Some states now mail unclaimed money to owners without a claim. Here is where, and how it works.
21 states now send some unclaimed money back without a claim. They match their records with state tax or other government records and mail a check or send a direct deposit. If you get such a check from your state's official program, it is real and you can cash it; if a letter asks you for a fee, it is not from the state.
Automatic payments cover only some owners. Searching the official list yourself is still the surest way to find everything that is yours.
| State | Automatic payments | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes. Under Act 114 of 2025, the Auditor's "Data Match" program mails checks automatically, with no claim needed, to people owed up to $5,000 on single-owner, individual property, once their identity is verified. You get a letter first and a check within 90 days (the FAQ says about 6 to 8 weeks after the letter). If you are owed more than $1,000 you must send extra documents. Heirs, businesses, and claims for securities, mineral rights or physical items still need a regular claim. |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes. Some claims are approved without extra paperwork, and the state also mails checks on its own to owners it has already verified. In April to October 2026 it planned to mail more than 123,000 such checks; if you get one, just cash it. |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes. Under CT Big Match (started in 2025), if you are the only owner, the property is worth less than $2,500, and the state can verify your address, you get a letter and then, about 6 to 8 weeks later, a check. You don't have to do anything. Some claims also qualify for Fast Track; if no claim form is sent to you, your claim was likely one of them. |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes. Through MONEY MATCH, held each September, Delaware matches unclaimed property to the address on your most recent Delaware state income tax return and mails a check, with no claim needed. Not all property qualifies. |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes. Through Enhanced Money Match, the Treasurer checks state records and mails a letter and then a check to some owners with no claim needed; it covers simple cases such as cash owed to one person, not stocks, joint owners, escrow or safe deposit boxes. |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes. Money Match, launched in 2026, uses Iowa Department of Revenue data to pay some owners automatically. You first get a letter, then a check about three weeks later, with no claim to file. Cash the check promptly: it expires after six months. Not all properties qualify, so keep searching the site. |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes, in part. Under Act 339 of 2018, the Treasury matches its records with Department of Revenue addresses and mails some checks without any claim being filed. The state says these checks are real and you should cash them. |
| Montana | Yes | Yes. Under the Montana Auto Pay Program (HB 88, 2025), the department matches unclaimed property to owners using tax records and mails a check of up to $1,000 with no claim needed. If you get an Auto Pay letter, do not file a claim for those funds. |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes. Many claims are approved automatically online (FastTrack handled 67% of paid claims in fiscal 2025). Under the Treasurer's Community Cashback program, the office also opens claims for some people itself and mails a check after a 4-week holding period, with no action needed. |
| New York | Yes | Yes. Under the Expedited Payment Program, the state can mail you up to $5,000 with no claim needed, once it verifies you are the owner. If you get a check from the Comptroller, cash it. |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes. Through NCCash Match, the state finds qualifying property of $5,000 or less and mails a letter. A check follows in 6-8 weeks with no claim needed. Some online claims also qualify for faster E-Claim Processing. |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes. Since late 2025 the state automatically returns verified single-owner property worth up to $1,000. If you get a letter, you don't need to do anything. A check comes in about 45 days. |
| Oregon | Yes | The system approves simple claims under $2,500 the same day if your information is complete and matches. Each year, Checks Without Claims also mails checks with no claim needed to single owners of $50 to $10,000 in non-securities property reported under their SSN; the 2026 round covers property reported in 2024, with checks expected in late October 2026. |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Many online claims are approved without a claim form if you give your SSN, and you get a check in weeks instead of months. Through Money Match, Treasury also mails checks automatically, with no claim needed, for single-owner property worth less than $500; you get a letter first and the check about 45 days later. |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Rhode Island's YOUR MONEY program matches property to known addresses and returns it automatically with no paperwork. The state says more than 35,000 people have been paid over $10 million this way. |
| South Carolina | Yes | Through Palmetto Payback, the Treasurer matches some unclaimed property to owners and mails a check with no paperwork. You get a letter first and a check about 4 to 6 weeks later; the check is good for 90 days, but you can still file a normal claim if it expires. |
| Vermont | Yes | Original owners can file online claims under $200, usually without mailing documents; once approved, payment is mailed within two business days. In December 2024 the state also launched MoneyBack, which mailed checks of $100 to $500 automatically to people whose identity and address the Tax Department could verify. The Treasurer intends to repeat it every year. |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes. Under the VA Cash Now program, Treasury mails checks automatically, with no claim needed, for single-owner cash property up to $5,000 when it can match the owner to verified tax and address records; you get a letter and should expect the check within 45 days. |
