Unclaimed Funds include old bank accounts, forgotten rent or utility deposits, uncashed checks, unused insurance policies, and more. Any funds available to county parties have been deposited into Ohio Unclaimed Funds. Check to ensure your family, friends and neighbors don’t have any unclaimed funds before the Haslams get the funds for a new stadium thanks to the supermajority Ohio Republicans in the state legislature. This is YOUR money! Check out the article to know what are unclaimed funds, how to check for unclaimed funds and how to claim your missing money!
Ohio unclaimed funds:
How to check for missing money
before the Cleveland Browns get it
Cole Behrens and Sheridan Hendrix | Columbus Dispatch | July 1, 2025
Gov. Mike DeWine signed the state’s two-year budget late June 30, approving a plan to spend $600 million of state money on the Cleveland Browns’ new domed stadium.
That money will come from the state’s pot of unclaimed funds − a maneuver that Democrats and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost opposed.
The budget gives the state control of $1.7 billion in unclaimed funds. Of that, $600 million would be reserved for the Browns to build a new stadium and entertainment district in Brook Park. It also sets aside $400 million for other stadium projects and $700 million for unspecified purposes.
Unlike past uses of unclaimed funds, the plan would allow Ohio to assume ownership of abandoned paychecks and security deposits after 10 years. Ohio is sitting on $4.8 billion in unclaimed property.
What are unclaimed funds?
Unclaimed funds are lost or forgotten money that businesses and banks report to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Unclaimed Funds after accounts become inactive. The money comes from inactive checking and savings accounts, refund/credit balances, uncashed cashier’s checks, stocks and bonds, forgotten utility deposits or last paychecks.
The state of Ohio tries to return funds to their rightful owners through a variety of means.
The average claim is $4,000, according to the division. In 2023, Ohioans searched for unclaimed funds more than 4.3 million times and filed for more than 43,000 claims. This resulted in over $139 million in lost or forgotten money being returned to rightful owners.
How do I check to see if the state has missing money belonging to me?
A page on the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Unclaimed Funds website explains how to find out whether you have unclaimed funds, how you can claim them and how to submit a formal claim form to obtain the funds.
Residents can go to missingmoney.com to search if they have any unclaimed funds. They can also use an Ohio Department of Commerce portal to search as well.
The division also posts legal ads annually in newspapers across the state listing the names of people, businesses and entities in those publications’ circulation areas who have unclaimed funds.
In addition, the division sets up kiosks at various events across the state, such as the Ohio State Fair, where people can stop by and receive help to see if they have unclaimed funds.
I have unclaimed funds. How do I get them?
First, you will need to fill out a claim form. Depending on the type of funds the state is holding, you may be required to provide proof of address, proof of identification, a social security number or a W-9 tax form. You may also need the claim notarized if it is over $3,000.
People claiming funds can upload their forms to a division webpage, where they can submit the claim form and any supporting documents. They could also mail the forms to the Department of Commerce’s Columbus office at 77 S. High St. #20.
Claims can take up to 120 days for review. If claims do not provide the necessary forms, the process could be delayed or potentially stopped.
You can also check the status of your claim on the division webpage, com.ohio.gov/divisions-and-programs/unclaimed-funds.