South Carolina · Unclaimed property · Updated Oct 2026
South Carolina Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Program holds money that businesses could not return to its owners. Here is how to search, what proof you need and how long it takes.
Search South Carolina's official list of unclaimed property by name.
Search in South CarolinaSearch your name (and family members and your business) on the State Treasurer's free search site.
Start a claim online for each property that is yours. You will get an email listing the documents your claim needs.
Sign the claim form and gather a copy of your photo ID and your Social Security number, plus anything else the email asks for.
Upload your documents through the secure upload link, or mail them to the Unclaimed Property Program in Columbia.
Track your claim with the online claim status search.
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.
The estate's personal representative can claim by sending a copy of the death certificate, a currently dated probate order, and proof the person who died owned the property. If no estate was opened, or it has been closed, call the program at 803-737-4771 to discuss your options.
A finder may not charge more than 15% of the value returned to you. Any agreement to pay someone to recover property is unenforceable if it is made within 24 months after the property was turned over to the state.
Law: S.C. Code Ann. § 27-18-360
Watch out: The program is free; if someone offers to recover your property for a fee, the state asks you to call it at 803-737-4771 before you sign anything.
Search every other state where you lived or worked. Some money, like old savings bonds and IRS refunds, is held by federal agencies.
Money that businesses could not return to you and had to hand over to a state, such as old bank accounts and insurance policies. USA.gov says state governments hold most unclaimed money.
Official siteOld paper or electronic U.S. savings bonds that were never cashed, including bonds that have matured and stopped earning interest (EE and I bonds earn interest for up to 30 years), plus lost, stolen or destroyed bonds.
Official siteTax refunds owed to people who never filed a federal tax return for a year, often because they earned little and were not required to file. The IRS says taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim a refund; after that the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.
Official siteSearch the official database run by the South Carolina Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Program. Searching is free. Search every name you have used and every address where you lived in South Carolina.
No. The state does not charge a fee to claim. A finder may not charge more than 15% of the value returned to you. Any agreement to pay someone to recover property is unenforceable if it is made within 24 months after the property was turned over to the state.
The estate's personal representative can claim by sending a copy of the death certificate, a currently dated probate order, and proof the person who died owned the property. If no estate was opened, or it has been closed, call the program at 803-737-4771 to discuss your options.
The state says claims take four to twelve weeks depending on complexity and how complete your documents are, and many are processed within a few weeks.
Last checked: Oct 2026.