Mississippi Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Mississippi is holding about $350 million in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at Treasury.MS.gov, the official Mississippi State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Mississippi’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is Treasury.MS.gov, run by the Mississippi State Treasurer's Office, 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. Mississippi lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Mississippi State Treasurer's Office, Unclaimed Property Division
Mississippi’s unclaimed property is held by the Mississippi State Treasurer's Office, 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.
Mississippi's unclaimed property is held by the State Treasurer's Office, and the official search is Treasury.MS.gov. On average the state holds between $350 million and $400 million — uncashed tax refunds, paychecks, vendor payments, returned deposits, and insurance checks. Treasurer David McRae has made returns a priority, giving back a record of nearly $170 million in recent years, and his 'Money Match' program mails checks to some owners automatically. As McRae puts it, this is not the state's money — it belongs to Mississippians.
What’s specific to Mississippi
- The official search is Treasury.MS.gov, run by the State Treasurer's Office.
- On average the state holds between $350 million and $400 million in unclaimed property.
- The Treasurer's 'Money Match' program automatically mails checks to some owners with no paperwork required.
- About one in ten Mississippi residents has unclaimed property waiting to be claimed.
How to claim in Mississippi
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search Treasury.MS.gov
Go to Treasury.MS.gov, the State Treasurer's official site, and type your last name into the unclaimed money search. Try maiden names and any Mississippi business you owned. Searching is free.
Add each match to your claim
Open every result that could be you and add it. Mississippi 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 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. Online filings generally process faster than paper, and simple cash claims are the quickest.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Mississippi
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Mississippi 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 Mississippi accepts.
Dormancy periods in Mississippi
“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 |
| Utility deposits | 1 year |
| Bank accounts (checking/savings) | 5 years |
| Insurance proceeds | 3 years |
| Stocks / securities | 5 years |
| Money orders | 7 years |
Mississippi 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.
Mississippi caps what a finder can charge at 10%, under Miss. Code Ann. §89-12-47. If a letter asks for more, or asks for money up front, treat it as a red flag.
Mississippi unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. Treasury.MS.gov is the official unclaimed property site of the Mississippi State Treasurer's Office. Searching and claiming are free. If a site or letter asks you to pay a fee just to see your money, it is not the state.
Simple cash claims are usually paid within a couple of months after the Treasurer confirms your identity, and online filings move faster than paper. Claims for securities or a deceased owner take longer.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old paychecks, tax refunds, and deposits the State Treasurer is holding for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free at Treasury.MS.gov, with no finder and no fee.
A claim finder may charge no more than 10%, and cannot collect any fee for property held by the state less than seven months (Miss. Code Ann. §89-12-47). You never need a finder — the same claim is free at Treasury.MS.gov.
Yes, as an heir. 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.