Alaska Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Alaska is holding about $243 million in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov, the official Alaska Department of Revenue, Treasury Division, Unclaimed Property Program site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Alaska’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov, run by the Alaska Department of Revenue, Treasury Division, Unclaimed Property Program. Searching is free, and so is filing your claim. You never pay the state to get your own money, and you never need to hand over money to see what is waiting for you.
Search your last name first, then try maiden names, nicknames, and any business you owned. Alaska lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Alaska Department of Revenue, Treasury Division, Unclaimed Property Program
Alaska’s unclaimed property is held by the Alaska Department of Revenue, Treasury Division, Unclaimed Property Program. When a bank, employer, or insurer loses touch with you for the state’s dormancy period, it must turn your money over to this office, which then holds it for you to claim.
Alaska's unclaimed property is held by the Treasury Division of the Department of Revenue, and the official search is unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov. The state has held on the order of $243 million across more than a million individual properties — bank balances, uncashed checks, insurance refunds, and stock dividends. Note that Permanent Fund Dividends are handled separately and are not part of the unclaimed property program. Claims never expire, so the state keeps your money until you or your heirs claim it.
What’s specific to Alaska
- The official site is unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov, run by the Department of Revenue's Treasury Division.
- Alaska has held roughly $243 million across more than a million individual properties.
- Permanent Fund Dividends are separate — the unclaimed property program does not hold PFD money.
- Claims never expire; the state holds your property until you or your heirs claim it.
How to claim in Alaska
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov
Go to unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov, the Department of Revenue's official site, and search your last name. Try maiden names and any Alaska business you owned. Searching is free.
Add each match to your claim
Open every result that could be you and add it. Alaska lists property under old addresses, so check each place you have lived.
Verify your identity
Provide your address and Social Security number so the Treasury Division can match you to the property. You never pay to claim.
Submit your documents
Upload a government ID and any proof the site requests. Estate and business claims may need notarized paperwork.
Get paid
The Treasury Division reviews the claim and pays by check. Simple cash claims are the fastest; securities and heir claims take longer.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Alaska
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Alaska will ask for more than a simple claim needs. Expect to provide a certified death certificate and proof that you are entitled to the estate — a will, letters testamentary, or a small-estate affidavit, depending on the amount.
Here’s the honest part: heir claims take longer than claims in your own name, sometimes several months, because the state verifies the chain of inheritance. If several heirs exist, each may need to sign. Our guide on claiming unclaimed money from deceased relatives walks through exactly which documents Alaska accepts.
Dormancy periods in Alaska
“Dormancy” is how long an account can sit untouched before the holder must report it to the state. It varies by property type:
| Property type | Dormancy period |
|---|---|
| Uncashed paychecks / wages | 1 year |
| Safe deposit box contents | 1 year |
| Utility / security deposits | 3 years |
| Bank accounts (checking/savings) | 5 years |
| Stocks / securities | 5 years |
| Traveler's checks | 15 years |
Alaska finder-fee cap
You do not need a finder. A finder is a company that offers to recover your money for a cut. Their letters are not a scam, but they are unnecessary — the same claim is free if you file it yourself.
Alaska does not set a flat percentage cap on finder fees. Instead, under Alaska Stat. §34.45.520, a finder agreement is unenforceable for the first 24 months after the state takes the property, and after that the fee is capped at 10% (20% only for property worth less than $500), with the agreement in writing and lasting no more than six months. Either way, the same claim is free if you file it yourself.
Alaska unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov is the official site of the Alaska Department of Revenue's Unclaimed Property Program. Searching and claiming are free. If a site or caller asks you to pay a fee to release your money, it is not the state.
Simple cash claims with good documentation are often paid within a month or two after your identity is confirmed. Claims for securities or a deceased owner take longer.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old paychecks, deposits, and dividends the Department of Revenue is holding for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free at unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov, with no finder and no fee.
A finder agreement is void for the first 24 months, and after that the fee is capped at 10% (20% only for property under $500), under Alaska Stat. §34.45.520. You never need a finder — the same claim is free at unclaimedproperty.alaska.gov.
Yes, as an heir. Because claims never expire, there is no deadline. You will provide a death certificate and proof you are entitled to the estate. See our guide on claiming for a deceased relative.
Unclaimed property in nearby states
See all state guides, or read how to find unclaimed money in your name for free across every state and federal source.