The Estates of Deceased Persons File, Explained

• The Estates of Deceased Persons File is a separate dataset from the main 14,775,153-record unclaimed property file.
• It lists 37,166 probate estates, of which 4,438 are still claimable, holding about $59,038,273.
• Claimable estates currently span 38 California counties.
• The State Controller refreshes the file on the first business day of April and October.
• Probate estates fall under the Probate Code, not the §1530 holder-reporting rule that caps recovery fees at 10 per cent.

Why didn't a search of the unclaimed property file turn up a parent's estate?

Most people start the same way: they search the main unclaimed property file for a relative’s name and find nothing. That search covers property reported directly to the State Controller by banks, insurers, employers and other holders under Code of Civil Procedure §1530 — the uncashed check, the dormant savings account, the forgotten insurance payout. It currently runs to 14,775,153 records.

What it does not reliably cover is money or property that passed through a county probate proceeding and was never distributed because an heir could not be found or did not come forward. That category is tracked separately, in what the State Controller calls the Estates of Deceased Persons File. If a relative’s estate went through probate and a balance was left over, this is the file to check, not the general one.

How large is the estates file, and how does it compare with the main file?

The estates file currently holds 37,166 probate estates. Of those, 4,438 are still claimable, together holding about $59,038,273. That is a small slice next to the 14,775,153 records in the main property file, but it is a distinct category with its own structure, its own data refresh schedule and, as explained below, its own rules on fees.

Claimable estates are not concentrated in one or two counties. They currently appear across 38 California counties, which means an heir searching for a deceased relative’s estate needs to think about where that person’s estate was probated, not just where they lived at the end of their life. For the mechanics of how a probate balance becomes claimable property in the first place, see our page on probate estates and the second State file.

What information actually appears for each estate?

The State Controller’s published Estates of Deceased Persons File lists the decedent’s name, the heirs on record, the county where the estate was probated, the probate case number, and the remaining balance. It is refreshed on the first business day of April and on the first business day of October.

It does not list a street address for a living claimant, and we do not publish one either. What it gives an heir or executor is enough to identify the right probate case and the county court that handled it, which is the starting point for a claim. For the deeper mechanics of what the State wants to see from a claimant, see what documents the State needs.

Does the 10 per cent fee cap apply to these estates?

Not in the same way. Code of Civil Procedure §1582(a)(2)(C) caps recovery fees at 10 per cent of the property recovered, but that cap reaches only property reported under §1530 — the holder-reported file. Estates that reach the State through county probate arrive under the Probate Code instead, and the State Controller states plainly that there are no fee restrictions for investigators filing on behalf of the owners or heirs of county probated estates.

That does not mean anything goes. Whatever the fee, an agreement must still be in writing, must disclose the nature and value of the property, must state that the Controller holds it, and must give the address where the owner could claim it directly — and it must be signed only after the owner has seen that disclosure. Our own standard fee, probate estate or not, is 10 per cent of what is recovered, and nothing is owed if nothing is recovered. See what the law says about finder fees and our pricing.

Is there a deadline to come forward as an heir?

No. California holds unclaimed property indefinitely until the owner or their heirs claim it; there is no waiting period and no expiry date built into the law. The one real exception is an estate that has been permanently escheated, meaning the State has taken title outright. Property in that state is no longer recoverable by anyone, which is why the figure that matters is the 4,438 estates currently marked claimable, not the full 37,166 on record.

What should someone do if they think they are an heir listed in the file?

Start by confirming the probate case number and county against the decedent’s actual estate, since names alone are not always enough to be certain. An owner may also challenge, at any time, an agreement they believe is based on excessive or unjust consideration — that right does not expire either.

California Unclaimed Property Services is a private recovery firm. We are not the State Controller’s Office and are not affiliated with it. We search both the main property file and the estates file, and we charge a percentage of what is recovered, owed only once the State has approved and paid a claim — nothing is collected up front. If you want to see whether a name appears in either file, you can search here, read how the process works for claiming as an heir or executor, or ask about our full-service recovery.

Questions People Ask

Figures on this page are from our copy of the State Controller’s published file as it stood on 13 November 2026. The State republishes the file weekly, so current totals will differ. Search is always against the latest copy.