Maine Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Maine is holding about $395 million in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, the official Office of the Maine State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Maine’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, run by the Office of the Maine State Treasurer, 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. Maine lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Office of the Maine State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division
Maine’s unclaimed property is held by the Office of the Maine State Treasurer, 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.
Maine's Unclaimed Property Division is run by the Office of the State Treasurer, which holds about $395 million for residents. The official free site is MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, and the Treasurer reports the average claim is around $628 — higher than in many states. Maine's unclaimed property fund also supports the state, but your principal is always claimable, with no deadline for you or your heirs.
What’s specific to Maine
- The official portal is MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, run by the State Treasurer.
- The Treasurer holds about $395 million, and the average claim is around $628.
- Maine requires paid finders to be licensed private investigators and voids finder agreements for the first 24 months.
- Property is held indefinitely — there is no time limit to file a claim.
How to claim in Maine
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov
Go to MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, the State Treasurer's official site, and search your last name. Try maiden names and any Maine business you ran. Searching is free.
Add each match to your claim
Open every result that could be you and add it. Maine lists property under old addresses, so check each place you have lived.
Verify your identity
Provide your address and Social Security number so the Treasurer's office 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 Treasurer reviews the claim and pays by check — the average is around $628. Simple cash claims are the fastest to pay.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Maine
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Maine 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 Maine accepts.
Dormancy periods in Maine
“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 |
| Bank accounts (checking/savings) | 3 years |
| Utility deposits | 1 year |
| Insurance proceeds | 3 years |
| Stocks / securities | 3 years |
| Money orders | 7 years |
Maine 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.
Maine does not set a flat percentage cap on finder fees. Instead, under 33 M.R.S. §2201, a finder agreement is void for the first 24 months after property is reported, capped at 15% for the following year, and paid finders must be licensed private investigators; after that a fee must still be reasonable. Either way, the same claim is free if you file it yourself.
Maine unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov is the official site of the Office of the Maine State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division. Searching and claiming are free. If a site asks you to pay a fee just to see your money, it is not the state.
Straightforward cash claims are usually paid within a few weeks to a couple of months after the Treasurer's office confirms your identity. Claims for securities or a deceased owner take longer because more documents are reviewed.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old paychecks, deposits, and refunds the State Treasurer is holding for you, with the average claim around $628. You can search and claim it yourself for free at MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov, with no finder and no fee.
Under 33 M.R.S. §2201, finder agreements are void for the first 24 months, then capped at 15% for the next year, and paid finders must be licensed private investigators. You never need a finder — the same claim is free at MaineUnclaimedProperty.gov.
Yes, as an heir. There is no deadline in Maine. 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.