Tennessee · Unclaimed property · Updated Oct 2026
Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division 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 Tennessee's official list of unclaimed property by name.
Search in TennesseeSearch your name for free at ClaimItTN.gov (the Treasury's search site).
If there is a match, file your claim online. The address you put on the claim is where the check will be mailed.
Sign the claim and gather copies of your photo ID, proof of your current address, proof of your Social Security number, and proof that the property is yours.
Upload your documents and check your claim status in the Unclaimed Property Claims Portal.
If you got a Treasury letter at home or at work, use ClaimItTN.gov to finish the online form; the state will tell you if it needs more documents.
You choose to pay the estate or to split the money among heirs; claims of $10,000 or more must be paid to the estate. Estate claims need a certified death certificate, certified letters testamentary or of administration, and the estate's FEIN; heir claims need a certified death certificate, the probated will (or an obituary if there was no will), and each heir's certified birth certificate, with each heir filing a separate claim.
A locator may charge no more than 10% of the value recovered or $50, whichever is greater. The contract must be written, signed by you, describe the property and services, and show the estimated amount before and after the fee. The Treasury must approve the contract, and locators must be licensed private investigators in Tennessee. Payment always goes directly to you.
Law: Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-29-176
Watch out: Claiming is free and has no deadline; never pay anyone to 'unlock,' 'release' or 'process' your funds, treat upfront-fee requests as a warning sign, and call 866-370-9429 to check any notice (real Treasury mail carries the state seal).
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 Tennessee Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property Division. Searching is free. Search every name you have used and every address where you lived in Tennessee.
No. The state does not charge a fee to claim. A locator may charge no more than 10% of the value recovered or $50, whichever is greater. The contract must be written, signed by you, describe the property and services, and show the estimated amount before and after the fee. The Treasury must approve the contract, and locators must be licensed private investigators in Tennessee. Payment always goes directly to you.
You choose to pay the estate or to split the money among heirs; claims of $10,000 or more must be paid to the estate. Estate claims need a certified death certificate, certified letters testamentary or of administration, and the estate's FEIN; heir claims need a certified death certificate, the probated will (or an obituary if there was no will), and each heir's certified birth certificate, with each heir filing a separate claim.
The Treasury says about 70% of claims are paid within two weeks, on average.
Last checked: Oct 2026.