Vermont · Unclaimed property · Updated Oct 2026
Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, 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 Vermont's official list of unclaimed property by name.
Search in VermontSearch your name, or your town, on the state's free database (MissingMoney.Vermont.gov). Check that the address and the business that reported it make sense for you.
If the property is under $200 and you are the original owner, you can usually file online without mailing any papers. Once approved, your payment is mailed within two business days.
For bigger claims, or if you would rather use paper, print the claim form (or ask the office to mail you one), fill it in and attach copies of your proof.
Sign the form. If the claim is over $200, you must sign it in front of a notary.
Mail it to the Unclaimed Property Division in Montpelier. Keep your claim ID so you can check the status online or by phone.
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.
Send a copy of the certified death certificate and the obituary, plus proof of the owner's SSN and reported address; claims over $1,000 need an original certified death certificate. Claims over $5,000 require an open probate estate (send the certificate of appointment and the estate's tax ID); for closed estates under $5,000 send the certified decree of distribution, as wills are not accepted.
A finder (asset locator or heir finder) cannot charge more than 10% of the property's value; an agreement for more is unenforceable. Any finder agreement signed from the day the property is turned over to the Treasurer until 24 months after that is void. The agreement must be in writing, describe the property and services, and state the value before and after the fee. The state always pays you directly, never the finder.
Watch out: The Treasurer warns that some websites and phone callers asking for payment up front can be fraudulent; the state never charges you a fee to get your money back.
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 Vermont Office of the State Treasurer, Unclaimed Property Division. Searching is free. Search every name you have used and every address where you lived in Vermont.
No. The state does not charge a fee to claim. A finder (asset locator or heir finder) cannot charge more than 10% of the property's value; an agreement for more is unenforceable. Any finder agreement signed from the day the property is turned over to the Treasurer until 24 months after that is void. The agreement must be in writing, describe the property and services, and state the value before and after the fee. The state always pays you directly, never the finder.
Send a copy of the certified death certificate and the obituary, plus proof of the owner's SSN and reported address; claims over $1,000 need an original certified death certificate. Claims over $5,000 require an open probate estate (send the certificate of appointment and the estate's tax ID); for closed estates under $5,000 send the certified decree of distribution, as wills are not accepted.
Approved online claims under $200 are mailed within two business days. Paper claims under $200 from the original owner go through an express service, processed within five business days of receiving a complete form. The state gives no general time frame for larger claims.
Last checked: Oct 2026.