Bank of America Unclaimed Property: How to Search and Claim Your Money

Bank of America has reported more unclaimed property to the State of California than any other company. Across its various entities — including “Bank of America – California” and “Bank of America NA” — the bank has turned over more than $549 million in unclaimed property that’s still waiting to be claimed by its rightful owners.

If you’ve ever had a checking account, savings account, CD, safe deposit box, or any other financial product with Bank of America, there’s a real possibility that some of that money is yours.

Why Does Bank of America Have So Much Unclaimed Property?

Bank of America is one of the largest banks in the United States, with tens of millions of customers. When an account goes dormant — meaning there’s been no activity or contact from the owner for a certain period (typically three to five years in California) — the bank is legally required to turn those funds over to the state. This process is called escheatment.

There are many reasons an account might go dormant. Someone moves and forgets to update their address. A small balance sits in a savings account that the owner stops thinking about. An elderly relative passes away and their heirs don’t know the account exists. A CD matures and the renewal notice goes to an old address. Over time, these small oversights add up to enormous sums.

Bank of America has also absorbed many other banks through mergers and acquisitions over the decades — including NationsBank, FleetBoston, MBNA, Countrywide, and Merrill Lynch. If you had an account with any of these institutions, your unclaimed property may now be reported under the Bank of America name.

How to Search for Your Unclaimed Property

You won’t find this money by logging into your Bank of America account. Once property has been escheated to the state, it’s held by the state government, not the bank. To search for it, use the official state databases:

If your last known address was in California: Search at claimit.ca.gov. For more details on the California process, see our California unclaimed property guide.

If you’ve lived in multiple states: Use MissingMoney.com to search across participating states at once, or visit Unclaimed.org to find each state’s individual search tool.

When searching, keep these tips in mind:

• Search under all name variations — maiden names, previous married names, nicknames, and abbreviations. If Bank of America had your name as “Wm” instead of “William,” the match won’t come up unless you search for both.
• Search for former Bank of America subsidiaries too. Try your name in states where you had accounts with NationsBank, FleetBoston, MBNA, Countrywide, or Merrill Lynch.
• Don’t forget business accounts. If you owned a business with a Bank of America account, search the business name as well.

How to File Your Claim

If you find a match, the claims process goes through the state — not through Bank of America. Each state has its own process, but generally you’ll need to provide a government-issued photo ID, your Social Security number, and proof that connects you to the account (such as an old bank statement, account number, or correspondence from the bank).

For heir claims on behalf of a deceased relative, you’ll also need a certified death certificate and proof of your relationship or legal authority over the estate.

Processing times vary by state. Simple claims with clear documentation can be handled in a few weeks; more complex claims can take several months.

Bank of America Unclaimed Property by the Numbers

Based on our analysis of California’s unclaimed property data (as of November 2023), here’s what Bank of America entities have reported to California alone:

That’s over half a billion dollars — in California alone. Bank of America reports unclaimed property in every state, so the total nationwide figure is significantly higher.

You can explore the full breakdown of Bank of America’s unclaimed property records on our data pages for Bank of America – California and Bank of America NA.

What to Do Next

If you find unclaimed property in your name, file the claim — it’s free and it’s your money. If nothing turns up, set a reminder to check again next year. Banks report newly dormant accounts to states on an ongoing basis, so new property appears regularly.

For a complete guide to searching every major state and federal database, read our complete guide to finding unclaimed money.