State treasurer’s office returns record $52 million in unclaimed property
August 29, 2026
South Carolina’s Unclaimed Property Program posted its best year on record, with the State Treasurer’s Office returning more than $52 million to residents, businesses and organizations across the state.
State Treasurer Curtis Loftis announced the milestone Aug. 27. He called the total an extraordinary achievement and said the most rewarding part is knowing what the money will mean for the people receiving it. Unclaimed property belongs to the state’s citizens, Loftis said, and his office is committed to reuniting owners with what is theirs.
Unclaimed property typically comes from forgotten bank accounts, uncashed paychecks and commission checks, insurance proceeds, utility deposits, stocks, bonds and other financial assets that a business or organization was unable to return to the owner. Businesses and other holders turn those assets over to the State Treasurer’s Office each year, and the office serves as custodian until the rightful owner is located. The program does not cover tangible property such as land or vehicles.
“Breaking a record is exciting, but we’re not finished,” Loftis said.
He said hundreds of millions of dollars remain unclaimed and encouraged every South Carolinian to take a few minutes to search their own name, look up family members and check for their business.
Since taking office in 2011, Loftis has returned more than $470 million in unclaimed property, a figure his office says is more than 4.5 times the combined total returned by all previous state treasurers.
Searching is free, and so is filing a claim. Residents can go to https://treasurer.sc.gov, click on Unclaimed Property and enter a name. “They just put in their name and their city,” Loftis said, adding that people with an unusual last name can skip the city and search the entire state.
Churches, charities, civic groups and small businesses may also have money waiting. Anyone who has lived, worked or done business in South Carolina is worth a search, including former residents and the estates of deceased family members.
