Unclaimed Money Lookup - Arkansas

Free Arkansas Unclaimed Money Lookup

Arkansas Unclaimed Money -
The Ultimate Guide 2023

Find out what Arkansas does when the state receives unclaimed property and how you can claim it in our Arkansas ultimate guide.

Your Guide to Unclaimed Property in Arkansas

Known as the Land of Opportunity, Arkansas holds unclaimed money and property until it either finds the owner or the owner finds the state database. As roughly one out of every four residents of the state has money in the system, it’s very possible that you’re one of them. You might have a refund from an old utility company or a bill from a former employer. We recommend looking at the different types of unclaimed money in Arkansas before you search the system.

Thanks to the online system, you can search for your money when you live in Little Rock or another big city like Hot Springs. All Arkansas requires is an internet connection, which means that you can search when you live in other states. You can even list your current address and have your claim form mailed to your home. Arkansas will send a check for the money owed to you to the address that you choose. The Arkansas State Auditor is responsible for holding money and other assets that wind up in the state database. In our ultimate guide to unclaimed money in Arkansas, you’ll learn how to find and claim any type of asset.

What is Unclaimed Money?

Arkansas uses the term “unclaimed money” to describe an abandoned asset. This does not mean that you walked away or gave up the right to your money. It simply means that you lost touch with the organization that oversees your property. Take, for example, a bank account. Many people do not realize that banks will not close their accounts if they stop using them. The bank will hold the cash for a minimum of one year before marking the account as abandoned. You may find that your money still earned interest until the bank closed the account and that the Arkansas State Auditor has a check for the full balance of the account waiting for you. Banks mark accounts as abandoned after three years of no contact from the owner.

Other examples of unclaimed money include utility deposits and refunds. A deposit refers to the money that you put down when you order a utility for your home. It is usually equivalent to at least one month of utility usage. As long as you pay your bills on time, the company will give you the choice of getting your deposit back in the form of a check or having it applied to your account as a credit.

A refund is when the utility owes you money. This might occur after you install solar panels or when you pay more than you owe. Your company will hand your check over to the auditor if it comes back to them or they cannot find you.

Arkansas is one of the only states with a system that shows money from courts. A common example is a court deposit, which is a set amount of money that you put down in good faith until the court makes a decision in a specific case. The court will return the money to you as a check, but it will contact the auditor about the cash if you moved without alerting the court. An executor on a probate case needs to pay a bond to show that they will follow the probate court rules after someone dies. Courts also return bond money handed over during criminal trials.

One thing to keep in mind is that Arkansas only accepts assets when the organization contacts the auditor. The term “holder” describes the organization that oversees your account. You often have the chance to speak to the holder and make arrangements to get your cash back before the auditor gets it. Once the auditor receives information about your account, you must go through the state database and complete a claim form. We’ll show you how to use the system and complete a claim below.

How to Find Unclaimed Property in Arkansas

The Arkansas State Auditor keeps your money and other assets safe until you claim them. It usually takes just a few minutes to conduct your search.

Step 1: Visit the Arkansas Search for Unclaimed Property page. Though you can find other links that take you to the official website, our link takes you right to the state’s search page.

Step 2: Find the Arkansas search box, which is on the right side of the page. You’ll see a red asterisk next to the box labeled “last name,” which lets you know that you need to add your last name. Arkansas lets you add your city, zip or first name as well as a property ID number before you click the green “Search” button.

Step 3: Take a look at the assets that Arkansas has, which match your search. You can look at the “Amount” column to see if the property has a value of more than $100 or less than $50. The “Holder Name” column is also important because it shows the name of the company or organization that held the money, which lets you make sure it’s someone you worked with in the past.

Step 4: Click two buttons to claim your asset. Start with the green “Claim” button that you see next to an asset. You can then look to see if there are other funds that you want to claim. The bottom of the page has another green “Claim” button that allows you to start the process of claiming your money.

