Illinois Unclaimed Property (I-Cash): How to Search and Claim

Old bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, insurance payouts and utility deposits don’t disappear when a company loses track of you. After a few years they’re turned over to the Illinois State Treasurer, who holds them until you or your heirs ask for them back. The state’s search site is called I-Cash, and searching and claiming are free.

What counts as unclaimed property

Unclaimed property is money or financial assets that a business, bank, insurer or court owes you but couldn’t deliver. Common examples include [2]:

• Checking and savings accounts, and certificates of deposit
• Uncashed paychecks, refund checks and money orders
• Stock dividends, stock certificates and bonds
• Insurance payments, life insurance proceeds and uncashed death benefit checks
• Utility deposits, customer deposits and credit balances
• Contents of safe deposit boxes

It doesn’t include real estate or vehicles [2].

Property usually becomes “unclaimed” after a period with no activity, often three years for most kinds, when the company holding it can’t find the owner [3]. The company then has to report it and turn it over to the Treasurer. The exact waiting period, called the dormancy period , depends on the type of property [2]. The rules come from the state’s Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act [2].

To keep your own accounts from ending up here, make a deposit or withdrawal, keep your contact details current, or contact your bank at least once a year [3].

How to search I-Cash

The official search is free and only takes a name.

1. Go to icash.illinoistreasurer.gov. That’s the Treasurer’s own site. A Spanish-language version is available [7].
2. Search your name with your city or ZIP code [7]. Try past addresses, maiden names, and the names of relatives and any business you’ve run.
3. Check the national database too. Property from other states isn’t in I-Cash; the Treasurer points to missingmoney.com for a multi-state search [1].
4. Search again later. New names are added every week, and the Treasurer suggests checking at least twice a year [3][7].

Don’t expect to learn the exact value by phone. For privacy, the office doesn’t release details about a property until it has your claim form or another written request [3].

How to file a claim

If you find a match, you can file the claim online on I-Cash [7]. Then you send proof that the property is yours.

A few rules apply to most claims [4]:

• Notarized signature if the claim is over $5,000, or involves a safe deposit box or securities.
• Name changes need proof, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order.
• Jointly owned property needs the co-owner’s signature or a copy of their death certificate.
• If you’re claiming for someone else while they’re alive, include your power of attorney or Letters of Guardianship.

You can email documents to unclaimedproperty@illinoistreasurer.gov, upload them through I-Cash, or mail them to Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, P.O. Box 19495, Springfield, IL 62794-9495 [4].

How long it takes

Claims are handled in the order they arrive. The Treasurer’s Office says the first review may take up to 90 days after it receives your paperwork, depending on volume, and claims that need more documents can take longer [4].

There’s no rush on your end. The office is required to return property to the owner or heirs “no matter how long it takes” [7], so you can gather the right papers before you file.

If your claim earns interest of about $10 or more, the office sends you a 1099-INT , so the interest is generally taxable [3]. Keep your address current with the office so the form reaches you [3].

Claiming for a relative who has died

Heirs can claim property that belonged to someone who has died. Because the Treasurer has to follow the Illinois Probate Act, these claims need more paperwork than claiming your own money [4]. What you send depends on the situation:

• No will, no probate: a small estate affidavit listing every heir, their addresses and their share, plus the death certificate and proof of your relationship [4].
• A will, but no probate: a small estate affidavit, the death certificate, and a court-certified copy of the will [4].
• Probate opened: the death certificate, the estate’s tax ID, and court-certified Letters of Office dated within the last three years [4].
• Probate closed: the death certificate, plus court papers showing the estate was closed and who inherits, such as the will or an order declaring heirship [4].
• Small claims of $250 or less: a shorter Capacity to Claim Affidavit may be used [4].

Money Match: money sent without a claim

Some people get their money back without filing anything. Through Enhanced Money Match, the Treasurer compares unclaimed property records with other state records, such as names and addresses. When a match is confirmed, the owner gets a letter explaining the amount and where it came from, and then a check [5].

• It’s for simple cases, such as cash owed to one person. Property with several owners, stocks or bonds, escrow accounts and safe deposit box contents usually still need a claim [5].
• The program started in 2018 and has returned more than $130 million to more than 870,000 people [1].
• There’s no fee to receive the money [5].

Money Match may not cover everything you’re owed, so it’s still worth searching I-Cash yourself [5].

Finders, fees and scams

A finder may contact you offering to recover your property for a cut. You don’t need one: the Treasurer returns property for free [1], and you can file the same claim yourself.

If you do sign with a finder, Illinois sets limits [6]:

• Finders must be licensed by the Treasurer.
• A finder agreement can’t charge more than 10% of the amount collected.
• The law sets a waiting period before finder contracts can be used, and requires certain disclosures in the contract.
• Approved claim payments generally go to you, not the finder.
• Working as a finder without a license can bring civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

How much gets returned

In fiscal year 2026, the Treasurer’s Office returned a record $307.8 million to more than 567,000 people, businesses and organizations [7]. That includes many small automatic payments: in its July 2026 announcement, the office said about 400,000 people had received $34 million through Money Match the summer before, mostly amounts of $50 or less [7].