Unclaimed Money in Canada: Five Free Places to Search

Forgotten money does not always stay with the bank, government department or company that originally owed it. Old accounts, uncashed tax refunds, insurance payments, payroll amounts and estate funds can eventually be transferred to an unclaimed property program.

There is no single database covering every type of unclaimed money in Canada. Five official searches cover many of the most common places where money is left behind, and each one can be checked for free.

Search your current name, previous surnames, common spelling variations and any business names you have used. It can also be worth checking for deceased relatives if you are an executor, liquidator or heir.

1. Check for uncashed CRA cheques

The Canada Revenue Agency may owe you money from an old tax refund, credit or benefit payment that was issued by cheque and never deposited.

Personal cheques that are more than six months old can be viewed through CRA My Account. This includes many payments connected to:

• personal income tax refunds;
• reassessments;
• the Canada Child Benefit;
• the Canada Workers Benefit;
• provincial child benefits;
• the Ontario Trillium Benefit; and
• other federal or provincial credits administered by the CRA.

Sign in to CRA My Account and select Uncashed cheques from the Overview or Accounts and payments page.

If a payment appears, download the pre-filled Form PWGSC 535 for that cheque. The form must be completed, signed by hand and returned through the CRA’s Submit documents service or by mail. If you are registered for direct deposit, the replacement payment can be deposited into your account.

Government of Canada cheques do not expire. If you still have the original cheque, it can generally be deposited at a Canadian financial institution. If it was lost, destroyed or never received, use the replacement process.

Business, trust and some other cheques do not appear through the personal online search. The CRA provides separate phone numbers for those payments.

Search for uncashed CRA cheques

Checking this section is especially useful after moving, changing banks or spending time outside Canada. An old cheque may have been mailed to an address you no longer use.

Canooq’s benefits page and Canada money calendar can help you keep track of future payment dates.

2. Search the Bank of Canada’s unclaimed balances

Federally regulated banks and trust companies transfer certain inactive balances to the Bank of Canada after 10 years.

The Bank of Canada’s Unclaimed Properties Office can hold money from:

• chequing and savings accounts;
• term deposits;
• positive credit card balances;
• bank drafts;
• certified cheques;
• money orders; and
• other eligible negotiable instruments.

Before transferring the balance, the financial institution must try to contact the owner after two, five and nine years of inactivity. Those notices go to the address on file, so they can easily be missed after a move.

The Bank of Canada holds transferred balances of less than $1,000 for 30 years. Balances of $1,000 or more are held for 100 years.

The online search accepts a surname or business name. Try previous surnames, initials and different spellings. If you operated a business, search its legal name as well as any trade name that may have appeared on the account.

A matching name does not automatically prove that the money belongs to you. The claim process requires documents connecting you to the balance, such as identification, old account records or evidence that you lived at the address shown.

Search the Bank of Canada’s unclaimed balances

This federal search covers eligible balances from federally regulated financial institutions. It does not replace the provincial registries that hold other types of unclaimed property.

3. Search BC Unclaimed

British Columbia has its own searchable unclaimed property program. BC Unclaimed is an independent non-profit society designated by the province to administer the program.

Its database can include money left behind in:

• court accounts;
• credit union accounts;
• insurance payments;
• unpaid wages;
• real estate deposits;
• company accounts; and
• other funds transferred by businesses, financial organizations and public bodies.

BC Unclaimed says it is holding more than $222 million for rightful owners. Searching and submitting a claim are free, and the organization does not impose a deadline for claiming funds it holds.

Enter your name in the public search. If a result appears, request additional information and begin the claim process.

Claimants generally need two pieces of government-issued identification and one document connecting them to the property. That connection could be an old statement, proof of a former address, employment record or estate document.

Search for previous names and relatives as well as your current name. Executors and heirs may be able to claim money belonging to someone who died, but they must provide documents establishing their authority or entitlement.

Search BC Unclaimed

BC Unclaimed warns that it does not charge for its services or send unsolicited emails containing links or attachments. A message demanding a fee to release unclaimed BC property should be treated as suspicious.

4. Search Alberta’s unclaimed property registry

Alberta’s Tax and Revenue Administration maintains a central registry of abandoned property transferred by businesses, governments and other holders.

The repository contained approximately 344,808 unclaimed items worth an estimated $168 million as of March 31, 2025.

