Arkansas Unclaimed Property: How to Search & Claim Your Money (2026)

The Arkansas Auditor of State is currently holding more than $400 million in unclaimed money and property across over a million individual accounts, from dormant bank balances to uncashed paychecks. If you have ever lived, worked, or banked in Arkansas, there is a real chance some of it belongs to you, and checking is free.

Information last verified on 2026-07-15. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

How Arkansas's Unclaimed Property Program Works

Unclaimed property in Arkansas is created whenever a bank, employer, insurer, retailer, or other business owes someone money or another asset and loses contact with them for a set period, called the dormancy period. Once that period passes and the holder's efforts to find the owner fail, Arkansas law requires the holder to report and turn the property over to the Auditor of State rather than keep it, a process called escheatment.

Like nearly every state, Arkansas's escheatment is custodial, not permanent. The Auditor of State holds the property in trust on the owner's behalf. The state does not become the new owner, and the original owner, or their heirs, can file a claim to get it back at any time, with no filing deadline at all. The program is publicly branded the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt, and the office reports it currently holds more than a million individual properties worth over $400 million.

How to Search for Your Arkansas Unclaimed Property

The Auditor's office directs residents to search ClaimItAR.gov first for anything held specifically in Arkansas. The site used to run at claimitAR.com, but the Auditor's office moved it to the .gov domain in February 2024, after residents repeatedly asked whether the site was legitimate before they would submit the Social Security number the claims process requires. The rebrand kept the same underlying database and claim system, just under a more trustworthy address.

Most claims can be searched and started electronically at ClaimItAR.gov. If you would rather have help, the Auditor's office also staffs a phone line, 1-800-CLAIMIT (1-800-252-4648), where an Unclaimed Property Representative can walk you through a search or a claim.

Tip: Search under every version of your name you have used, including maiden names and old nicknames, and check any past Arkansas address, not just your current one. Property is filed under the name and address on record at the time it was reported, which could be years out of date.

If you have lived in other states too, the Auditor's office also points residents to MissingMoney.com, the free multi-state search tool run on behalf of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, to check property that may be held elsewhere. For anything specific to Arkansas, though, the office's own guidance is to search ClaimItAR.gov directly, since it is the state's own system of record.

How to File a Claim

Filing a claim with Arkansas is free, and the Auditor's office says so explicitly. There is no cost to search the database, and no cost to submit and process a valid claim. Most claims can be filed electronically through ClaimItAR.gov once you find a match.

Documentation requirements scale with the size of the claim:

• Under $1,000, and not stock or a safe deposit box: typically a straightforward claim form, no notarization required.
• $1,000 or more, or involving shares of stock or the contents of a safe deposit box: a notarized claim form is required, along with identity documents such as a government-issued photo ID and proof connecting you to the property, like an old bank statement or address history.
• Claims filed by heirs or an estate: generally need additional documentation, such as a death certificate, a will, or letters of administration, since the office is confirming legal authority to claim on someone else's behalf.

Once a claim is submitted and complete, Ark. Code Ann. § 18-28-215(b) gives the Auditor's office 90 days to allow or deny it and to give the claimant written notice of the decision, though straightforward claims are often resolved faster. If the claim is denied, the office must state its reasons and specify what additional evidence would allow the claim, and you can either file a new claim or bring an action in court.

Arkansas Now Pays Some Claims Automatically

One of the more useful recent changes for Arkansas residents is Act 114 of 2025 (originally introduced as Senate Bill 14), which lets the Auditor of State pay or deliver property directly to a verified owner who never filed a claim. The act sets a single dollar test, and it is a ceiling: the property must have "a value of less than five thousand dollars ($5,000)." It sets no minimum. The Auditor's office runs the program as Data Match and describes it as sending checks for property valued between $50 and $5,000, so the $50 floor is the office's own program policy rather than a requirement of the statute. Data Match uses identity-matching sources, including federal death records and postal address databases, to confirm who owns a given property before mailing a check.

If your address on file is current, you may not need to do anything to receive a Data Match check. The Auditor's office has said the program applies to roughly 360,000 individual properties worth more than $83 million, and that Arkansas is one of more than twenty states that have adopted this kind of automatic small-claim payment. Traditional claim filing still applies to heirs, businesses, nonprofits, and claims involving mineral rights or securities, none of which qualify for automatic payment.

Dormancy Periods

Arkansas law sets different dormancy periods depending on the type of property, under the state's Unclaimed Property Act. The most common are:

• Three years: the general rule, covering most bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and similar property.
• One year: unpaid wages, commissions, and utility deposits and refunds.
• Fifteen years: traveler's checks, the longest dormancy period in the statute.

