How to Fill Out and Submit the NYS Unclaimed Funds Claim Form

The NYS unclaimed funds claim form is the document you submit to the New York State Comptroller’s Office of Unclaimed Funds to recover money the state is holding in your name. You can fill it out online in a few minutes or print and mail a paper version, and filing is free. Most online claims are paid within 30 days.¹

Find the Property First

The form is tied to a specific property record, so you have to locate the record before you can fill anything out. Go to the Comptroller’s search page, enter your last name or business name, and click Search.¹ The results list each account held in your name, along with the asset type and the address the original holder had on file.

Try variations. Maiden names, old nicknames, prior business names, and former addresses all surface records you’d otherwise miss. When you find a match, click the Claim button next to it. The system generates a Claim ID, which is the tracking number you’ll use for everything that follows.²

Filling Out the Online Claim Form

Once you’ve selected your property and started a claim, the online form walks you through four parts.¹

Relationship to the owner. Choose “Owner (Self)” if the property is in your name. If you’re claiming for someone else, pick the relationship from the dropdown — spouse, heir, guardian, or another listed option.
Personal information. Enter your name, date of birth, contact details, Social Security Number, and the mailing address where the check should be sent. Business claimants use the company’s Employer Identification Number instead; if the business is defunct and the EIN is unavailable, your personal SSN can substitute.
Electronic signature. Tick the certification box and type your first and last name. Review the entries before submitting, because corrections after the fact slow the claim down.
Documentation upload. After you submit, the system may prompt you to attach proof of identity, address, or ownership. Follow the on-screen instructions, and watch your email for a confirmation that includes your Claim ID.

One limitation: the online portal will not accept a claim without a Social Security Number or EIN. If you prefer not to transmit either online, file by mail.¹

Filling Out the Paper Claim Form

The paper version is a printable PDF on the Comptroller’s site.³ Fill in the same information the online form asks for: your relationship to the owner, your personal or business details, and the mailing address for payment. Two differences matter.

First, the certification section must be signed in front of a licensed notary public. A signature without notarization will be rejected. Second, you have to include a copy of your government-issued photo ID with the form; the online portal only requests ID if the reviewer flags the claim.

Write your Claim ID at the top of every page you send, including supporting documents. Loose pages get separated during intake, and the Claim ID is what keeps your file together. Mail the signed, notarized form and attachments to:

Office of Unclaimed Funds
110 State Street
Albany, NY 12236

Documents You May Need to Attach

Not every claim requires supporting paperwork. Simple claims — where your current name and address match the property record — often clear without extras. When documentation is requested, it falls into three buckets.⁴

Proof of address, if you no longer live at the address on the property record. A driver’s license showing the old address works, as do old utility or credit card bills, bank statements, W-2s or 1099s, school or military records, insurance documents, mortgage or divorce papers, or a postmarked envelope addressed to you there.

Proof of ownership, for certain asset types. Bank passbooks, mutual fund statements, stock or bond certificates, uncashed checks or money orders, and insurance policies all qualify. A photocopy or old statement showing the account number is usually enough if the original is lost.

Proof of name change, if your name is different now than when the property was reported. A marriage certificate, adoption order, divorce decree, or court order showing both names covers this.

If You’re Filing for Someone Else

When the claimant is not the owner, the form captures the owner’s identity from the property record itself, so you enter your own information in the personal details fields.¹ The supporting documents are what change by role.⁴

For a minor child, include the child’s birth certificate or legal adoption order, plus your own driver’s license or birth certificate.
For an incapacitated adult, include Letters of Guardianship, Letters of Conservatorship, a Trust Agreement, or Power of Attorney. A guardian must also attach a notarized statement confirming the owner is still living and the guardianship is still in effect.
For any other authorized representative, include a court order or signed legal document establishing your authority.

Deceased Owners

Claims on behalf of someone who has died follow a separate path depending on whether a Surrogate’s Court has appointed an estate representative.⁵ If a court has appointed one, only that person may file. Attach the death certificate and the Certificate of Appointment — Letters Testamentary if there was a will, Letters of Administration if not. Estates under $50,000 in personal property with no real property can use a Voluntary Administrator with a Certificate of Voluntary Administration.

If no one has been appointed, the closest living family member can file using the Comptroller’s Small Estates Affidavit and Table of Heirs forms, along with the death certificate. For funds under $1,000, the Comptroller may process the claim directly, and the recipient is responsible for distributing the money according to New York’s intestacy laws. For $1,000 or more, the office will send a letter detailing the account, but only a court-appointed representative can complete the claim, which means petitioning Surrogate’s Court before proceeding.

A separate option exists for someone who paid the deceased owner’s funeral bill. That person can seek reimbursement up to $5,000 by submitting the death certificate, a Small Estates Affidavit, and proof of the funeral expenses paid.

Businesses and Organizations

Business claims need two kinds of proof.⁴ For authority to sign, attach a corporate seal affixed to a notarized claim form, or a notarized statement from an officer or partner authorizing the signer. For business identity, include a recent cancelled business check or a Certificate of Sole Proprietorship or DBA filing.

If the business was renamed, merged, or acquired, add a Certificate of Change from the Department of State, Articles of Incorporation reflecting the name changes, or merger agreements. For dissolved or sold businesses, attach a Certificate of Dissolution, sales agreement, or a notarized statement explaining what happened.

After You Submit

Most online claims are paid within 30 days.¹ Claims that involve estate paperwork or missing documentation take longer. Check status anytime by entering your Claim ID on the Comptroller’s Claim Status Search page.² The Claim ID is in the confirmation email from your online submission, or on your paper form.

If reviewers need more evidence, you’ll get a written request. Respond quickly; incomplete documentation is the most common reason claims stall. Approved claims are paid by check mailed to the address you provided on the form.

Watch for Heir-Finder Letters

You may receive a letter from a company offering to recover unclaimed property for you in exchange for a fee. The “heir finder” or “asset locator” industry is real, and New York’s Abandoned Property Law restricts what agreements they can make with owners.⁶ You never need to pay anyone to file the claim form. The search is free, the form is free, and the Comptroller’s office will never call or email asking for payment, a bank account number, or a fee to release funds. Any upfront-money demand is a scam. If you’re contacted, verify your property directly on the Comptroller’s search page before responding.⁷

1
Office of the New York State Comptroller. How to Search and Claim Property
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Office of the New York State Comptroller. Claim Status Search
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Office of the New York State Comptroller. Blank Claim Form
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Office of the New York State Comptroller. Required Documentation
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Office of the New York State Comptroller. Claims for Deceased Owners and Estates
6
New York State Senate. New York Abandoned Property Law Article 14
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Office of the New York State Comptroller. NYS Unclaimed Funds Claim Form