Eligible intangible property can include:

• money and interest;
• dividends;
• unpaid salaries;
• refunds;
• securities;
• account credits; and
• other amounts owed by a business or government.

The Alberta program can also hold qualifying tangible property other than land, such as artwork or jewellery.

The province offers two official ways to search. Its Alberta-only search may direct users to MissingMoney.com to display results and continue the claim. Alberta confirms that both searches are available at no charge.

Try your first initial, full first name, nickname, previous surname and business name. This is useful when an old employer or company recorded your name differently from your current identification.

There is no fee to submit a claim, although administration, storage, holder or delivery costs can apply in some cases. Supporting documents are required to prove ownership.

Alberta generally requires claims to be submitted within 10 years from the date the property was received by the Tax and Revenue Administration. The province says a claim may take up to 120 days to review, with additional time possible if more documents are needed.

Search Alberta’s unclaimed property registry

Private locators may offer to find or claim Alberta property in exchange for a percentage. Using one is optional. You can search and submit the claim yourself through the official system.

5. Search Revenu Québec’s register

Revenu Québec maintains a free public register for property that has been transferred to the Minister of Revenue because the owner or another right-holder could not be found.

The register can include:

• inactive financial assets held in Quebec;
• unclaimed estates;
• property from dissolved legal entities;
• abandoned property; and
• other property administered by Revenu Québec.

Searches are free. Results may show the owner or right-holder’s identity, last known address, the nature and net value of the property, the date Revenu Québec began administering it, and the organization that transferred it.

The Quebec register is particularly useful when settling an estate. An heir, liquidator or other right-holder may discover financial assets that were not included in the deceased person’s records.

Federally regulated bank balances remain under the Bank of Canada system, even when the owner lived in Quebec. Revenu Québec directs people to the Bank of Canada for those searches.

Unlike the other searches in this guide, claiming property from Revenu Québec can involve statutory administration or delivery fees. The register itself remains free to search. Review the current fee schedule before completing a claim, particularly for an estate or physical property.

Search Revenu Québec’s Register of Unclaimed Property

Search every place connected to your history

Start with the two federal checks, regardless of where you live. Then search each provincial registry connected to a place where you previously lived, worked, owned property or operated a business.

A useful search can include:

• your current legal name;
• a birth or previous surname;
• initials and shortened first names;
• common misspellings;
• old business names;
• a spouse or former spouse; and
• deceased parents or grandparents.

Finding a matching name is only the first step. The administrator will ask for proof that you are the owner, executor, heir or authorized representative. Old tax documents, account statements, employment records and proof of former addresses can help establish the connection.

If you recently moved to Canada, the provincial registries will usually be most relevant after you have lived, worked or held assets in that province. Canooq’s New to Canada guides cover other financial accounts, benefits and documents worth setting up or reviewing.

Some missing money will not appear in these databases

Not every organization transfers dormant property to a searchable registry. Depending on the province and type of asset, the money may remain with the original institution.

Contact the provider directly if you are looking for:

• an old workplace pension;
• unpaid wages from a recent employer;
• a life insurance policy;
• investments or mutual funds;
• utility or telecommunications deposits;
• a court award;
• a class action payment; or
• a balance from a closed account that has not been inactive for 10 years.

Open Canadian class action settlements can be checked through Canooq’s class actions tracker. Settlement payments do not normally appear in a general registry while the claims process is still active.

You do not need to pay someone to search

Official unclaimed money searches are free. A company may legally offer locator or recovery services, but it does not have access to a secret database that the public cannot search.

Do not pay an upfront fee or provide banking information because an unexpected email says money is waiting. Open the official government or program website yourself and run the search there.

A legitimate result will still require proof of identity and ownership. The administrator will not ask for gift cards, cryptocurrency, remote access to your computer or an urgent payment to unlock the funds.

Sources

• CRA uncashed cheques
• Financial Consumer Agency of Canada guide to unclaimed bank balances
• Bank of Canada Unclaimed Properties Office
• BC Unclaimed
• Government of Alberta unclaimed property program
• Revenu Québec Register of Unclaimed Property
• Revenu Québec deadlines and fees

Last updated August 29, 2026. Search and claim rules can change. Use the official links above and review the current documentation requirements before submitting personal information.