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Deadlines & Claim Periods by State
Deadlines & Claim Periods by State (Complete Guide)
After a foreclosure sale, surplus funds won’t stay available forever.
Every state has its own rules on how long you have to claim your surplus funds before they are sent to the state’s unclaimed property division — or even lost permanently.
Below is a state-by-state chart showing the general deadlines you need to know — along with links to each state’s unclaimed funds website (if applicable).
Surplus Funds Deadlines by State
Here’s the full state list, cleaned up for easy reading:
| State | Deadline | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1 year | Link |
| Alaska | 3 years | Link |
| Arizona | 2 years | Link |
| Arkansas | 3 years | Link |
| California | 3 years | Link |
| Colorado | 5 years | Link |
| Connecticut | 3 years | Link |
| Delaware | 5 years | Link |
| Florida | 1 year | Link |
| Georgia | 5 years | Link |
| Hawaii | 5 years | Link |
| Idaho | 5 years | Link |
| Illinois | 2 years | Link |
| Indiana | 1 year | Link |
| Iowa | 3 years | Link |
| Kansas | 5 years | Link |
| Kentucky | 3 years | Link |
| Louisiana | 3 years | Link |
| Maine | 3 years | Link |
| Maryland | 3 years | Link |
| Massachusetts | 3 years | Link |
| Michigan | 3 years | Link |
| Minnesota | 3 years | Link |
| Mississippi | 5 years | Link |
| Missouri | 3 years | Link |
| Montana | 3 years | Link |
| Nebraska | 3 years | Link |
| Nevada | 3 years | Link |
| New Hampshire | 3 years | Link |
| New Jersey | 3 years | Link |
| New Mexico | 3 years | Link |
| New York | 3 years | Link |
| North Carolina | 5 years | Link |
| North Dakota | 3 years | Link |
| Ohio | 3 years | Link |
| Oklahoma | 3 years | Link |
| Oregon | 3 years | Link |
| Pennsylvania | 3 years | Link |
| Rhode Island | 3 years | Link |
| South Carolina | 5 years | Link |
| South Dakota | 3 years | Link |
| Tennessee | 1 year | Link |
| Texas | 3 years | Link |
| Utah | 3 years | Link |
| Vermont | 3 years | Link |
| Virginia | 5 years | Link |
| Washington | 3 years | Link |
| West Virginia | 5 years | Link |
| Wisconsin | 5 years | Link |
| Wyoming | 5 years | Link |
How the Deadline Works
-
If you claim the funds before the deadline, you get them through a court process.
-
If you miss the deadline, your funds are escheated (turned over) to the state’s unclaimed property program.
-
After that, you’ll have to claim them through the state’s treasury office — and it usually takes longer.
Bonus: “Last Day to Claim” Calculator by State
Example:
➔ Property sold on: April 1, 2023
➔ State: Florida (1-year limit)
➔ Last Day to Claim via Court: March 31, 2024
Final Tip:
Even if your funds have moved to the unclaimed property division, you still have a right to claim them — it just requires a different process!
(Check your state’s unclaimed property site using the links above.)
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