Missouri Unclaimed Money
Missouri holds over $1.5 billion in unclaimed money spread across more than 10 million accounts. The Missouri State Treasurer's Office keeps these lost funds in trust and lets you search for them at no cost. About 1 in 10 people in the state have unclaimed money waiting for them. You can look up your name on the official ShowMeMoney.com database any time of day. The search takes just a few seconds. If you find a match, you can file a claim right there on the site. The state holds your money for as long as it takes, and there is no deadline to get it back. This page will walk you through how to find and claim unclaimed money in Missouri, step by step.
Missouri Unclaimed Money Quick Facts
How to Search Missouri Unclaimed Money
The fastest way to check for unclaimed money in Missouri is the state's official search tool at ShowMeMoney.com. The site runs 24 hours a day and works on any phone or computer. Type in your first and last name, then hit search. Results show up right away. Each result lists the type of property and an amount. If you see your name, click on it to start a claim. More than half of all claims can be filed online with no paper forms at all.
The Missouri State Treasurer's Office built this database to give people a fast, free way to find their lost money. The search portal at treasurer.mo.gov links to the same tool, along with info about the program and how it works. You can also sign up for email alerts that tell you when new unclaimed money shows up under your name. Try all the names you have gone by. Search your maiden name, past married names, and any nicknames that might be on old bank or work records. Check for common misspellings of your name too.
If you want to search by mail, send a letter to the Missouri State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property office at P.O. Box 1004, Jefferson City, MO 65102. List the names you want checked and any past addresses you can remember. The office will send back results and a claim form if they find a match.
Types of Unclaimed Money in Missouri
Unclaimed money in Missouri comes from many sources. Bank accounts sit idle when owners move and forget to update their address. Paychecks go uncashed. Insurance checks get lost in the mail. All of these turn into unclaimed money after a set period of time. Under Sections 447.500 to 447.595 RSMo, businesses and government agencies must report these idle funds to the State Treasurer. The state then holds them in trust until the rightful owner comes forward.
The Missouri Treasurer's About page breaks down what counts as unclaimed money. Cash from checking and savings accounts makes up a large share. So do uncashed checks from payroll, refunds, and dividends. Stocks, bonds, and mutual funds also end up in the state's care. Safe deposit boxes that go untouched for five or more years get turned over too. These boxes sometimes hold jewelry, coins, old documents, and even military medals. Insurance policy payouts, utility deposits from old apartments, and court settlements round out the list. One thing to note: unclaimed money does not include real property like land, houses, cars, or boats.
Missouri law sets different wait times before property is turned over to the state. Most types of unclaimed money have a five-year dormancy period. Payroll and wages become unclaimed after three years. Court bonds are reported after just one year. Money orders wait seven years, and traveler's checks wait fifteen. These timelines come from the Missouri Uniform Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act.
Claiming Your Missouri Unclaimed Money
Filing a claim is free. The state never charges a fee to give back your unclaimed money. Start at ShowMeMoney.com and find the entry that belongs to you. Click on it, and the site will walk you through the claim steps. Many claims qualify for paperless filing, meaning you can upload your documents right from your phone or computer. The Treasurer's Office reviews what you send and processes the payment. Most claims take 30 to 90 days from start to finish.
You will need to prove who you are. A copy of your government-issued photo ID is the main thing. The office may also ask for proof of your Social Security number or a past address. If you are claiming money that belonged to a family member who passed away, you may need a death certificate, letters testamentary, or other probate documents. Under Section 447.565 RSMo, claimants must show "clear and convincing evidence" that they are the rightful owner. That sounds formal, but for most people it just means a photo ID and maybe a piece of mail from an old address.
There is no time limit. Your unclaimed money stays with the state forever. If the original account earned interest, the Treasurer pays up to seven years of interest on that money. So waiting does not cost you anything, but there is no reason to wait either.
