Unclaimed money in your name

California's State Controller is holding more than $15 billion in more than 84 million forgotten accounts, refunds and deposits: old bank accounts, uncashed checks, stocks and bonds, insurance benefits, safe deposit boxes. Searching and claiming is free, and there's no deadline.

Search claimit.ca.gov State Controller 800-992-4647

1. Every name. Yours, your spouse's, maiden and married names, and a parent who passed away. Heirs can claim too.
2. Every address. Results show the last known address, which is how you spot your own.
3. Your business, if you ever had one.
4. Lived somewhere else? Each state keeps its own: every state's official search (NAUPA) · New York · Illinois.

• File the claim online from the search result. Simple cash claims are usually paid in 30 to 60 days; claims for large amounts, securities or by heirs take up to 180 days. The State doesn't pay interest for the years it held the money.
• An heir's claim needs proof, like a death certificate; the claim instructions list what to send.
• If the money came from SDG&E, SDG&E has its own claim steps: ID, proof of the old address, and where to send the check.

Letters offering to "recover" your money for a fee are legal, and California lets heir finders and investigators charge up to 10% of what they recover. You don't need one: the search and the claim are free, and the State Controller's office will help at 800-992-4647.

Fifteen minutes at the kitchen table: PJ searches every name and old address with you, files the claims, and gathers the paperwork for an heir claim. He doesn't take a cut of anything you find; the help is part of the visit. Text PJ · make a fix plan · senior benefits checkup.

Sources: California State Controller, unclaimed property news release (February 2026) and Unclaimed Property brochure · SDG&E, Unclaimed Property. Checked October 6, 2026.

Need a human?

This page is built every morning from public data by SideGuy, run by PJ, a local in Solana Beach. If something looks off, or you want a hand with your plans, text PJ at 858-461-8054. A real person answers.

Local help, free to read: make your fix plan · senior benefits checkup · lower your SDG&E bill · Medicare Extra Help · the next 90 days. Plans start as low as $25.