How to claim unclaimed money in Hawaii
The State of Hawaii Unclaimed Property Program, run by the Department of Budget and Finance, holds forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, and other lost assets until the rightful owner or their heirs come looking. Here’s exactly how to find out if any of it belongs to you — and how to get it back for free.
Unclaimed property ends up with the state when a bank, employer, insurer, or utility loses touch with the rightful owner. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 523A, holders must send notice to an owner’s last known address once property has gone unclaimed for its statutory dormancy period — which varies by property type — before turning the funds over to the state’s Unclaimed Property Program for safekeeping. From there, the state holds it in trust under your name, waiting for you to claim it.
Search the official Hawaii Unclaimed Property database with your current and past names.
Open Hawaii search guide →Common ways people end up owed money in Hawaii
You don’t need to still live in Hawaii for the state to be holding something in your name. Most claims trace back to something ordinary:
- Closed a bank account and left a small balance behind
- Never cashed a payroll check, tax refund, or insurance settlement
- Left a security deposit or utility refund unclaimed after moving
- Inherited from a relative who held an account or safe deposit box in Hawaii
- Owned stock, dividends, or securities tied to a Hawaii-based company
- Had a business dissolve or liquidate while still holding money in your name
Step-by-step: claiming your money in Hawaii
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Search every name you’ve used
Try your current legal name, maiden name, nicknames, and any past spellings on the state’s official property search. Property is often filed exactly as it was reported years ago.
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Confirm the listing is yours
Match the last known address, employer, bank, or company name in the record to somewhere you’ve actually lived, worked, or banked before you move on to filing.
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File a claim with documentation
Submit a claim form along with the required identification and ownership documents. If you’re claiming as an heir, you’ll also need estate documentation such as an affidavit for collection of the decedent’s personal property.
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Wait for review and payment
Claims are reviewed for completeness, and the state will contact you if additional documentation is needed. Straightforward individual claims tend to move fastest.
Unclaimed property is filed under your address at the time — not where you live now. If you’ve ever moved to or from Hawaii, worked elsewhere, or banked in another state, that state may owe you too.
Check every state you’ve lived in →Frequently asked questions
Is it free to search for unclaimed money in Hawaii?
Yes. Searching the State of Hawaii Unclaimed Property Program’s database is free, and there is no cost to file a claim for money that is rightfully yours.
Is there a deadline to claim unclaimed money in Hawaii?
Generally no, but Act 184, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, requires that claims for funds under $100 be filed within ten years of the deposit into the unclaimed property trust fund, or the money escheats permanently to the state’s general fund.
Is Hawaii unclaimed money a scam?
No — unclaimed property programs are run directly by state government, in Hawaii’s case the Department of Budget and Finance’s Unclaimed Property Program. The only real risk is third-party “finder” services that charge a fee for a search you can do yourself for free.
What happens if I never claim my money?
For most property, Hawaii holds unclaimed funds for the rightful owner or their heirs indefinitely. The exception is claims under $100, which must be filed within ten years of the funds reaching the state or they’re transferred to the general fund.
Ready to check? Start with the Hawaii unclaimed money search guide, then use the full 50-state checklist to cover every place you’ve ever lived.