Unclaimed Money by Missouri County
The Missouri Treasurer's county statistics page shows exactly how much unclaimed money sits in each of the state's 114 counties plus the City of St. Louis. The numbers are large. St. Louis County leads with over $361 million across 2.8 million properties. Jackson County is next at $236 million. St. Louis City holds $173 million. St. Charles County has $57 million, and both Greene and Clay counties each hold around $44 million. Even the smallest counties have hundreds of thousands of dollars in unclaimed money waiting for someone to search for it.
Each county has its own treasurer or collector-treasurer who reports local unclaimed money to the state. Some counties hold funds for a short time before they get sent to Jefferson City. Boone County stands out because it was the first county in Missouri to build its own online unclaimed money search tool. Most other counties direct residents straight to ShowMeMoney.com for the main state search.
Federal Court Unclaimed Money in Missouri
The state database does not cover everything. Federal courts in Missouri hold their own unclaimed money from bankruptcy cases. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis maintains a separate fund for unclaimed dividends from bankruptcy proceedings. When a bankruptcy trustee distributes assets to creditors and some go unclaimed, that money sits with the court. You can search for it through the national Bankruptcy Unclaimed Funds Locator.
The Western District of Missouri operates the same way, with offices in Kansas City, Springfield, and Jefferson City. Both courts require you to fill out specific forms and provide a government-issued photo ID. Contact Diana Durkee August, Chief Deputy Clerk for the Eastern District, at (314) 244-4602 for questions about federal unclaimed money in Missouri.
Missouri Military Medals and Unclaimed Money
The Treasurer's Office runs a special program for military medals found in safe deposit boxes. These are not sold at auction. Missouri law has protected them since August 28, 2010. The military medals database pairs photos of each medal with the name and last known address of the box owner. Over 100 medals and insignia are in the system right now. If you know someone on the list, call the Treasurer's Office at (573) 751-0123.
Free Unclaimed Money Search Tools
You should never pay someone to search for your unclaimed money. The state's search is free, and so is the national one. MissingMoney.com is the only national unclaimed money search endorsed by the National Association of State Treasurers. It pulls results from 48 participating state databases, including Missouri. The site has over 211 million records and has helped return more than $3 billion in the past year alone. If you have lived in other states, search there too.
The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) keeps a Missouri-specific page with reporting rules and dormancy periods for businesses that hold unclaimed money. This is more of a resource for companies that need to report property, but it also links to the state search tool. Be cautious of any person or company that asks for money up front to find your lost funds. Under Section 447.581 RSMo, anyone who charges a fee to recover unclaimed property must register with the Treasurer. And no agreement made more than 36 months after the money was turned over to the state can charge more than 20% of the property value.
Missouri Unclaimed Money Auctions
Some unclaimed money comes from physical items, not cash. The Treasurer's Office holds periodic auctions to sell tangible property from abandoned safe deposit boxes. The most recent auction in October 2025 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Independence brought in over $319,000, the highest total in 15 years. Items included coins, jewelry, stamps, sports cards, and historical artifacts. Under Section 447.558 RSMo, all auction proceeds go back into the owner's account. That means if your box was sold, you can still claim the cash from the sale at any time.
Donate Missouri Unclaimed Money to Charity
If you find unclaimed money in Missouri but want to give it away, the Treasurer's donation page lets you direct your claim to one of 20 charitable organizations. The list includes the Children's Trust Fund, Missouri Military Family Relief Fund, Veterans Trust Fund, American Cancer Society, and others. People who qualify for a paperless claim can donate through the online form. The process is simple, and your donation may have tax benefits.
Browse Missouri Unclaimed Money by County
Each of Missouri's 114 counties has a treasurer who handles local unclaimed money before it goes to the state. Pick a county below to see local stats, contact info, and search tools for unclaimed money in that area.
Unclaimed Money in Major Missouri Cities
Missouri's largest cities are home to the biggest share of unclaimed money. Select a city below to find local resources and learn which county office handles claims in your area.