• An OWNER is a person (or business) to whom funds are owed. If you are on this website to file a claim or to search for possible unclaimed property in your name, you should read the FAQ’s for owners.

• A HOLDER is a company that reports and remits unclaimed property to the State of Louisiana. If you are a company in need of filing information, you should read the FAQ’s for holders.

• A FINDER is a person or company who locates an owner of unclaimed property for a fee. If you are a finder, you should read L.R.S. 9:177 "Agreement to Locate Property" below.

FAQ's Owners

1. How do I search for unclaimed property?

From the Unclaimed Property main page, follow the link CLICK HERE to Search Louisiana Unclaimed Property” or you can contact our office by phone, fax or mail and our staff will perform a thorough search for you.

2. Property has been found in the name that I searched. How do I claim it?

All claims made with our office must include positive proof of ownership.  This could be either by verifying the Social Security Number (SSN) in our records, verifying a current and/or previous address or proving an association with the holder. If the address listed is your address or a previous address, you must submit a claim with a copy of your driver’s license or other picture ID, Social Security number (required) and proof of the previous address. If you have never lived at the address listed, there is a very good possibility this money does not belong to you.

3. Even though we do not have the address of an owner, our records may include the owner’s SSN. For privacy and security reasons, we do not give out an individual’s Social Security number under any circumstances.  You may call our office toll free at 1-888-925-4127 and provide your SSN to the operator, who will then compare it to the one in our records and let you know if the item is yours or not.

4. Why doesn’t the “Property Found” list include dollar amounts?

We do not publish dollar amounts to protect the privacy of the owners.  You can obtain more information about an item by clicking on the Property ID number, but this will only reveal an amount range.  The amount ranges displayed are: actual amounts are displayed under $25.00, $25.00 to $50.00, $50.00 to $100.00, over $100.00

5. Is any special form required to claim my money or unclaimed property?

Yes, if the value of your claim is $250.00 or more, you must provide a notarized claim form. If you do not have printing capability, contact our office and we will mail you one.

6. What should I send in with the claim form?

A copy of your driver’s license or other picture identification and proof of your Social Security number is required with every claim.  Additional proof of ownership may be required in some cases.  Some examples are: proof of a previous address, verification of past employment with the holder or verification of accounts/business relationship with the holder.

7. What if my claim doesn’t meet all of your requirements?

You will be notified in writing if additional documentation is needed to verify your claim.  If it is determined that you are not the rightful owner, your claim will be denied and you will be notified in writing.

8. What if the property is listed in the name of a deceased relative?

The legal heirs of a deceased person are entitled to claim the property.  We require court recognized estate documents to prove heirship.

9. How long does it take to process a claim for refund?

Normally it will take several weeks to process your claim. However, it may take longer depending on the volume of the claims being worked at the time yours in submitted.

10. I have lived in other states, how do I find out if I have unclaimed property in another state?

All states have unclaimed property programs, and many have online searchable databases similar to Louisiana’s.  The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) has links to other states’ websites at www.unclaimed.org.

11. How do I find out about unclaimed U. S. Savings Bonds?

The U. S. Treasury Department has made it easier for citizens to find unclaimed federal savings bonds and interest payments.  It has created a “Treasury Hunt” website to help the owners of such assets claim their money.

12. When is unclaimed property turned over to the State?

A holder is required by law to report unclaimed property after it has not been claimed by the rightful owner for a certain period of time called the “holding period."

13. How do I find out about IRS tax refunds that may be unclaimed?

The IRS publishes an annual list of taxpayers who have not cashed their tax refund checks.

14. How do I find out more information about unclaimed property?

Our links page has various websites you can research for more information on unclaimed property.

FAQ's (Holders)

1. What are my legal obligations to report unclaimed property?

Under the provisions of Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:151 through 181, any business holding intangible personal property owed to a person or another business must report and transfer that property to the state if it has not been claimed by the rightful owner for a certain period of time holding period.

2. Where do I obtain forms for reporting unclaimed property to Louisiana?

Unclaimed Property Holder Information and Forms UP-1 (verification and checklist), UP-2 (detail of owner records) and Reporting Instructions are available on this website. Be sure that your printer is set to print on legal size paper. Please contact our office if you would like hard copy report forms mailed to you.

3. Does Louisiana accept electronic reports in standard National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) format?

Yes, we accept electronic files in NAUPA format created by the Wagers & Associates Holder Reporting Software or any software that generates standard NAUPA format.  The files should be saved on a 3.5 diskette or CD and submitted along with your payment and UP-1 form.

4. Is an electronic file important?

Yes, an electronic file is very important if you have more than twenty-five (25) names to report. We strongly encourage electronic reporting because it substantially reduces the time delay in getting your data loaded on our system.  This means that your owners can collect their funds from us sooner.

5. How long do I hold property before reporting it to Louisiana?

Go back to the link for holding periods for a list of the most common property types.  You can also download a copy of the Louisiana Unclaimed Property Law by clicking on that link.  Any type of property that is not specifically mentioned in the law falls under the category of “all other property,” which has a five (5) year holding period. Please contact our office if you have any questions concerning holding periods.

6. What if I have securities to report?

Deposit Trust Corporation (DTC) eligible securities should be transferred to our account via DTC.  Call our office for instructions.  Securities that are not DTC eligible, mutual funds or shares in a dividend reinvestment account should be registered according to the instructions for security remittance on our Reporting Instructions. All reports containing securities should include one of the following:

a. Notice pertaining to DTC transfer of securities to Louisiana

b. Stock certificate registered to the State of Louisiana

c. Statement from mutual fund or Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) account registered to the State of Louisiana                                 

7. Will I be able to recover funds from Louisiana if I discover that an item was remitted in error or was paid to the owner after being paid to Louisiana? 

Yes, providing that we have not refunded the item to the owner in the interim.   If an item was paid to the owner, submit a request for reimbursement along with a copy of the cancelled check.  If an item was remitted in error, submit a request for reimbursement to our office with an explanation of the error.