Delaware holds millions in unclaimed money. How to see if any is yours

• Thousands of Delaware residents may be owed money from forgotten bank balances, uncashed checks, and other dormant funds.
• Unclaimed property includes financial assets held by businesses that have lost contact with the owner, but not real estate or cars.
• Residents can search for their money online through the state’s database or MissingMoney.com.

Thousands of Delaware residents may be owed money they don’t even know about, and state officials want residents to check. Every year, millions of dollars in forgotten bank balances, uncashed checks, insurance payouts and other dormant funds are turned over to the State of Delaware as unclaimed property — waiting for the rightful owners to claim it.

At a time when household budgets are tight, the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property says residents could be leaving hundreds of dollars or more unclaimed. State officials say that each year, between $150 million and $200 million in unclaimed property is returned to people in Delaware and elsewhere.

What counts as unclaimed property?

Unclaimed property includes money or financial assets held by corporations, banks, insurance companies, utilities and other organizations when they lose contact with the owner. After a dormancy period, the business must report the property to the state.

Common examples include:

• Checking and savings accounts
• Uncashed paychecks or refund checks
• Stock dividends and certificates
• Life insurance payments
• Utility and customer deposits
• Gift card balances
• Money orders, traveler’s checks and virtual currency
• Uncashed death benefit checks

Unclaimed property does not include real estate, cars or federal and state stimulus funds.

Once reported, Delaware holds the money in perpetuity, protecting it for owners as well as their heirs and estates.

How to claim your money in Delaware and beyond

Most residents recover unclaimed property by searching the state’s online database or by visiting MissingMoney.com, a free multistate search tool used by Delaware and 49 other states. If property is found, a claim process — requiring proof of identity — gets the money returned.

But some Delawareans get their money back automatically through the state’s Money Match program. Now in its sixth year, Money Match compares Delaware’s unclaimed property records with verified addresses from state income tax filings. If the information matches, the state mails a check directly to the taxpayer without requiring any paperwork.

This September, the Office of Unclaimed Property reported sending nearly $400,000 to about 2,800 residents through Money Match. Since 2021, the program has returned more than $5.6 million to nearly 40,000 Delaware taxpayers.

Not all property qualifies for Money Match, and many residents will still need to file claims to recover additional funds.

New unclaimed property is added every day, so officials urge Delawareans to check regularly — and to remind friends and family to do the same. Each year on Feb. 1, Delaware takes part in National Unclaimed Property Day, a multistate campaign that encourages residents to search for unclaimed assets.

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