Delaware Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Returned to owners (5 yrs)
Average claim
Cost to claim
Delaware has returned more than $1.5 billion to owners over the past five years and returns roughly $150 million to $200 million a year; because escheated funds flow into the state's General Fund, Delaware does not publish a single running total of property still waiting to be claimed. You can search your name and claim it for free at unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov, the official Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, Department of Finance site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Delaware’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov, run by the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, Department of Finance. 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. Delaware lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, Department of Finance
Delaware’s unclaimed property is held by the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, Department of Finance. 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.
Delaware runs one of the largest unclaimed property operations in the country — a byproduct of being the legal home of so many corporations. Unlike most states, escheated funds are deposited into Delaware's General Fund rather than a standing trust, so the state does not publish a single 'held for owners' figure. What it does report is the flow: more than $1.5 billion returned to owners over the past five years, and roughly $150–200 million paid back annually. The property is still held in perpetuity for you — the money is simply paid out of the General Fund when you claim.
What’s specific to Delaware
- Delaware deposits escheated funds into the state's General Fund, so it publishes no single 'held' total — only the amount returned each year.
- The state has returned more than $1.5 billion to owners over the past five years, about $150–200 million a year.
- Delaware's own database (unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov) covers only property reported to Delaware — for a broader search, also check MissingMoney.com.
- Finder fees are tightly capped: the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of what you recover, and agreements signed within 24 months of escheat are void.
How to claim in Delaware
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov
Search your name on the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property's official site. Because Delaware's database covers only property reported to Delaware, also check MissingMoney.com for a broader search.
Add your matching property to a claim
Select each result that is yours and start a claim. Include maiden names and any business you owned.
Verify your identity
Provide your address and the last four digits of your Social Security number to match the record. Filing is free.
Submit your documents
Upload a government ID and any proof the site requests. Estate claims need documents showing your right to inherit.
Get paid from the state
Delaware pays approved claims from the General Fund, usually within a few weeks to a couple of months for cash; estate and securities claims take longer.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Delaware
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Delaware 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 Delaware accepts.
Dormancy periods in Delaware
“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) | 5 years |
| Uncashed paychecks / wages | 1 year |
| Utility deposits | 1 year |
| Insurance proceeds | 3 years |
| Stocks / securities | 5 years |
| Money orders | 7 years |
Delaware 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.
Delaware does not set a flat percentage cap on finder fees. Instead, under 12 Del. C. § 1187, the total a finder can charge is capped at the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of what you recover, and any agreement signed within 24 months of the property reaching the state is void. Either way, the same claim is free if you file it yourself.
Delaware unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. It is the official site of the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property, part of the Department of Finance. Searching and claiming are free. If a site asks you to pay a fee to see your money, it is not the state.
Delaware deposits escheated funds into its General Fund, so it does not publish a single 'held' total. It does report the flow: more than $1.5 billion returned to owners over the past five years, and roughly $150–200 million paid back each year.
Delaware's own database is the most complete source for property reported to Delaware, and its listings also appear on MissingMoney.com. Searching both is the safest way to catch everything.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — uncashed checks, dormant accounts, deposits, and refunds the state is holding for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free at unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov; there is no fee and no finder required.
Under 12 Del. C. § 1187, a finder's total fee is capped at the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of what you recover, and any agreement signed within 24 months of the property reaching the state is void. Because filing yourself is free, you rarely need a finder.
Yes, as an heir. The Office of Unclaimed Property 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.