How can I find lost or unclaimed money in my state?

Search every state where you, your business or a deceased relative have lived or banked. A few states are not on MissingMoney.com and have their own search; unclaimed.org lists each state's official office. Examples: Arizona Department of Revenue (azdor.gov/unclaimed-property), California State Controller (claimit.ca.gov), Texas Comptroller (ClaimItTexas.gov), New York Office of the State Comptroller, Florida Department of Financial Services (FLTreasureHunt.gov).

Federal sources are separate: the IRS for uncashed tax refunds, TreasuryDirect for matured savings bonds, the FDIC for failed-bank deposits and the PBGC for unclaimed pensions.

If you mean lost money in the ground, see which lost treasure stories hold up in the newspapers printed at the time, state by state.

Sources: National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (unclaimed.org, MissingMoney.com); Arizona Department of Revenue, Unclaimed Property; California State Controller, Unclaimed Property; IRS, TreasuryDirect, FDIC and PBGC unclaimed-funds pages.

Which lost treasure stories are real? (Lost treasure that was never recovered) Few famous treasure stories survive a check of the newspapers printed at the time; in most, the loot was recovered, spent or never existed. One that does: a merchant's safe holding about $7,000, swept away when Arizona's Walnut Grove Dam failed on February 22, 1890. Prescott's Journal-Miner reported it was likely buried in sand about 15 miles below the dam and still unfound weeks later. Others, such as the Verdi (Nevada, 1870) and Jarbidge (Nevada, 1916) robberies, turn out to have been largely recovered.

What lost treasures are in my state? (Lost treasures by state) Every US state has lost treasure stories, but only some have records behind them. Well-known examples: the Lost Dutchman Mine (Arizona), the 1715 Spanish fleet (Florida), the Beale treasure (Virginia), the Lost Adams Diggings (New Mexico), the Lost Blue Bucket Mine (Oregon), Jean Lafitte's treasure (Louisiana), Captain Kidd's treasure (New York), the Lost San Saba Mine (Texas) and D.B. Cooper's money (Washington). PinPoint Treasure has a page for each of the 50 states listing its documented cases, detecting laws and the agencies that manage the land.

How do you search for treasure? (How to locate hidden treasure) Search records before you search ground. Start with a documented loss (an old newspaper report, court record or mine file that names a place and says the valuables were never recovered), place it on old maps, check who owns the land and what the law allows, then scan the spot with LiDAR and aerial imagery before you go. Only then walk in, and only dig where you have permission.