Virginia unclaimed money totals are hard to find, but the state definitely has more than $1 billion in missing money and property. According to a report the most recent fiscal year was a banner year for the amount of unclaimed money that was returned to its rightful owners. In FY 2019, Virginia returned more than $87 million to over 129,000 individual accounts, which is a nearly 10 percent increase from the previous year. Since the program began in 1961 more than $847 million has been returned to Virginians.
How to Claim Unclaimed Property in Virginia
Virginia does offer a searchable database of sorts, but it can be complicated without using our search strategies. You start by putting in your name, then it will narrow down the results by asking for states, then cities, then street names of the accounts they have on record. Lastly they will narrow by account holder, our suggestion is to click on all of them since most people searching aren’t sure where the unclaimed property came from. Once the results are finally shown, it provides greater detail on the account including amount ranges (Less than $1, $1-$50, or greater than $50). You then can complete the form by creating an account on their website and submitting it there.
Like most states, Virginia does share its database with MissingMoney.com. This can be a good place to start searching, since it shows all of the results without narrowing them down by city or address. This can be helpful when searching for accounts other than your own, as you may not be familiar with all of a deceased family member’s former addresses. Once you locate the claim there it will direct you to the state website where you will have to complete your search and claim the property there.
Phone: 1-800-468-1088
Email: terry.brown@trs.virginia.gov
Website: https://vamoneysearch.org/