How to Get Unclaimed Money in Michigan: A Simple Guide for Residents

Every year, billions of dollars of money goes unclaimed in Michigan. In fact, as of early 2025, there was more than $2 billion worth of unclaimed money in the coffers of the state.

A sizable portion of this total, $189.6 million in fact, is held in more than 17.6 million properties, each worth $50 or less.

This illustrates the fact that residents of Michigan are letting their rightfully-owned money be held by the state each year. Luckily, there is an easy way to get whatever money is yours.

In this article, we’ll explain what unclaimed money in Michigan is, and how you can find out if you have any — and the steps to take to claim it.

What is Unclaimed Money in Michigan?

Unclaimed money is essentially any financial asset that has been abandoned or forgotten. It can include things such as refund checks, insurance payouts, unused gift card balances or old bank accounts.

When these funds go unclaimed, the business that holds them has to legally try to contact the owner to give it to them. There are specific rules that require companies to report and transfer financial assets after a period of inactivity.

Once they’re unable to reach that person for a certain period of time, though, they have to turn the assets over to the state.

At this point, the State of Michigan is responsible for holding onto those financial assets temporarily until the rightful owner comes forward to claim them.

How to Search for Unclaimed Money in Michigan

Like many other states, Michigan’s Department of Treasury has an easy-to-use online system that allows you to search for any unclaimed money that the state may owe to you.

By visiting the state’s site, you can easily search your name to see if the state is holding any unclaimed money on your behalf.

Once you’ve arrived at the site, you only need your full name to conduct a search. Additional details that you provide — such as the city and/or Zip code of the place you reside — can help to narrow down the results, especially if you have a common name.

Keep in mind that if you have lived in multiple locations in Michigan, you may have unclaimed funds associated with more than one address..

The state’s unclaimed property site also allows you to look up funds that might be owed to deceased relatives. Of course, you’ll need to have the proper documentation to move forward and claim them, if you find any.

How to File a Claim for Unclaimed Money

After you perform the search on the state’s website, it will produce any results of unclaimed money that are associated with your name. You’ll first want to verify that the results are actually meant for you, and not someone else who shares your name.

If you believe that the funds are indeed yours, you can move onto the next step in the process. This involves going through a short verification process that will ensure that you are the rightful owner of the unclaimed property.

You may need to provide information such as a Social Security number, driver’s license number or other form of acceptable government ID. Depending on the type of property you are claiming, you may need to provide proof of address or a document that shows your past affiliation with the business that held the funds.

The processing times vary once you’ve completed the verification, but most claims are resolved within a few weeks.

How Michigan Protects Your Unclaimed Money

A common question people have is how does the state of Michigan protect your unclaimed money while they hold it? Per state law, the Department of Treasury has to keep your funds safe until either you or your heirs file a proper claim.

The state also has to hold the unclaimed assets indefinitely. In other words, they never “expire;” you or your rightful heirs can always claim them.

By putting a proper verification process in place, the state ensures that no one else can falsely or fraudulently claim your money.

After you’ve completed the process, you can get online updates about where your claim stands on the state’s website.

Tips to Prevent Your Money from Becoming Unclaimed Again

While it’s great that you can regain possession of your financial assets, it’s best to ensure that the state doesn’t come into possession of them in the first place. By following some simple habits, you can make sure that your financial assets are always in your contract.

First, make sure that your contact information is always up to date. Many unclaimed property cases occur because the business that holds them simply is unable to reach you.

You should regularly check-in on old financial accounts and insurance policies so they don’t become inactive or abandoned.

It’s also a good idea to conduct a quick annual search of the state’s unclaimed funds site so you can catch newly-reported funds quickly.

When You Might Need Legal Help

The state’s unclaimed funds process is simple. In some cases, though, you may need additional support from an experienced Michigan lawyer.

For example, large claims or those that involve estates can get quite complicated. These often require providing legal documents to the state that prove your authority over the unclaimed funds.

An attorney can also help challenge any incorrect denial or clarify ownership issues over the financial assets. By get the property legal support, you’ll be ensuring that your claims are processed quickly and properly.

Final Thoughts: Unclaimed Money in Michigan is Easy to Recover

Millions of cases of unclaimed funds are held by the state of Michigan. Luckily, a simple online search and providing basic documents and information is all that most residents need to reclaim forgotten funds.

Most people will be able to use the state of Michigan’s official search tool to find their unclaimed funds and claim them fast. It’s a completely free tool to use and is simple to understand.

You can speed up the process and ensure proper and prompt delivery of your funds by preparing ahead and gathering the necessary documents. Then, by following small habits, you can ensure your money never gets “lost” again.

If you need assistance with more complicated unclaimed funds cases, enlist the help of the lawyers at Babi Legal Group. We have years of experience helping residents prove their authority over unclaimed funds in Michigan and can help you do the same.