COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLIO) — Ohio officials are encouraging residents to search for unclaimed money that may be waiting for them, as the Ohio Division of Unclaimed Funds continues its statewide outreach campaign.
The Division of Unclaimed Funds has paid more than 180,000 claims so far this year and is working to return a portion of the nearly $5 billion in unclaimed funds currently held by the state.
The campaign, featuring Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel, aims to raise awareness that Ohioans may have money waiting to be claimed.
“One of the things that we have always prided ourselves in is trying to be proactive with our education and outreach to Ohioans and getting them to understand that this money is here and that we want them to come find the funds and we want to walk them through the process so they understand the things that we may need from them. In many cases, not all cases, but many cases the process can be way less cumbersome than some may think.,” says Akil Hardy, Superintendent, Division of Unclaimed Funds.
Ohioans can search for unclaimed funds by visiting the state's website and entering their name along with a current or previous address. If funds are available, claimants must complete a claim form that may require information such as a date of birth or Social Security number to verify their identity.
Hardy said the division has continued improving the claims process, including adding automated payments for some eligible claims.
“And one of the big features that I'm really excited about is that we have the ability to pay out many claims autonomously. So for some claimants, not all again, but for some claimants when they receive that email letting them know that they've created a claim form for their funds they are also being notified that they don't need any more additional documentation and the information that they pr provided our website is more than enough,” adds Hardy.
Even residents who have searched before are encouraged to check again because businesses report new unclaimed funds to the state each year.
“You know, we have unclaimed fund laws that requires that businesses report unclaimed funds annually. And that that part of money it grows out of both the compliance uh from the businesses but also just that again some people, you know, they don't realize that, you know, that these unclaimed funds are here. Sometimes they don't think that there's any way that they may have funds with the state and we are doing this campaign again to let them know to come find their funds,” says
Ohioans reclaimed more than $110 million in unclaimed funds in 2025. State officials encourage residents to search the unclaimed funds website regularly, as new funds are added each year.
