NAUPA
NAUPA is the national association of state unclaimed property programs. It sponsors MissingMoney.com and helps states return lost money to owners.
Also called: National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, unclaimed.org
NAUPA is the national association of state unclaimed property programs. It sponsors MissingMoney.com and helps states return lost money to owners.
What it means
NAUPA stands for the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. It is an affiliate of the National Association of State Treasurers. Its members are the unclaimed property programs of all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, along with a few foreign jurisdictions.
NAUPA does not hold your money or pay claims. Each state program does that. Instead, NAUPA helps the states work together and educate the public. It sponsors MissingMoney.com, a free site that searches many state databases at once, and it points people to each state's official program. It also publishes state-by-state reporting information for the businesses that must turn over abandoned property.
NAUPA's site, unclaimed.org, explains how unclaimed property works and warns about third-party finders that charge a fee to do what the official programs do at no cost.
What it means for you
NAUPA is a handy reference when you are checking whether an unclaimed money site is the real thing. The official route runs through your state's program, and NAUPA lists those programs and says searching and claiming through them is free. NAUPA is not where you file a claim, and it will not ask you to pay. Be wary of any site that borrows a similar name but asks for a fee, a percentage of your money or your bank login before it shows you anything.
Example
Say you lived in three states over the last ten years. You go to unclaimed.org, follow the link to MissingMoney.com and search your name. It shows a possible match in one state and links to that state's official program. You file the claim there, and the state reviews it and pays you if it is approved. NAUPA does not pay the claim.
FAQ
NAUPA is an association whose members are state government programs, and it is affiliated with the National Association of State Treasurers. It supports the states rather than holding money itself, so your claim goes to your state's program.
No. NAUPA says there is no fee to search for and claim your unclaimed property if you use your official state program, and MissingMoney.com, which it sponsors, is a free search.
Related terms
Updated Oct 18, 2026. Plain-English definitions for general information — not legal or tax advice.