NAUPA

NAUPA stands for the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, a network within the National Association of State Treasurers that supports government unclaimed property programs and helps the public find official state resources.

NAUPA’s membership includes the unclaimed property programs of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and several jurisdictions outside the United States. NAUPA promotes collaboration among program administrators, develops policy positions, provides education, and helps connect owners with the government offices holding their property.

Unclaimed property is money or another asset that a business or institution has been unable to return to its owner after the applicable period of inactivity. Common examples listed by NAUPA include dormant accounts, stocks, uncashed payroll or dividend checks, refunds, utility deposits, insurance payments, and safe deposit box contents. The dormancy period and reporting rules depend on the state and property type.

NAUPA sponsors MissingMoney.com, a free multi-state search tool used by most state programs. A search result identifies a possible match and directs the user toward the appropriate government program. The state office, not NAUPA or MissingMoney.com, reviews the ownership claim and decides which identification or supporting records are required.

NAUPA can be relevant to settlement recipients, but an expired or uncashed settlement check does not automatically become searchable state property. The governing settlement agreement or court order may direct uncashed funds to a second distribution, a state unclaimed property fund, a court-approved nonprofit recipient, the remaining settlement fund, or another destination. The Sacramento Superior Court model settlement agreement illustrates that state unclaimed property and a court-approved nonprofit can be alternative destinations.

If a settlement check is lost, expired, or returned, contact the administrator through the official settlement website first. Ask whether a replacement is available and what the approved distribution plan says about uncashed payments. Search the appropriate state program through NAUPA only if the funds were actually reported as unclaimed property.

NAUPA does not hold every owner’s money or approve individual state claims. Its public value is helping people reach free official searches and the government program responsible for the property.