The State Treasurer is legally required to return unclaimed property to its owners or heirs, no matter how long it takes.
Illinois recommends that residents check the I-CASH Website for unclaimed property twice a year.
Common types of unclaimed property include: checking and savings accounts, uncashed wage and payroll checks, uncashed stock dividends and stock certificates, insurance payments, utility deposits, customer deposits, accounts payable, credit balances, refund checks, money orders, traveler’s checks, mineral proceeds, court deposits, uncashed death benefit checks and life insurance proceeds. Unclaimed property does not include real estate or vehicles.
I-CASH is one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives. The State Treasurer’s Office has added electronic claims, eliminated red-tape that slowed small-money claims, and leveraged technology to allow payments to be made without a claim even needing to be filed.
New - Friends and Family “share” feature: When visitors to the I-CASH website come across the name of someone they know, they can select the “share” icon and provide the email address of their friend or relative. The State Treasurer’s office then will notify the individual by sending an email that mentions the missing money, along with the name of the friend or relative who spotted it. Then, that person can start the process of retrieving it.
For more information click here for the State Treasurer's news release.