LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Unclaimed Property Week -- claim what belongs to you

State Representative Nancy Tate released the following thoughts on Unclaimed Property Week:

As the interim continues and fall begins, this week marks the beginning of a change made by the legislature during the 2026 Regular Session. Kentucky’s first annual Unclaimed Property Week since the passage of House Bill 456 has served as a reminder to the people of the Commonwealth to claim the money that is rightfully theirs. I would like to take time this week to discuss this new initiative and how you can claim your unclaimed property.

Unclaimed property refers to financial assets that have been lost, forgotten, or left inactive over time. This can include dormant bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, unclaimed insurance benefits, utility deposits, or even the contents of forgotten safe deposit boxes. The Kentucky State Treasury serves as a steward for these funds, keeping them safe until they are returned to their rightful owners. Currently, there is nearly $1.2 billion worth of unclaimed assets for Kentucky residents and local government agencies.

The easiest way to check if the Treasury is holding any assets that belong to you is through their online database. If you have unclaimed property, your name will be in the database along with an estimation of the money owed to you and the institution that submitted your property to the Treasury. From there, the process is simple to claim your property and have it returned to you. Through the database, many Kentuckians have also discovered unclaimed property that once belonged to a family member who has passed away.

To create awareness for the unclaimed property that many Kentuckians don’t know belongs to them, Unclaimed Property Week was established through HB 456. This legislation became law with unanimous support from both the House and the Senate. This week of public education and awareness is about returning to Kentuckians what is already theirs. Whether the amount returned to you is a small unexpected bonus check or it covers your bills for the month, it is important you are given what is owed to you. Under State Treasurer Mark H. Metcalf, $123 million worth of assets have been returned to Kentuckians.

As a legislative body, we wanted to do our part to make Kentuckians aware of the unclaimed property that may belong to them. Treasurer Metcalf has made his way across the Commonwealth this week to directly inform people about unclaimed property. My hope is that this week will grow as each year passes into a way of educating Kentucky residents on how to reclaim their property. If it belongs to you, you should have it, and the Treasury will keep it safe for you until you do.