Free for Lehigh Valley nonprofits
How the unclaimed property check works
Pennsylvania Treasury holds money that belongs to people and organizations: uncashed checks, refunds, deposits, insurance payouts. Nonprofits can be owed money too. Here is exactly how a search and a claim work.
When you ask for a free check, a person on the PRISM team runs this search by hand for your name, your old names and common spellings, and tells you what turned up. You can also do it yourself in a few minutes with the steps below.
Treasury's terms do not allow automated searching, so we never use a script for this. A person does it.
Can I use a bot or AI (Artificial Intelligence) to request claim information or submit a claim? No. The Pennsylvania Treasury Department has determined that the use of bots or AI to request claim information or to submit a claim makes it impossible to properly confirm a claimant's identity. As a result, the Department will not respond to requests for claim information or claim submissions which are identified as having been made via a bot or AI.
Search, step by step
Open the official search page (Pennsylvania Treasury, Bureau of Unclaimed Property).
You can access the Property Search page through the home page by hovering over Claiming Property > “Search Unclaimed Properties”, or by simply clicking the SEARCH NOW button in the middle of the page.
Type the organization's name in the “Last or Business Name” field and click SEARCH. Narrow by city or ZIP if there are too many results. Our tips (not Treasury text): search the shortest distinctive word of the name, try with and without Inc, Incorporated, Assn, Association, The, and punctuation, try former or merged names, d/b/a names, a parent church or chapter name, and repeat with each former city or ZIP the organization used.
Type your name (last or last, first) into the “Last or Business Name” field and click SEARCH. If you receive too many results, try to narrow down the search by entering a city or ZIP code.
Select the matching properties and start a claim.
Once you’ve found the properties that may belong to you, click the CLAIM button, and then click the CONTINUE TO FILE CLAIM button to begin the claims process.
Review selected properties, enter claimant information (current mailing address), submit, and record the Claim ID.
You will now preview all properties being claimed and verify your current information. If correct, click SUBMIT to officially create your claim and generate your Claim ID number.
Gather and upload the documents listed on the claim form emailed to you (or mail them).
Most claims require a completed and signed claim form. Originals are not required. For claims greater than $5,000, provide a photo identification. To determine specific requirements of your claim, please review the email sent to you. The items required will be listed on the claim form attachment.
Mail option if not uploading.
claim forms and supporting documentation can also be mailed to Treasury's Bureau of Unclaimed Property at Bureau of Unclaimed Property, P.O. Box 1837, Harrisburg, PA 17105-1837.
Track the claim by Claim ID.
Your claim ID number can be found on your claim form and in the email you received at the time of submission. Enter your claim ID number at any time via our Status Page to receive the most recent status.
Questions or exact values: call the Bureau of Unclaimed Property.
which displays specific amounts over $500. For specific values, contact us at 800.222.2046 from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday, Friday.
If you find something
- Claim-specific document list arrives with the claim form; requirements vary by claimant type and property type.
- Sign the claim form.
- Notarization only at $5,000 or more; photo ID for claims over $5,000; originals not required.
- Proof of ownership is usually shown by address match (or SSN for individuals); an organization should be ready to document its connection to the reported address, e.g. old letterhead, leases, bank statements or filings showing that address.
- Business/organization claims: proof of EIN, a letter authorizing the person filing to claim on the organization's behalf, and dissolution, sale or merger papers if the entity closed or changed. Treasury's own site does not publish this list; it comes from a third-party form host and must be confirmed on the claim form Treasury sends or by calling 800-222-2046.
- Letterhead requirement for the authorization letter, and which officer must sign.
Searching and claiming through Treasury is free. You never need to pay anyone to claim money the state is holding for you.
Claiming directly with Treasury is free. Finders must be registered with Treasury and are capped at 15% under Pennsylvania law; payment goes to the claimant, never the finder. Quotes (searchandclaimpa.gov/app/faq-finders): "No, you can claim your funds on your own, directly with the Bureau of Unclaimed Property, free of charge" and "Yes. Under Pennsylvania law, a finder is not permitted to charge more than 15% of the total amount claimed." and "Please be advised all unclaimed property payments will be made payable to and sent directly to the claimants and not to any third-party finders." Contract must "Clearly state the fee or compensation to be paid, which shall not exceed fifteen per centum of the value of the abandoned and unclaimed property". Also note for nonprofits as holders: "Yes, non-profits are required to report if they have unclaimed property. This must be done by April 15th of each year to be in compliance with the Unclaimed Property Law." (faq-report)