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Do I Have to Pay a Finder to Get My Unclaimed Money?

Use the free tool — Unclaimed Money FL

Short answer: no

You do not have to pay anyone to get your own unclaimed money. Florida caps and regulates what a "finder" or "locator" may charge, under Fla. Stat. 717.1400. Claiming money yourself, through the official state and federal sites, costs nothing.

What Florida law says

Under Fla. Stat. 717.1400, finders who help you claim unclaimed property must be registered, and the law caps their fee. You never have to use one. If you can search and fill out a claim form yourself, you keep the full amount.

Run these free searches yourself

• Florida — the official state search for anyone who lived or did business here: FLTreasuryHunt.gov (Florida CFO).
• Other states — the multi-state search run by the state programs themselves: MissingMoney.com (NAUPA).
• Pensions — from a company plan that ended or was taken over: PBGC — Find an unclaimed pension.
• Savings bonds — matured U.S. savings bonds never cashed: TreasuryDirect — Treasury Hunt.
• Failed banks — money left at a bank or credit union that closed: FDIC · NCUA unclaimed funds.

Search every version of your name (maiden, married, middle initial, misspellings, "Jr."), every city you've lived in, and search Florida and every other state separately. Re-check every year, since new property is turned over annually.

Signs of a scam

• Never pay up front for a search or a claim.
• An email or call that says "we found money for you, pay a fee" is a scam.
• You do not need a registered finder to search or to file a claim on the official sites above.

If a relative died

The heir or the personal representative claims — not just any relative. Florida asks for proof of death and proof of relationship, and letters of administration for larger amounts. A small-estate process may apply. This is not probate advice; consider Florida legal aid or a probate attorney, and confirm exact document requirements with the Florida CFO's claim instructions before you file.

What to do next

The free tool reads the names, past names, states and past employers or banks you type — nothing invented, nothing stored — and gives you a checklist of which of the searches above to run first, in order, and what to type into each one. It never searches a database for you and never knows whether money exists; run each search yourself. This page is not legal or financial advice — confirm details with the agency listed for each search.

Unclaimed Money FL lists official, free search sites and explains claim steps in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not legal or financial advice. It does not search any database itself and never knows whether money exists. For an estate claim, consider Florida legal aid or a probate attorney. Nothing you type is stored.