Thousands of businesses and individuals across Maryland are owed money – but they might not even realize it. Claiming those funds is now easier than ever.
Known as unclaimed property, this money can come from a wide range of sources including dividends, deposit refunds from utilities, insurance payments, membership refunds, overpayments, inactive bank accounts and uncashed payroll checks, to name a few.
Reuniting Marylanders with their unclaimed property is the mission of the Unclaimed Property Division of the Comptroller of Maryland. The division’s website offers a free search tool so businesses and individuals can see if there is unclaimed property in their name, and the value. Often, it’s between $0 and $100, but some claims exceed $250.
The United States has billions of dollars in unclaimed property, and approximately one in seven people have money they can claim, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.
“Our Unclaimed Property Division works every day to reunite Marylanders with money and other property that belongs to them,” said Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman, who was recently elected to serve as the Senior Vice President of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, in a recent news release. “In October, we launched a new system to eliminate red tape and make claiming property easier than ever. Returning these funds is our duty, and we are proud of the work we are doing to make government work better for our fellow Marylanders.”
Known as the Kelmar Abandoned Property System (KAPS), the new service allows users to submit documentation electronically through the platform, check the status of their claims, and view additional information about their missing property, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Since its implementation in October 2025, the Office of the Comptroller has paid out 18,273 claims valued at $33 million.
The comptroller’s office also notes that unclaimed property is almost always money: there’s no real estate, boats, or cars to be found.
And if your search doesn’t turn up any property today, remember to look again in the future!