Because the dormancy period only determines when a business must report property to the state, not when your right to claim it ends, there is no downside to searching now even if you are not sure how long an account has been inactive.

Avoiding Unclaimed Property Scams

Two different things get lumped together under "unclaimed money scams," and it helps to separate them. The first is a paid "finder" or "asset recovery" service that searches for unclaimed property and files a claim for you in exchange for a cut, typically a percentage of what is recovered. They are never necessary, since Arkansas's own search and claim process at ClaimItAR.gov is completely free, and Arkansas law restricts them sharply.

Under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-28-225, a locator agreement is void and unenforceable outright if it was entered into during the period running from the date the property was presumed abandoned until 24 months after the property is paid or delivered to the Auditor of State. That window covers much of the time when finders actually make contact. An owner's agreement with an attorney to file a claim on identified property, or to contest the administrator's denial of a claim, is excepted. Outside that window, an agreement is enforceable only if it is in writing, is signed by the apparent owner, clearly sets out the nature of the property and the services to be rendered, states the value of the property before and after the fee, and provides for a fee of not more than ten percent (10%) of the recovery. Compensation that is unconscionable is unenforceable except by the owner, and the owner, or the administrator acting on the owner's behalf, may bring an action to reduce it, with reasonable attorney's fees available to an owner who prevails.

The second is outright fraud. The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers impersonate government agencies in unsolicited calls, texts, and emails, claiming the recipient has unclaimed funds waiting. The red flags are consistent: being asked for sensitive personal or financial details out of the blue, being pressured to pay an upfront "processing" or "release" fee, or being told a claim is expiring on a tight deadline.

Watch out: The Arkansas claims process legitimately asks for your Social Security number, which is exactly why the Auditor's office switched to a .gov domain. Only ever provide that information directly through ClaimItAR.gov or by calling 1-800-CLAIMIT, never in response to an unsolicited text, email, or call.

If you suspect a scam, you can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Related articles

• Unclaimed Money & Property by State
• Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Laws
• Arkansas Divorce Laws
• Arkansas Power of Attorney Laws

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about how Arkansas's unclaimed property program works as of the verification date above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Program rules, dollar thresholds, and processing times can change; verify current details directly with the Arkansas Auditor of State before relying on any figure here.

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Last updated: 2026-07-15.

More Arkansas Laws

• Arkansas Divorce Laws
• Arkansas Landlord-Tenant Laws
• Arkansas Property Records

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really free to search for and claim unclaimed property in Arkansas?

Yes. The Arkansas Auditor of State's office says searching ClaimItAR.gov and filing a claim directly is free, with no charge to search or to release money that is already legally yours.

What is ClaimItAR.gov?

ClaimItAR.gov is the Arkansas Auditor of State's official unclaimed property search and claim portal. It moved from claimitAR.com to the .gov address in February 2024 to reassure residents submitting personal information like a Social Security number.

How long does Arkansas hold unclaimed property before it becomes reportable?

It varies by property type. Most bank accounts and similar property become reportable after three years of inactivity, wages and utility deposits after one year, and traveler's checks after 15 years.

Is there a deadline to claim my Arkansas unclaimed property?

No. The Auditor of State's office holds unclaimed property for the rightful owner indefinitely, so you or your heirs can file a claim at any time.

What is the Arkansas Data Match program?

Data Match, created by Act 114 of 2025, lets the Auditor of State pay a verified owner without requiring a claim form. The act caps it at property worth less than $5,000 and sets no minimum. The Auditor's office applies the program to property valued between $50 and $5,000, so the $50 floor is program policy rather than a statutory requirement. It does not apply to heirs, businesses, or claims involving securities or mineral rights.

How long does an Arkansas unclaimed property claim take to process?

Arkansas law gives the Auditor's office up to 90 days to review a completed claim and issue a decision, though simpler claims are often resolved sooner.

Do I need a notary to file an Arkansas unclaimed property claim?

Only for claims worth $1,000 or more, or claims involving stock or the contents of a safe deposit box. Smaller, straightforward claims typically do not require notarization.

Should I pay a company that offers to find unclaimed money for me?

You never have to. Arkansas's own search and claim process is free, so a paid finder service is at most a convenience. Arkansas also limits these deals by statute: under Ark. Code Ann. § 18-28-225 a locator agreement is void and unenforceable if it is signed between the date the property is presumed abandoned and 24 months after the property reaches the Auditor of State, and any enforceable agreement must be in writing and provide for a fee of not more than ten percent (10%) of the recovery. Be especially wary of anyone demanding an upfront fee before finding anything, which is a hallmark of a scam rather than a legitimate finder service.