Louisiana Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Louisiana is holding about $1.2 billion in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at LaCashClaim.org, the official Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Louisiana’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is LaCashClaim.org, run by the Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division. 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. Louisiana lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division
Louisiana’s unclaimed property is held by the Louisiana Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division. 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.
Louisiana's Unclaimed Property Division sits inside the Department of the Treasury and searches run through LaCashClaim.org. The Treasurer reports about $1.2 billion waiting, with the average claim around $900 and one in six residents owed something. Louisiana is unusual in that its fund is protected by the state constitution — the Unclaimed Property Permanent Trust Fund holds the money as private property in trust for owners. The Treasury also mails automatic checks (printed on blue paper) to residents it can identify.
What’s specific to Louisiana
- About $1.2 billion is waiting, and the average Louisiana claim is roughly $900.
- The fund is protected by a constitutional Permanent Trust Fund that treats the money as private property held in trust.
- The Treasury mails automatic checks — printed on blue paper — to residents it can match.
- About 1 in 6 Louisianans is owed unclaimed property.
How to claim in Louisiana
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search LaCashClaim.org
Search your name on the Louisiana Treasury's official site. About one in six residents is owed something, and the average claim is around $900.
Watch for a blue-paper check
Louisiana mails automatic checks, printed on blue paper, to residents it can match. If you get one, it is real and safe to cash.
Start a claim on your matching property
If a claim is needed, add each matching property and begin. Louisiana also reports to MissingMoney.com.
Verify your identity and upload proof
Provide your address and the last four digits of your Social Security number, then upload a government ID. Filing is free.
Get paid by the Treasury
Louisiana pays approved cash claims within a few weeks to a couple of months; larger and estate claims take longer.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Louisiana
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Louisiana 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 Louisiana accepts.
Dormancy periods in Louisiana
“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 |
Louisiana 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.
Louisiana caps what a finder can charge at 10%, under La. R.S. 9:177. If a letter asks for more, or asks for money up front, treat it as a red flag.
Louisiana unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. LaCashClaim.org is the official site of the Louisiana Department of the Treasury's Unclaimed Property Division. Searching and claiming are free. If you receive a blue-paper check from the Treasury, it is real — the Treasurer urges people to cash them.
Simple cash claims are usually paid within a few weeks to a couple of months after the Treasury confirms your identity. Larger or estate claims take longer because more documents are reviewed.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old payroll checks, bank accounts, royalties, and deposits the Treasury holds for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free at LaCashClaim.org, and Louisiana may even mail smaller amounts to you automatically.
Under La. R.S. 9:177, a finder cannot charge more than 10% of the claim value, and any agreement signed within 24 months of the property reaching the Treasury is void. Filing yourself is free, so you rarely need one.
Yes, as an heir or legal representative, with a death certificate and proof of your right 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.