Texas
Texas Unclaimed Property: How to Search & Claim Your Money (2026)
Texas is currently holding more than nine billion dollars in unclaimed money and property, more than almost any other state, from forgotten bank accounts to uncashed paychecks and old utility deposits. Some of it is very likely yours. Checking is free, takes only a few minutes, and does not require hiring anyone.
Information last verified on 2026-07-15. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
How Texas's Unclaimed Property Program Works
When a bank, employer, insurer, or other business loses touch with someone it owes money to, and enough time passes without any activity, Texas law requires that business to stop holding the money and turn it over to the state. This is commonly called escheatment, though the term can be misleading. For the personal property this article mostly covers, Texas does not take ownership of the money outright. It acts as a custodian, holding the property in trust so the rightful owner, or their heirs, can come forward and claim it, generally with no deadline attached. The agency responsible is the Unclaimed Property Division of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, a state government office, not a private finder or collection company, and it does not charge a fee to search its records or return money that already belongs to you.
Common types of unclaimed property in Texas include dormant checking and savings accounts, uncashed payroll or vendor checks, forgotten utility or rental deposits, matured but unredeemed certificates of deposit, unclaimed insurance payouts, unclaimed stock dividends, unredeemed U.S. savings bonds, and, because Texas is a major oil and gas producing state, unclaimed mineral and royalty proceeds owed to landowners. As of late 2025, oversight of unredeemed savings bonds shifted from the U.S. Treasury's old Treasury Hunt tool to state unclaimed property offices, so an old savings bond a relative bought decades ago is now more likely to turn up in a Texas search than a separate federal one.
A 2019 law, House Bill 3598, changed some of the back-office rules for businesses that hold unclaimed property in Texas, including a ten-year record retention requirement and a seven year limit on state audits. These changes affect businesses that report property, not the timeline an individual owner faces when filing a claim for money already in state custody.
How to Search for Unclaimed Property in Texas
The official place to search is ClaimItTexas.gov, the Comptroller's own database. Enter your name and try variations, a maiden name, a nickname, or a business name you once used, since decades-old records were sometimes typed by hand and small spelling differences can hide a match.
Unlike many states, Texas does not participate in the multistate MissingMoney.com search portal. If you have lived elsewhere, search each of those states separately, or use MissingMoney.com for participating states, but for property held in Texas, ClaimItTexas.gov is the authoritative source and the only place to actually file a Texas claim.
The Am I Owed Money? checker bundles this search with open class-action settlements and final-paycheck deadlines for Texas, and sends you to the official site for each.
Tip: Search under every name and address you have used in Texas, including a former last name after marriage or divorce. If your family has ever owned land or mineral rights in Texas, also search for unclaimed royalty payments.
How to File a Claim
If a search turns up a match, Texas lets most straightforward claims be started online. You will typically need a government issued photo ID and proof of your Social Security number, such as a Social Security card or a recent tax document. Larger claims, mineral or royalty claims, and claims filed by an heir rather than the original owner often require a notarized signature, a death certificate, or estate documents like letters of administration.
Filing a claim in Texas is free, with no fee to search and no fee to file, no matter how large the claim. Simple, well-documented owner claims are commonly processed in roughly two to three months, though claims involving securities, minerals, heirs, or incomplete paperwork can take considerably longer.
How Long Before Money Becomes Unclaimed in Texas
Texas dormancy periods depend on the type of property. Wages, payroll checks, and utility deposits become reportable after just one year of no contact. Securities and most other property types generally follow a three year period, and so do checking accounts, savings accounts, and matured certificates of deposit, which Section 73.101(c) of the Property Code presumes abandoned after three years of inactivity. The longer five year period applies to other accounts and to safe deposit boxes under Section 73.101(a). These rules come from Title 6 of the Texas Property Code, and the clock resets any time the owner has genuine contact with the holder, such as a deposit, withdrawal, or login.
Once a holder turns property over to the state, there is no deadline for the owner to come forward. Texas has returned billions of dollars to owners over the decades-long life of the program precisely because it keeps the door open indefinitely rather than letting claims expire.
