Don't leave money on the table

National Unclaimed Property Day is Feb. 1

OLYMPIA, Wash. - January 31, 2022 - Nearly 33 million people in the United States have money out there just waiting to be claimed – and there’s a good chance you could be one of them.

It takes less than 30 seconds to check if you have money from uncashed checks, forgotten utility deposits, or old bank accounts being held by the Department of Revenue’s Unclaimed Property (UCP) program.

On Feb. 1, Revenue is partnering with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) for the second annual Unclaimed Property Day. This event is aimed at raising awareness of unclaimed property nationwide and encouraging people to search for and claim their lost money.

“If 1 in 10 people in the U.S. have unclaimed property, then you are bound to know many of them," said Kathleen Lobell, president of National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). “Take advantage of the second annual Unclaimed Property Day, on Feb. 1 to search for your name and others."

Each year, banks and other holders turn over money, tangible property, and securities to the state’s UCP program after having lost contact with the owners for an extended period of time. Revenue holds the “abandoned” property in perpetuity until it is claimed by the rightful owner.

The Department of Revenue administers Washington’s Unclaimed Property program as a free public service and has paid $221.5 million to more than 471,240 individuals, businesses, and organizations over the past three years.

Claiming your property just got easier

Revenue’s Unclaimed Property program launched a new website last year to make finding and claiming property even easier. It includes a FastTrack process for instant approval of some unclaimed property claims, an expanded search function, help videos in English and Spanish, the ability to check the status of a claim, and more.

“Everyone should take a few minutes to search. You might be surprised to find your name or the name of a friend or family member with money to claim,” said Vikki Smith, Director of the Washington State Department of Revenue. “Our new website makes it easy to get that money back.”

To check whether you have unclaimed property, visit claimyourcash.org and search your name, a maiden name, or the name of a business or nonprofit. Every search is free and easy.

To search for unclaimed property in other states, visit Unclaimed.org/search.

Read an overview of the Unclaimed Property Program’s recent accomplishments in the 2021 Unclaimed Property Report.

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