| Washington | Yes | Yes. Under the Money Match Program, the Department of Revenue matches property to owners, confirms addresses by mail and sends checks directly, with no claim or paperwork needed; in fiscal 2025 it sent out $5.2 million. A separate Fast Track process pays some claims within five days or less. Not all property qualifies, so you should still search. |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes. Through WV Cash Now, the Treasurer mails checks automatically, with no claim needed, for certain single-owner property under $5,000 that it can verify through its own data matching. Letters go out each July and checks are mailed in the fall (October in 2026). Property owned by businesses or estates, and securities, do not qualify. |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Yes. DOR compares unclaimed property records with tax records once a year; if you are matched and your property is $2,000 or less, DOR mails a check automatically. If it is more than $2,000 or is tangible property (like safe deposit box contents, savings bonds or stock), you get an 'Action Required' letter and must file a claim. |
| Georgia | Allowed by law, not confirmed in use | A 2026 law (SB 403, signed May 5, 2026) lets the Department of Revenue pay cash of $500 or less per property without a claim, when you are the sole owner and it can verify you through tax records; payment goes by direct deposit or check based on your latest state tax refund instructions, minus any state tax you owe. The DOR site does not yet describe this, so check before relying on it. |
| Indiana | Allowed by law, not confirmed in use | State law lets the Attorney General skip the claim form and pay you directly if the property is worth less than $5,000, you are the owner named in the holder's report, and the office believes you are entitled to it. We could not check on the official site how often this is used. |
| Maryland | Allowed by law, not confirmed in use | A 2025 law lets Marylanders get unclaimed property worth less than $5,000 without filing a claim. In October 2025 the Comptroller said automatic 'Quick Pay' payments would start in November 2025. We could not confirm the launch, so if you find property, you can still file a claim yourself. |
| Texas | Allowed by law, not confirmed in use | State law (Tex. Prop. Code § 74.503) lets the Comptroller pay a reported owner directly, with no claim, when the property is worth less than $5,000 and the office reasonably believes the person is entitled to it. We found no official page on how often this is used. When you do file a claim, the minimum the state asks for is the signed claim form and a photo ID. |
| Utah | Paused | Utah's MyCash Now program automatically mailed checks of up to $2,000 to owners matched with Utah Tax Commission data, with no claim needed, but it was paused as of January 2026 until staffing, fraud safeguards and electronic payments are in place. |
| Alabama | None found | If you get a "Quick Claim" postcard from the Treasury, you can sign the card and mail it back with a copy of your photo ID and proof of your Social Security number; you do not need a separate claim form. By law, claims of $200 or less can be paid with a sworn affidavit when you lack matching paperwork (Ala. Code § 35-12-84(c)). |
| Alaska | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Arizona | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| California | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| District of Columbia | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Florida | None found | Partly. For claims of $2,000 or less submitted electronically, the Division may confirm your identity with an online identity check instead of a copy of your ID. We found no automatic-payment program on the official site. |
| Hawaii | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Idaho | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Kansas | None found | No automatic payment program was found. The state does match its records with the Department of Revenue and mails outreach letters, but you still need to file a claim online or call to start one. |
| Kentucky | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Maine | None found | Some online claims can be finished without more paperwork; the state emails you a claim form only if it needs a signed form or more proof. We found no automatic-payment program. |
| Massachusetts | None found | Yes. If you give your Social Security number and the state finds a match, your claim may be approved automatically through paperless Fast Track. You won't need to fill out forms or send proof. |
| Michigan | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Minnesota | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Mississippi | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Missouri | None found | Yes. The Treasurer says more than 50 percent of people with unclaimed property can file a paperless claim online. |
| Nebraska | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| New Hampshire | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| New Jersey | None found | There is no automatic-payment program listed. But some online claims are pre-approved from the information you enter, and you won't be asked for any documents. |
| New Mexico | None found | Yes. Single-owner property of $500 or less can be claimed online without paperwork. You verify your identity with your name, date of birth, SSN and a security question. |
| Ohio | None found | Ohio's claim system, launched in 2025, verifies identity automatically and can approve some claims right away with no extra paperwork. There is no separate no-claim automatic payment program described on the official site. |
| Oklahoma | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| South Dakota | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Tennessee | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |
| Wyoming | None found | No simplified or automatic program found on the official site. |