Vermont Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim (Free)
Held by the state
Average claim
Cost to claim
Vermont is holding about $150 million in unclaimed property as of July 2026. You can search your name and claim it for free at the Vermont Treasurer's unclaimed property program, the official Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division site. A simple claim in your own name takes about 10 minutes and costs nothing.
How to search Vermont’s unclaimed property for free
The only site you need is the Vermont Treasurer's unclaimed property program, run by the Vermont Office of the 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. Vermont lists property under old mailing addresses, so search broadly and check every result that could be you before you file.
The Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division
Vermont’s unclaimed property is held by the Vermont Office of the 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.
Vermont's unclaimed property is held by the Office of the State Treasurer, and you search it through the Treasurer's program or the national site MissingMoney.com. The office currently holds over $150 million across more than 900,000 properties, and the total keeps rising — in fiscal year 2025 it took in a record $24 million while returning a record $9.9 million. Vermont holds property in perpetuity, so there is never a deadline to claim, and its 'MoneyBack' partnership with the Tax Department returns some property automatically.
What’s specific to Vermont
- The Treasurer's office holds over $150 million across more than 900,000 properties.
- In fiscal year 2025 Vermont returned a record $9.9 million but still took in a record $24 million, so the held total keeps growing.
- Property is held in perpetuity — you never lose the right to claim it.
- Vermont's 'MoneyBack' program, run with the Tax Department, returns some property automatically without a claim.
How to claim in Vermont
You can do this yourself in about 10 minutes, free. Here is exactly how, step by step.
Search the Vermont Treasurer's database
Start at the Vermont Treasurer's unclaimed property program (or MissingMoney.com) and search your last name. Try maiden names and any Vermont business you owned. Searching is free.
Add each match to your claim
Open every result that could be you and add it. Vermont 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 office requests. Estate and business claims may need notarized paperwork.
Get paid
The Treasurer reviews the claim and pays by check. Simple cash claims are the fastest; securities and heir claims take longer.
Claiming for a deceased relative in Vermont
You can claim property that belonged to a relative who died, but Vermont 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 Vermont accepts.
Dormancy periods in Vermont
“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) | 3 years |
| Insurance proceeds | 3 years |
| Stocks / securities | 3 years |
| Money orders | 7 years |
Vermont 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.
Vermont caps what a finder can charge at 10%, under 27 V.S.A. §§1601–1604. If a letter asks for more, or asks for money up front, treat it as a red flag.
Vermont unclaimed property: common questions
Yes. Vermont's unclaimed property is run by the Office of the State Treasurer, and 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 few weeks to a couple of months after the Treasurer confirms your identity. Claims for securities or a deceased owner take longer.
Yes. 'Found money' is unclaimed property — old paychecks, deposits, and refunds the State Treasurer is holding for you. You can search and claim it yourself for free, with no finder and no fee.
Vermont caps finder fees at 10% of what is recovered, and finders must register and post a bond (27 V.S.A. §§1601–1604). You never need a finder — the same claim is free directly through the Treasurer.
Yes, as an heir. Because Vermont holds property in perpetuity, there is no deadline. 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.