Property types
Unclaimed & Dormant Bank Accounts
Updated July 25, 2026
A bank account you stopped using — an old checking account, a savings account from a bank that got acquired, a CD that matured years ago — does not disappear. After a dormancy period of typically three years with no owner activity and no reachable address, the bank is required to hand the balance to the state as unclaimed property.
The state holds it in your name with no deadline to claim. Search your name to check for dormant accounts under your name or a former name.
What counts as a dormant account
Banks flag an account as dormant when there is no owner-initiated activity (deposits, withdrawals, logins) for the dormancy period and mail is returned. That covers:
- Checking and savings accounts
- Certificates of deposit (CDs) after they mature
- Money-market accounts
- Christmas-club and other special-purpose accounts
- Accounts at a bank that merged, was acquired, or failed
Why 'inactivity' matters more than you would think
Auto-pilot accounts are the classic trap: interest posts automatically, but the bank counts that as its own activity, not yours. If you never log in, withdraw, or update your address for a few years, an account with a real balance can quietly be reported as unclaimed even though you never closed it.
How to find and claim a dormant account
Search your name across states — accounts are reported to the state of your last known address, so check every state you have lived in. Then follow the claim steps. Claiming from the state is always free.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bank account expire?
The account can be closed for dormancy, but your money does not expire. It is turned over to the state and held in your name until you claim it.
How many years until a bank account is considered unclaimed?
Most states use a three-year dormancy period for bank accounts, though it ranges from one to five years depending on the state and account type.
The bank that had my account no longer exists. Can I still claim?
Yes. If the account was reported as unclaimed, the state holds the funds and pays you directly, regardless of what happened to the bank.
Ready to check for money in your name?
Search your name free across millions of records, or browse by state.