Step 5: Locate the “Claimant Relationship” column and click on it. This is where you select “Myself” to show that you own the asset or one of the other options. We recommend that you make sure your information matches the claim before you click on the blue “File Claim” button.

What Other Choices are Available When Filing an Arkansas Claim?

Arkansas offers several options for those who want to claim an asset but cannot show that they’re the owner:

Heir: If you are a legal beneficiary to a deceased individual and have the right to their property, you’ll select this option when claiming an asset.
Open Business: Arkansas offers this option if you want to file a claim for a company asset and can prove that you are either the current owner or have the legal right to the asset.
Closed Business: You can select this option if you owned a business that had assets but closed.
Public Entity: You probably won’t use this option, which Arkansas offers for schools and government agencies that need to claim property.

How to File an Arkansas Claim

Step 1: Enter your current contact information to prove that you have the right to an Arkansas asset. The auditor requires your tax or social security number, home or mobile phone number, email address, home address and first and last names. You can then hit the blue “Next” button.

Step 2: Type both your first and last names in the two boxes that appear on the “Preview Claim” page. We recommend checking your information to make sure that you didn’t make any errors when adding it. Once you add your name, the state will accept it as your electronic signature. Click on the green “Submit” button to send your claim to the auditor.

Step 3: Find all the information and documents needed to verify your claim. You should get an email from the auditor that lists what you need. You can then take photos of them and save copies on your computer.

Step 4: Visit the Arkansas claim upload page to add those documents to your claim. Look for the “Add Document” buttons on the bottom of the page. Click on one to find what you want to upload. You can then select the document type and add your email address and claim number.

Step 5: Scroll up to the top of the page and find the “Document Verification” section. Click on the box to the side to show that you followed the guidelines and then submit your information.

Are There Other Resources That You Can Use?

Though the Arkansas system is very helpful, we found online resources that can help you find money held by other organizations in your name all across the country.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: You may want to start with the FDIC, which insurers all the funds held by major banks. You still have a right to the money that a bank held for you, even if it closed after you opened your account. The FDIC can help you find the missing money.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): HUD can help you work out a deal with your bank when you can’t afford your mortgage and help you qualify for a home loan. If the HUD system shows a refund check for you, you can claim it online. We also recommend looking over some scams shown on the site.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): The IRS sends refund checks to millions of people every year when they file. You may want to use the IRS to show that you didn’t get your refund check. This site helps you add your bank information for direct deposits, too.
Department of Veterans Affairs: Soldiers of all ages can turn to the VA for help getting the benefits that they deserve. As the child of a vet, you may qualify for some benefits, too. The VA can also help you find any life insurance purchased by the vets in your life.
Missing Money: This is a great website to use if you think that another state has money for you. Missing Money works with multiple states and can help you file your claims online. You can search each state where you lived or worked.
U.S. Railroad Retirement Board: Checking this website is useful if you think that someone in your family worked for the railroad and had a pension. It allows the heirs of deceased individuals to fill out a few forms and get the cash in the pension. You may even want to transfer the funds to your pension account.
U.S. Federal Investments: Treasury bonds are available in different amounts that give children money when their bonds mature. If you lost your bond due to a flood or for any other reason, you should use this site. It lets you search for bonds that you can claim based on your name and social security number.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: You may want to check this site after a loved one passes away, especially if you think that they had a pension but you cannot find it. It allows you to search by the deceased’s name and view any available pensions they had.
National Credit Union Administration: If you prefer credit unions to banks, you may want to check this website. The National Credit Union Administration follows the actions of credit unions and keeps track of their money. You can get help looking for an account that you had with a former credit union.

Unclaimed Property Laws in Arkansas

Though Arkansas does not have an official page that goes over its unclaimed property laws, you can find those laws here. This page talks about how holders need to report abandoned assets in the fall each year and what they need to do about the owners before getting in touch with the auditor. You may want to verify that your holders followed Arkansas laws when they lost touch with you.

Arkansas Unclaimed Money FAQs

When Does an Asset Become Abandoned?

