mail claim form

Texas
Mail claim form

Utah
Mail claim form

Vermont
Mail claim form

Virginia
Mail claim form

Washington
Accepts online claims

Washington, D.C.
Mail claim form

West Virginia
Accepts online claims

Wisconsin
Mail claim form

Wyoming
Mail claim form

Note that there may be a finder's fee paid to the person helping receive unclaimed property. From what I can tell, this should be no more than 5% of the total amount of your missing money, but it will vary.

Other ways to see if you have missing money:

• Search the Workers Owed Wages site for employers who've had unpaid wages. I thought this was fascinating! Go HERE if you think you've worked for a company that's missed paying you wages.
• Visit Unclaimed.org or MissingMoney.com to see if your name pops up in their database. In most states you can search directly there, but some states require you to search from the state's missing money site. If your state isn't participating, Missing Money will re-direct you to your state's website.

Do you have any missing money? Leave a comment to share what you've found! We would love to hear some success stories and can't wait to hear if it's worked for you!