BISMARCK — The least known consumer protection program in the country returns millions of dollars each year to individuals who did not know they had missing money or valuable property, according to the North Dakota Unclaimed Property Division.

Nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – have what industry calls unclaimed property, consisting of financial accounts or items of value for which the owner has not initiated any activity for a number of years. When that happens, and the company cannot locate the owner, the money or properties are submitted to the state’s Unclaimed Property Division. Common examples of unclaimed property include unpaid life insurance benefits and forgotten bank accounts.

“It’s our goal to return unclaimed property to its owner no matter how long it takes,” Land Commissioner Jodi Smith said. “North Dakota currently has over $104 million waiting to be returned to its owners. It is your money, and it should be with you.”

In February 2021, the National Association of Unclaimed Property launched its first National Unclaimed Property Day to increase awareness of unclaimed property. Today is this year’s National Unclaimed Property Day, and the State of North Dakota is encouraging people to search https://unclaimedproperty.nd.gov/ to determine if North Dakota is holding your property. The search is free and the search field is user friendly.