Compare state unclaimed property rules
Each table below puts one rule side by side across the state programs, with a footnote to the official source of every value. You can sort each table, and on a phone each state becomes its own card.
- Dormancy periods
General dormancy runs from 3 to 5 years in the states compared; wages and traveler's checks are the outliers.
- Finder-fee limits
Percentage caps from 5% to 35%, plus the waiting periods that void early contracts.
- Claim deadlines
Which states set no deadline for owners, and the exceptions.
- How states pay
Which states offer an electronic payment option, and which pay by check.
- Processing times
Legal deadlines and published averages for deciding a claim.
- Holder reporting deadlines
Annual report dates and owner-notice rules for businesses.
- Phone numbers and addresses
Each program's claims line, email, mailing address and hours.
What the tables show
- Dormancy: the most common general period is 3 years (32 programs). See every period by property type.
- Finder fees: among flat percentage caps, the lowest is 5% (Washington) and the highest is 30% (Arizona, Florida). Others vary by case or have conditions; see the full list.
- Deadlines: 47 programs state no general deadline for owners. Rules that can limit a claim, at least for some property: Arizona, Guam, Hawaii, Indiana, Ohio, Puerto Rico. See the wording.
- Payment: most programs pay by check. Those that state an electronic option: Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin. See how each one pays.
Which table answers your question
- "Could my old account have gone to the state yet?" Dormancy periods.
- "A company wants a share of my money. Is that legal?" Finder-fee limits.
- "Is it too late to claim?" Claim deadlines.
- "I filed a claim. How long will it take?" Processing times and how states pay.
- "Our business holds money owed to others. When do we report?" Reporting deadlines.
How to read these tables
Every cell is a value that passed two independent checks against the state's own statute, rules or program pages, with a numbered footnote to that source and the exact quote in the source list. A dash means the official sources we could check do not state that value; it does not mean the answer is no. Sort keys such as a finder-fee percentage or the first period in a processing-time rule are taken from the state's wording only to order the rows; always read the state's full rule next to it.
States differ in the words they use. A "dormancy period" may be called an abandonment or holding period, a "finder" may be a locator, heir finder or claimant representative, and a deadline to claim may apply only to some kinds of property. Each state's own page explains its rules in full, from the official search link to the documents it asks for.