October 5, 2026 · 3 min read
MissingMoney.com is the unclaimed property search endorsed by NAUPA, the association of state unclaimed property administrators. One search checks the registries of most US states, and Alberta's as well. If you have ever lived, worked or banked in the United States, or in Alberta, it is worth searching your name there, and NAUPA says searching and claiming are free through the official programs.
Every US state keeps its own register of unclaimed property: money a bank, employer or other business owed someone but could not deliver, and handed over to the state instead. MissingMoney.com is a free site sponsored by NAUPA (the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators) that searches the participating registries at the same time.
Alberta takes part too. The Government of Alberta says MissingMoney.com searches its registry along with more than 40 other state and provincial registries in North America.
This is not a lawsuit or a class action. A settlement pays a defined group once after a court approves it, while these registries hold money that already belongs to a particular person and wait for that person to claim it.
Anyone who has lived, worked or held an account in the US, or in Alberta. That includes Canadians who studied or worked south of the border, people who once had a US bank account or employer, and former Alberta residents.
NAUPA explains why one search is useful: unclaimed property is reported to the state where the company holding it is based, not necessarily the state you lived in. Having property in more than one state is common, especially for people who moved.
Search under every name you have used. Alberta's own advice is to try your first initial, a nickname and any previous name, since a record is filed under whatever name the holder had for you.
MissingMoney.com shows which state or province has a possible match and links to that government's official program, where the claim is made. The process belongs to that program, so the steps differ from one state to another.
NAUPA says the claim will ask you to prove ownership. Typically that means proof of identity, such as a driver's licence or passport, and something tying you to the property, such as a pay stub or a utility bill. Requirements also change for a business, a joint owner or an heir.
A match is not a payment. The state or province reviews the documents and decides whether the property is yours before anything is released.
Some businesses, often called finders or locators, contact people about unclaimed property and offer to recover it for a fee, usually a percentage of what they find. NAUPA says these services are legal in most cases but never required: searching and claiming through a state's official program costs nothing.
If a letter says you must pay before you can search or claim, check the record yourself on missingmoney.com first. NAUPA also suggests confirming that any finder you consider is registered with the state, since many states regulate them.
Search the official US & Alberta unclaimed money registry →
Uncashed CRA cheques, and how to check whether one is yours →
Every settlement open for claims in Canada and the US →
No. NAUPA describes it as a free site, and says searching for and claiming unclaimed property is free when you go through the official program of the state holding it.
Most US state unclaimed property registries, plus Alberta. The Government of Alberta describes it as covering its own registry and more than 40 other state and provincial registries in North America.
It can be. Property is reported to the state where the holding company is based, so an uncashed paycheque or a leftover credit balance could sit in a state you barely remember. Searching your name and any past names is how to find out.
MissingMoney.com links you to the official program of the state or province holding it. That program runs the claim and asks for proof of identity and ownership before it releases anything.
PayUpBro is not a law firm and never files a claim for you. This page describes publicly available settlement information; it is not legal advice. Whether you may be eligible in any settlement is decided by the court-appointed administrator, not by us.