Texas's Real Property Rule: The General Land Office
Texas has a quirk that sets it apart from most states. Standard unclaimed-property escheat, the process described above, generally applies to cash, securities, and other personal property, not to real estate. Land and buildings do not simply get swept into the Comptroller's unclaimed-property database the way a dormant bank account would.
When real property does escheat to the state, most commonly because someone dies owning Texas land with no will and no heirs who come forward, it does not go to the Comptroller at all. Instead, Texas Property Code Chapter 71 routes it to the Texas General Land Office, which holds the land in trust for Texas public schools rather than selling it into the general treasury. Land that escheated before 1985 became part of the historic Permanent School Fund; land escheating since then benefits the state's Foundation School Fund through the same General Land Office trust arrangement. The General Land Office, not ClaimItTexas.gov, handles questions specifically about escheated Texas real estate.
Watch out: If you believe a deceased relative's Texas land or mineral interest may have escheated, do not assume ClaimItTexas.gov will show it. Real property escheat runs through the courts and the General Land Office, a different process than the cash and securities claims described elsewhere here. An attorney familiar with Texas probate and escheat law is often the fastest path when real property or mineral rights are involved.
Watch Out for Scams and Unnecessary Finder Fees
Some private companies offer to search for unclaimed property and file a claim on your behalf in exchange for a cut of whatever they recover. Many operate legally, but they are never necessary in Texas, since the state's own search and claim process is free and requires no special expertise for a typical cash claim.
The Federal Trade Commission has separately warned about outright phishing scams. Scammers impersonate government agencies by phone, text, or email, claim you have unclaimed funds waiting, then ask for a processing fee, your full Social Security number, or payment by gift card or wire transfer before they will "release" the money. The Texas Comptroller's office does not operate this way and will not tell you a claim is about to expire, since Texas claims do not expire.
If you get a suspicious call, text, or letter claiming to be about unclaimed Texas property, do not provide payment or personal information. Verify everything yourself directly at ClaimItTexas.gov, and report suspected scams at the FTC's ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If a scammer already took money from you, contact your bank or payment app first; our guide on where to report a scam explains why that call comes before the FTC report.
Related articles
- Unclaimed Money & Property by State
- Texas Landlord-Tenant Laws
- Texas Divorce Laws
- Texas Power of Attorney Laws
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about Texas's unclaimed property program as of the verification date above. It is not legal, financial, or tax advice, and it does not create any professional relationship between the reader and RecordingLaw.com. Unclaimed property rules, dormancy periods, and required documentation can change, and how they apply to a specific account or claim, including any involving real estate or mineral rights, depends on the individual facts involved. For a complex claim, consider consulting a licensed attorney or contacting the Texas Comptroller's office directly.
Last updated: 2026-07-15.
More Texas Laws
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Texas's unclaimed property search really free?
Yes. Searching the state's database at ClaimItTexas.gov and filing a claim with the Texas Comptroller's Unclaimed Property Division are both free. You should never have to pay a fee to claim money that already belongs to you.
How do I know if Texas is holding money in my name?
Search your current and past names at ClaimItTexas.gov. Try variations of your name and any past Texas addresses, since old records sometimes list a maiden name, a nickname, or a different spelling. Texas does not participate in the multistate MissingMoney.com portal, so this state site is the only place to search Texas records.
What documents do I need to file a claim?
Most claims require a government issued photo ID and proof of your Social Security number, such as a Social Security card or a tax document. Larger or more complex claims, including mineral or royalty claims or those filed by an heir, may also require a notarized claim form, a death certificate, or estate paperwork.
How long does it take to get paid?
Simple, fully documented owner claims are commonly processed in roughly two to three months. Claims involving securities, mineral proceeds, heirs, or incomplete paperwork can take considerably longer.
Is there a deadline to claim my property in Texas?
No. Texas holds unclaimed personal property in custody for the owner or their heirs with no cutoff date, so you can file a claim years or even decades after the property was first turned over to the state.
