How to claim unclaimed money in Delaware
Delaware’s Office of Unclaimed Property has returned over $1.7 billion in the last four years alone — a figure swelled by the state’s status as the corporate home to most Fortune 500 companies. 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 Delaware’s Escheats Law, most checking accounts and wages are considered abandoned after five years of no owner contact — traveler’s checks after fifteen — before holders must turn the funds over to the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property for safekeeping. From there, the state holds it under your name, waiting for you to claim it.
Search the official Delaware Unclaimed Property database with your current and past names.
Open Delaware search guide →Common ways people end up owed money in Delaware
You don’t need to have ever lived in Delaware 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
- Owned stock, dividends, or securities in a company incorporated in Delaware
- Inherited from a relative who held assets tied to a Delaware-based company
- Had a payroll check, tax refund, or utility deposit returned undelivered
- Never cashed an old traveler’s check or matured savings bond
- Worked for or invested in a business that later dissolved or was acquired
Step-by-step: claiming your money in Delaware
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Search every name you’ve used
Try your current legal name, maiden name, nicknames, and any past spellings or typos on the state’s official database. 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 invested before you move on to filing.
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File the claim online
Submit the claim through the Office of Unclaimed Property’s portal with a government-issued photo ID and documentation proving your Social Security number and address.
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Wait for review and payment
Simple claims tend to move fastest. Claims involving securities, estates, or business dissolutions can take longer while ownership and share history are verified.
Unclaimed property is filed under your address at the time — not where you live now. If you’ve ever moved to or from Delaware, held a job elsewhere, or owned stock in a company based there, 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 Delaware?
Yes. Searching the Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property’s official database is free, and there is no fee to file a claim for money that is rightfully yours.
Why does Delaware hold so much unclaimed property compared to other states?
Delaware is the incorporation state for a majority of Fortune 500 companies and over 1.9 million business entities. When a company can’t find an owner’s last known address, unclaimed property law sends the funds to the company’s state of incorporation — which is often Delaware, regardless of where the owner actually lived.
Is Delaware unclaimed money a scam?
No — unclaimed property programs are run directly by state government, in Delaware’s case the Department of Finance’s Office of Unclaimed Property, led by the State Escheator. 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?
Delaware holds unclaimed funds for the rightful owner or their heirs; there’s no rush to search, so you can check at any point, even years later.
Ready to check? Start with the Delaware unclaimed money search guide, then use the full 50-state checklist to cover every place you’ve ever lived.
