Two State Files: Why Dead Relative Searches Come Up Empty

• California's main unclaimed property file and its Estates of Deceased Persons File are two different datasets built from two different legal processes.
• The estates file holds 37,166 probate estates, 4,438 of them still claimable, totaling $59,038,273.
• The 10 per cent fee cap under CCP §1582 applies only to property reported under §1530, not to county probated estates.
• There is no deadline to claim in California, except for estates the State has permanently escheated.
• Finding a name in neither file does not mean nothing exists; it may mean the estate has not yet reached probate or the record is filed under a different name.

Why does a name search turn up nothing even when you're sure there's money owed?

You type a relative’s name into a search box expecting an answer and get a blank screen. The usual conclusion is that there is nothing to find. Often the real problem is simpler: the money sits in a different file than the one just searched.

California’s State Controller maintains two distinct datasets. The first is the ordinary unclaimed property file, built from reports that banks, insurers, and employers must file under Code of Civil Procedure §1530 when an account, policy, or paycheck goes unclaimed. That file is enormous. We index 14,639,722 of its records, covering everything from checking accounts to insurance benefits. The second is the Estates of Deceased Persons File, a separate list drawn from county probate courts after an estate has gone through probate and a balance remains unclaimed. It is far smaller and structured completely differently.

A search of the main property file by surname will miss a probate estate entirely, because the estate record does not exist there. It lives in the other file, indexed by decedent, listed heirs, county, and probate case number.

What exactly is in the Estates of Deceased Persons File?

The State Controller publishes this file separately and refreshes it on the first business day of April and October. Each entry lists the decedent’s name, the heirs on record, the county where probate was handled, the probate case number, and the remaining balance still owed. Our own index currently holds 37,166 of these estates. Of those, 4,438 are still claimable, together holding $59,038,273.

That gap between 37,166 and 4,438 matters. Many estates on the list have already been paid out, closed, or in rare cases permanently escheated to the State, meaning the State has taken title and no claim will be paid on them. A record appearing in the file is not by itself proof that money is waiting; it has to be checked against current status. See property/probate-estates for how that distinction works in practice.

Why do the fee rules change depending on which file the money is in?

This is where the two files diverge in a way that affects cost, not just search strategy. Under CCP §1582(a)(2)(C), a fee to locate, deliver, or recover property reported under §1530 cannot exceed 10 per cent of what is recovered. That cap, though, reaches only §1530 property, which is the ordinary file.

Estates that pass through county probate arrive at the State under the Probate Code, not §1530, and the State Controller states plainly that there are no fee restrictions for investigators filing for the owners or heirs of county probated estates. An agreement covering a probate estate is negotiated on different terms than one covering a bank account or an insurance payout. Anyone comparing quotes between the two kinds of claim should know they are not comparing like with like. resources/finder-fee-law sets out the statute in full.

Does claiming as an heir work differently from claiming in your own name?

Yes, in several practical ways. An heir or executor typically needs to show proof of the relationship or the authority to act for the estate, alongside the documents the Controller requires for any claim. Claims of $1,000 or more in cash must be notarized, and all securities and safe deposit box claims require notarization regardless of value, under the State’s claim requirements. A California notary can charge at most $15 per signature for an acknowledgment and $15 for a jurat, under Government Code §8211.

Safe deposit box claims carry one more wrinkle worth knowing before you start: the State sells the contents at auction and holds only the sale proceeds, not the original items. See how-to-claim/heir-estate for the document checklist specific to heirs and executors.

What if the name you're looking for isn't in either file?

There is no deadline for claiming California unclaimed property, so absence from today’s file is not necessarily final. New reports are added continuously to the main property file, and the estates file refreshes twice a year as more counties close out probate cases. A name that is not there in April may appear in October.

It is also worth checking variant spellings, maiden names, and former addresses, since records are indexed exactly as the holder or the court reported them. A recovery agreement, whichever file it touches, must be in writing, disclose the nature and value of the property, and be signed only after that disclosure is given. No fee may be collected before the State approves the claim and pays the owner, and an owner can challenge any agreement at any time as based on excessive or unjust consideration.

What should you actually do next?

Start by searching both files, not just the one that comes to mind first. Our search tool checks across the ordinary property records and the probate estates list in one pass, which is the step most people skip. If a probate estate turns up, the path to claiming it runs through the county case file and the heirs of record, which is a different process from claiming a forgotten savings account. Our services/full-service-recovery handles both kinds of claim, and we are paid only out of what is recovered, nothing if nothing is recovered. Review pricing for how that works on each type of file before deciding whether to proceed alone or with help.

Questions People Ask

Figures on this page are from our copy of the State Controller’s published file as it stood on 9 October 2026. The State republishes the file weekly, so current totals will differ. Search is always against the latest copy.