If you think Delaware may be holding money or assets in your name, search the state’s free database at unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov, and file a claim directly through the site if you find a match. Delaware unclaimed property is administered by the Office of Unclaimed Property within the Department of Finance, there is no deadline to file, and the state charges nothing to search or claim. What you need to know before you start is that timing still matters for one category — investment securities — because the state may sell them, and the amount you recover depends on how quickly you act after being notified.
How to Search and File
Go to unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov and search by name. The database covers every property type the state currently holds, from dormant bank balances to uncashed paychecks to liquidated stock. If a match appears, the site walks you through submitting a claim through its online portal.
Once you file, the Office of Unclaimed Property verifies your identity and your connection to the property. The state advises that processing takes up to 90 days. Estate claims, business claims, and anything needing extra documentation usually take longer. Approved payments go out by check or electronic transfer. If the property was a security the state has already sold, you’ll receive the cash proceeds rather than the shares themselves.
Delaware also publishes notices of unclaimed property in a statewide daily newspaper twice a year, in June and December.
Documents You’ll Need
Every claim requires proof of who you are and proof that the property is yours. The Office of Unclaimed Property may request more after reviewing what you send in.
If You’re Claiming for Yourself
Plan on a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport), proof of your Social Security number, and something linking you to the property, such as an old account statement or correspondence from the bank, employer, or insurer that originally held it. A notarized claim form is standard. Delaware notaries can charge up to $5 for a paper notarization or up to $25 for an electronic one.
If You’re Claiming as an Heir
You’ll need a certified death certificate for the original owner and documentation of your legal authority over the estate. That usually means Letters Testamentary if you’re an executor named in a will, Letters of Administration if you were court-appointed, or a small estate affidavit if the estate qualifies for Delaware’s simplified probate process. A certified copy of the will may also be required. When more than one heir is involved, the office may ask for a notarized affidavit from all beneficiaries.
If You’re Claiming on Behalf of a Business
The person filing must show authority to act for the company. Expect to provide a letter from an owner, partner, or corporate officer along with a recent federal tax filing that shows the signatory’s role. If the business has changed names or merged, bring the articles of merger or certificate of amendment.
Why Timing Matters if Your Property Includes Stock
Securities are the one category where waiting can cost you real money. After the state takes custody, it may sell your shares. What you get back depends on when you file relative to the notice the State Escheator mails you.
- File within 558 days of the notice date, and you’re entitled to either the security itself or its current market value (the State Escheator chooses), plus any dividends, interest, and other increments the state received while holding it.
- File after 558 days, and you receive only the net proceeds from the sale, plus any dividends or interest paid to the state up until the shares were sold.
If the stock’s price rose after the state liquidated it, filing outside the 558-day window means locking in the old sale price rather than today’s value. That’s the single strongest reason to search the database now rather than later, especially if you suspect an old brokerage or transfer-agent account is out there.
Interest also stops accruing the moment property is reported to the state. Whatever the asset was earning before delivery, Delaware law cuts that off. Aside from the 558-day securities window, you have no claim against the state for changes in value after delivery.
What Delaware Holds
The database covers nearly every kind of financial asset that has gone untouched long enough for the holder to be required to turn it over. The most common categories:
- Dormant checking, savings, and time deposit accounts
- Uncashed payroll checks, vendor payments, and similar obligations
- Stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares, and other investment holdings
- Life insurance payouts, annuity benefits, and matured endowment policies
- Unpaid wages, commissions, bonuses, and expense reimbursements
- Utility deposits, credit balances, and court-ordered payments
- Unredeemed gift certificates (with some small-issuer and low-value exemptions)
- Contents of safe deposit boxes tied to inactive accounts
You don’t need to calculate whether an asset has been dormant long enough. If a company was required to report it, the property is already with the state and searchable by name.
Fees, Finders, and Taxes
Delaware charges no fee to search or file. If you receive a letter from a company offering to recover unclaimed property for you, know that state law caps what those finders can charge. Any agreement signed within 24 months of the property being delivered to the state is void and unenforceable. For agreements signed after that 24-month window, the finder’s total fees and costs cannot exceed $1,000 or 10% of the property’s value, whichever is less. The cap does not apply to attorneys retained to contest a denied claim.
On the tax side, recovering unclaimed property can create federal reporting obligations. If your claim includes liquidated securities, you’ll receive an IRS Form 1099-B in January listing the stock name, number of shares, and proceeds for each security payment; separate 1099-B forms are issued for each company’s stock. Cash dividends of $10 or more paid on liquidated securities generate a Form 1099-DIV. Straight cash recoveries — a forgotten bank balance or an uncashed check — generally aren’t taxable income because the money was already yours, though pre-delivery interest or dividends may be. For sizable claims, a tax professional is worth the call.
If Your Claim Is Denied
The State Escheator must send written notice of a denial and inform you of your right to appeal. You have 120 days from the date the denial notice is mailed to file a petition with Delaware’s Tax Appeal Board. That deadline is hard: miss it and the denial becomes final. During the appeal you can submit additional documents and legal arguments.
If the Tax Appeal Board rules against you, the next stop is the Delaware Court of Chancery, which has jurisdiction over unclaimed property disputes. Filing a civil action there costs at least $300, with higher fees depending on the number of defendants and how service is made. The court can order the state to release the property if you show sufficient evidence of ownership.
Legal help is usually worth considering when the claim involves large investment holdings where the 558-day window has closed and the valuation is contested, estates that were never probated or need to be reopened, business assets caught up in restructuring or bankruptcy, or any denied claim heading to the Tax Appeal Board or Court of Chancery. For most other claims, the state’s free portal handles the work in about the time it takes to gather your ID and one account document.