Residents Urged to Search State’s Unclaimed Property Database

TALLAHASSEE – More than $55 million in unclaimed property was returned to Floridians in November, including nearly $585,000 paid to residents in the Gainesville area, according to figures released Dec. 12, 2025, by State of Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.

The funds were distributed through the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Unclaimed Property, which safeguards financial assets that have been lost, forgotten or left inactive by their owners. State officials say the program continues to return millions of dollars each month to individuals, families and businesses across Florida.

“With over $55 million returned to Floridians in the month of November, I think Santa will be very busy this holiday season,” Ingoglia said. “I encourage Floridians across the state to check for their unclaimed property at FLTreasureHunt.Gov and see if they might have some extra Christmas cheer waiting for them.”

Unclaimed property includes a wide range of financial assets that may be unfamiliar to owners. Common examples include dormant bank accounts, unclaimed insurance proceeds, stocks, dividends, uncashed checks, security deposits, credit balances and refunds. In some cases, tangible items such as watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps and historical artifacts from abandoned safe-deposit boxes are also turned over to the state.

Under Florida law, businesses and government agencies are required to hold unclaimed assets for a set period — typically five years — while attempting to locate the owner. If those efforts are unsuccessful, the property is reported to the Division of Unclaimed Property, which holds the assets until a rightful claim is made.

State officials estimate that more than $2 billion in unclaimed property remains available to be claimed statewide. Residents are encouraged to periodically search the state’s unclaimed property database, particularly if they have moved, changed jobs, closed financial accounts or lived in multiple parts of Florida.

November’s returns highlight the broad geographic reach of the program. In addition to Gainesville, significant amounts were returned in Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Miami, each totaling more than $10 million. Smaller but still substantial amounts were returned in regions including Pensacola, Tallahassee and Fort Myers-Naples.

Officials emphasize that searching the database is free and can be done online. Claims may be submitted by individuals, businesses or heirs seeking property belonging to deceased relatives. Those who have lived or worked in different areas of Florida are encouraged to check each region where they may have previously resided.

A regional breakdown of unclaimed property returned in November 2025 shows:

• Pensacola - $1.8 million
• Panama City - $993,000
• Tallahassee - $2.4 million
• Jacksonville - $4 million
• Gainesville - $585,000
• Orlando - $10.8 million
• Tampa/St. Petersburg - $12.2 million
• Fort Myers/Naples - $3.1 million
• West Palm Beach - $9.2 million
• Miami - $10.4 million

More information and access to Florida’s unclaimed property search is available through the state’s official website at https://fltreasurehunt.gov/.

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