Arkansas refers to assets as dormant or abandoned after a certain amount of time passes. This is usually only three years. All types of bank account, as well as life insurance checks, become dormant after three years. Utility deposits and refunds with a value of $50 or more become dormant after only one year. If you have a check that is worth $50 or less, it becomes abandoned after three years. One of the state’s longest dormancy periods is for abandoned safe deposit boxes, which is five years.

Do You Have to File a Claim Online?

No, Arkansas does not require that you file your claims online. You have the option of calling the unclaimed property office over the phone at (800) 252-4646. This allows you to speak with a representative who can check the system and see if you have any accounts listed. The representative can then take your information over the phone and add it to your claim form. Though you might think that this speeds up the process, it isn’t any faster than going through the online system. You may even find that the office is closed or that you get a busy signal when you call.

What Happens After You File?

Once you file, the office will assign a representative to your case. The rep looks over all of your information and verifies that you match the owner shown on the asset. They will send you an email or call you if they need anything else. You can also use the Arkansas status checker to view your claim. This site lets you search for your claim with just your ID number. This is an easy way to see if the Arkansas State Auditor accepted your claim and find out when your check will arrive.

How Much Does Arkansas Have in Unclaimed Funds?

Recent estimates put the total amount of unclaimed funds in Arkansas at around $170 million. This includes unpaid wages and commission checks from employers as well as bank accounts and insurance payments. Insurers often have life insurance policies that name a specific beneficiary but can also have checks associated with accidents you were in and claims that you filed on your home. Thanks to the other websites that you can use, you have the chance to look for more than $40 billion in unclaimed funds held by all states and government agencies.

What Do You Need to File in Arkansas?

No matter what you file as Arkansas requires both your name and social security number. You can use a tax identification number in place of your social security number. When you file for business assets, you need paperwork that shows you have the legal right to those assets such as court documents when you dissolved your company or tax records that list you as the owner. Heirs need proof of who they are and their relationship with the deceased. Arkansas also requires a copy of the deceased’s death certificate, which you can order online if you don’t have one.

Can You Request Other Forms of Payment?

Unfortunately, you cannot request a different form of payment when claiming abandoned property. Some states offer direct deposit, which speeds up the process and sends the money to your bank account. Arkansas will only send paper checks. The check will feature your name or the name of your business on the front. Even if you file as an heir and get the property that belonged to a deceased person, Arkansas will release a check in your name as the new owner.

How Long Does it Take for Arkansas to Mail Checks?

It usually takes around six weeks from the time that you use the Arkansas system to the date that you receive your check. If you wait a while after filling out the initial claim and uploading your documents, the process will take longer. It also takes longer if the auditor determines that it needs more from you.

What Steps Can You Take to Prevent Assets from Becoming Abandoned?

Many people want to know what they can do to secure their Arkansas assets and keep them from becoming dormant. You should always keep detailed information and records about your accounts that include your username and password along with each account number. Set an alert to remind you that you need to log in and check on the status of each account at least once a year. It’s helpful to share a copy of your record with a loved one that you can trust. Make sure that you update all of your accounts when anything changes and that you deposit or cash checks as soon as they arrive.

What is an Arkansas Money Finder?

An Arkansas money finder is either a person or a company that agrees to find money for other people. They often go after the loved ones of deceased people and send them letters. Money finders may promise big returns or claim that they can find more money than you can find on your own. Though Arkansas doesn’t have laws that relate to money finders, the auditor does encourage you to search without using one. If you need help or have any questions, you can speak to an unclaimed money representative over the phone.

Conclusion

With a nickname like the Land of Opportunity, you probably expect Arkansas to have tons of opportunities for you. This is especially true of the money and assets that you can find in the Arkansas online database. Not only can you search for the names of loved ones who passed away, but you can find assets that belong to you, too. You then have the chance to upload all of your documents and check on your claim as you wait for a check. Use our ultimate guide to unclaimed money in Arkansas to find your money and assets that you forgot about.

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