Missouri unclaimed money search: step-by-step (free)

What Missouri actually holds for you

Missouri's Unclaimed Property Program, run by the State Treasurer, is the state's lost-and-found for money. When banks, employers, insurers, utilities and retailers can't return money to its owner for a set dormancy period (usually 3–5 years), state law requires them to hand it over to the Treasurer. The state holds it — indefinitely — until the rightful owner claims it.

The program says roughly one in ten Missourians has property waiting, and the Treasurer's office returns tens of millions of dollars a year. Common categories include:

• Dormant checking and savings accounts, plus contents of forgotten safe-deposit boxes.
• Uncashed paychecks, expense reimbursements and final wages from prior jobs.
• Insurance benefits, annuities and demutualization payouts.
• Utility deposits, rental deposits and overpayments to hospitals, dentists or contractors.
• Stock, dividends, bond interest and mutual fund shares.
• Refunds from cable, cellphone, gyms and retailers.

Gift cards, unspent store credit and some tax refunds usually aren't in the state system — those follow different rules.

Step-by-step: search ShowMeMoney (the official site)

The only official Missouri search is free and takes about two minutes. Do not pay a "finder" to do this for you.

1. Go to ShowMeMoney.com — the site run by the Missouri State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division.
2. Enter your last name and (optionally) first name. Leave the city blank on your first try to catch old addresses.
3. Scan the results for your name, initial and any city you've ever lived in. Click a row to see the holder (the company that reported it), the property type and the amount range.
4. Repeat the search with your middle initial, maiden name, nicknames (Bob vs Robert), hyphenated names and common misspellings.
5. Add any deceased parents, grandparents and spouses — as an heir, you can file for their unclaimed property too.
6. Click Claim on each matching row and follow the online form. You'll upload ID and proof of address for that record.
7. Save the confirmation number. You can log back in anytime to check status.

Then search MissingMoney and neighboring states

ShowMeMoney only covers property held by Missouri. If you've ever lived, worked, banked or gone to college in another state, that state is likely holding its own records. Cover the rest of the map in two moves:

• MissingMoney.com — the multi-state search endorsed by NAUPA (the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators). It queries roughly 40+ participating states in one go, including Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky and Nebraska.
• Non-participating states — a handful of states don't feed MissingMoney and need a direct search. Use the state directory at unclaimed.org to jump straight to the official program for each state where you've had an address.

Also check federal sources most people miss: the FDIC for failed-bank funds, TreasuryDirect for matured savings bonds, PBGC for old pensions, HUD for FHA insurance refunds, and the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool for undelivered tax refunds. These aren't in any state database.

Name variations, old addresses and deceased relatives

Most people who "don't have any unclaimed money" actually do — they just searched one spelling. Records get created from whatever a bank clerk or HR system typed decades ago. Cast a wide net:

• Search your maiden name, every married name, and any hyphenated combination.
• Try common nicknames: Bob/Robert, Kate/Catherine/Katherine, Bill/William, Jim/James, Tony/Anthony.
• Search with and without a middle initial. Try initial-only for your first name (J Smith vs John Smith).
• Look up every former address — dorm rooms, first apartments, in-laws' houses used as a mailing address.
• Add deceased parents, grandparents and spouses. As an heir you can claim their property with a death certificate and proof of your relationship.
• For a business you owned or ran, search the exact legal name, any DBAs and predecessor entities.

Rerun the search every 6–12 months. Companies report new dormant accounts every fall, so this year's empty result may pay next year.

What documents you'll need to file

Missouri approves most straightforward claims in 30–90 days. Bigger claims (heir claims, business claims, securities) can take several months. The exact document list is on the claim form, but plan on providing:

Finder-fee scams and shady "asset locators"

Whenever new unclaimed-property lists post, private "finders" scrape them and mail official-looking letters offering to recover the money for a 10–40% fee. This is legal in Missouri within limits — but it's almost always a bad deal because you can do the exact same thing free at ShowMeMoney.com in two minutes.

Red flags to walk away from:

• Any letter or call that won't tell you the name of the holder or the state program until you sign a contract.
• "Government grant" or "Treasury refund" robocalls asking for your SSN, bank login or gift-card payment.
• Missouri state law caps finder fees and requires written contracts; unsolicited offers often violate the rules. Report suspicious letters to the Missouri Attorney General's Consumer Protection division.
• Sites that mimic the state's branding but end in .com/.org and charge a "search fee." The official site is ShowMeMoney.com and searching is free.

If you've already signed with a finder, most states let you cancel within a short window — check the contract and Missouri's finder-fee statute.

Beyond the state list: class actions and refunds

State unclaimed-property programs only hold money that's already been reported to them. They don't include money you're currently owed by a company — like a class-action settlement, an FTC refund program, or a hidden-fee case. Those are separate systems, and they typically pay out in weeks, not years.

A few active examples right now: the Bank of America data breach settlement pays a flat $50 with no proof, the TikTok privacy settlement covers most U.S. users, and the DoorDash hidden fees case pays $15 flat with no receipts. Browse the full open settlements directory or read up on how to find open class-action settlements and how to check if you're part of one.

If the class-action side is new to you, start with what a class action actually is and how the process works end to end. Or skip the reading — see what you're owed in about 30 seconds and Owed will match you to every settlement you qualify for. This article is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Glossary

Unclaimed property

Money or assets a company can't return to the owner for a set dormancy period; state law then requires it be turned over to the state.

Dormancy period

The time (usually 3–5 years in Missouri) a company must try to reach an owner before reporting the property to the state.

Holder

The bank, employer, insurer or retailer that originally owed the money and reported it to the state.

NAUPA

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators — the group behind the MissingMoney.com multi-state search.

Heir claim

A claim filed by a relative or estate representative for property owned by a deceased person.

Finder

A private company that charges a fee to recover unclaimed property on your behalf — usually unnecessary.

FAQ