Does Texas handle unclaimed real estate the same way as unclaimed bank accounts?
No. Real property is generally excluded from the standard unclaimed-property process. When Texas land escheats, it passes into a trust administered by the Texas General Land Office for the benefit of Texas public schools, a separate process from the cash and securities claims filed at ClaimItTexas.gov.
How do I know if a call or text about unclaimed property is a scam?
Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you out of the blue asking for a fee, your full Social Security number, or payment by gift card or wire transfer to release funds. The Texas Comptroller's office does not operate that way. Verify any claim directly at ClaimItTexas.gov.
Updates
Corrected the dormancy period for checking accounts, savings accounts, and matured certificates of deposit from five years to the three years set by Texas Property Code Section 73.101(c), and clarified that the five year period applies to other accounts and safe deposit boxes.
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Texas Property Code
§ 72.101PERSONAL PROPERTY PRESUMED ABANDONEDIn force
(a) Except as provided by this section and Sections 72.1015, 72.1016, 72.1017, 72.102, and 72.104, personal property is presumed abandoned if, for longer than three years: (1) the location of the owner of the property is unknown to the holder of the property; and (2) according to the knowledge and records of the holder of the property, a claim to the property has not been asserted or an act of ownership of the property has not been exercised. (b)(1) The three-year period leading to a presumption of abandonment of stock or another intangible ownership interest in a business association, the existence of which is evidenced by records available to the association, commences on the first date that either a sum payable as a result of the ownership interest is unclaimed by the owner or a communication to the owner is returned undelivered by the United States Postal Service. (2) The running of the three-year period of abandonment ceases immediately on the exercise of an act of ownership interest or sum payable or a communication with the association as evidenced by a memorandum or other record on file with the association or its agents.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-09-03 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at statutes.capitol.texas.gov
§ 72.1015UNCLAIMED WAGESIn force
(a) In this section, "wages" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.001, Labor Code. (b) An amount of unclaimed wages is presumed abandoned if, for longer than one year: (1) the existence and location of the person to whom the wages are owed is unknown to the holder of the wages; and (2) according to the knowledge and records of the holder of the wages, a claim to the wages has not been asserted or an act of ownership of the wages has not been exercised.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-28 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at statutes.capitol.texas.gov
Cited in 2 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 2006
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Clark v. Strayhorn (Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin) 2006, 184 S.W.3d 906)“…traveler’s checks, and money orders. See Tex. Prop.Code Ann. §§ 72.1015, .1016, .102 (West Supp.2005).…”
- Charles H. Clark and Elizabeth Hajek, Individually, and on Behalf of All Other Persons Similary Situated v. Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Comptroller of Public Accounts (Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin) 2006)“…value cards, traveler's checks, and money orders. See Tex. Prop. Code Ann. §§ 72.1015 , .1016, .102 (West Supp. 2005). 5.…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Explore the law
This article also draws on these acts and chapters (opening at their first section): Texas Property Code § 71.001 (ESCHEAT)
Related law for further reading — not part of this article’s citations.
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Sources and References
- ClaimItTexas.gov, Texas Comptroller's official unclaimed property search and claim portal(claimittexas.gov).gov
- Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property, How to File a Claim(comptroller.texas.gov).gov
- Texas Property Code Chapter 71, Escheat of Property (official Texas statutes)(statutes.capitol.texas.gov).gov
- Texas Comptroller press release, record $422 million in unclaimed property returned in fiscal 2024(comptroller.texas.gov).gov
- FTC Consumer Alert, How to Handle Unexpected Calls About Unclaimed Funds(consumer.ftc.gov).gov
- SEC Investor.gov, Escheatment (Financial Institutions) glossary entry(investor.gov).gov
- Texas Property Code Chapter 73, Sec. 73.101, Inactive Account or Safe Deposit Box Presumed Abandoned (official Texas statutes)(tcss.legis.texas.gov)
- Texas Property Code Chapter 72, Sec. 72.101 (three year general presumption), 72.1015 (unclaimed wages), 72.1017 (utility deposits)(tcss.legis.texas.gov)