State Treasurer: 1 in 5 Nebraskans Have Money Waiting to Be Claimed

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office has returned more than $13.7 million in unclaimed property so far this year, and there is still property waiting to be claimed.

From Jan. 1 through July 15, the state’s Unclaimed Property Division returned approximately $13,783,664 across 11,408 claims, with an average paid claim of about $1,200.

In 2025, the state returned $19.7 million through nearly 20,000 claims.

“Our office is working hard to return unclaimed assets to rightful owners,” State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg said. “This isn’t the state’s money — we’re simply safeguarding it until the owners or their heirs come forward to claim it. The Unclaimed Property Division aims to make the search and claims process as simple as possible.”

Under Nebraska law, the State Treasurer’s Office holds unclaimed property as a consumer protection measure until the rightful owners or their heirs come forward to claim it. Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, unpaid wages, stocks, life insurance proceeds, safe deposit box contents, and other assets.

Since Nebraska’s unclaimed property law took effect in the late 1960s, the state has returned more than $315 million to rightful owners, the State Treasurer’s Office said. One in five Nebraskans has unclaimed property, with money waiting to be claimed in all 93 counties.

Visit the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property website for more information.

Click here to subscribe to our 10/11 NOW daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.