Arkansas Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Arkansas is holding about $400 million in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at ClaimItAR.gov, the official Arkansas Auditor of State (Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt) site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Arkansas’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is ClaimItAR.gov, run by the Arkansas Auditor of State (Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt). 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. Arkansas lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Arkansas Auditor of State (Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt)
Arkansas’s unclaimed property is held by the Arkansas Auditor of State (Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt). 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.
Arkansas is unusual in that unclaimed property is run by the State Auditor, under the program name the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. The Auditor reports holding more than $400 million and, in 2025, crossed $100 million returned to Arkansans. A 2025 law (Act 114) now lets the office mail automatic checks for verified amounts between $50 and $5,000 without a claim form. About one in four Arkansans is owed something, and searching is free at ClaimItAR.gov.
What’s specific to Arkansas
- Arkansas's program is run by the State Auditor, not a treasurer, as the 'Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt.'
- The office is holding more than $400 million and passed $100 million returned in 2025.
- Act 114 of 2025 lets the Auditor mail automatic checks for verified amounts of $50 to $5,000.
- About 1 in 4 Arkansans has unclaimed property; the office even runs mobile offices around the state.
How to claim in Arkansas
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search your name on ClaimItAR.gov
Go to ClaimItAR.gov, the official Arkansas portal, and search your first and last name. Also search maiden names, misspellings, and any business you owned. Searching is free and takes about two minutes.
Open each matching property and add it to your claim
Click any result that looks like you and add it to your claim. Arkansas lets you claim several properties at once, so check every address you have lived at.
Confirm your identity
The state asks for your current address and the last four digits of your Social Security number to match you to the property. You never pay a fee and you never send money to claim.
Upload proof and submit
Upload a photo of your government ID and, if asked, proof of your old address. Submit the claim online. Print the confirmation page for your records.
Wait for the state to review and pay
Arkansas reviews the claim and pays valid claims by check or direct deposit. Simple cash claims are usually the fastest; claims involving stock or a deceased owner take longer.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Arkansas
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Arkansas 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 Arkansas accepts.
Dormancy periods in Arkansas
“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 |
|---|---|
| Bank accounts (checking/savings) | 3 years |
| Uncashed paychecks / wages | 1 year |
| Utility deposits | 1 year |
| Insurance proceeds | 3 years |
| Stocks / securities | 3 years |
| Money orders | 7 years |
Arkansas 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.
Arkansas caps what a finder can charge at 10%, under Ark. Code §18-28-225. If a letter asks for more, or asks for money up front, treat it as a red flag.
Arkansas unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. ClaimItAR.gov is the official site of the Arkansas Auditor of State's unclaimed property program, the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. Searching and claiming are free, and the Auditor's team works to dispel the myth that it is a scam.
Simple cash claims are usually paid within a few weeks to a couple of months after the office confirms your identity. Under the new Act 114 program, many verified small claims are now mailed automatically without any filing.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old work checks, utility deposits, and inherited accounts the Auditor is holding for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free at ClaimItAR.gov, and Arkansas may even mail smaller amounts to you automatically.
Under Ark. Code §18-28-225, a finder cannot charge more than 10% of the property recovered. Since filing yourself is free — and the state now mails many small claims automatically — you rarely need one.
Yes, as an heir. The Auditor's office will ask for 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.