Hampton Roads, Va. – The Virginia Department of Treasury is currently holding $4.4 billion in unclaimed property belonging to the public. But thanks to recent changes in state law and new automated systems, it is getting easier for Virginians to get their money back.
Following a News 3 investigation that exposed issues within the system and comparing Virginia to other states, lawmakers passed the Cash Now Act in March 2025. The initiative, known as VACashNow, allows the treasury to automatically send out checks for claims of less than $5,000 without a person having to file a claim.
The Department of Treasury recently posted on Facebook that they have shattered previous records. According to data provided by the Department of Treasury, the state paid out $159 million across 160,000 claims in fiscal year 2026 — a massive jump from the $59 million paid out just four years ago.
Kelly Harrah recently learned that the company she worked for was owed $400 in unclaimed property. That prompted her to search the state's database for her family members, finding even more money for several people.
"I was shocked at how much was on there and how many people I knew that were on there, and it was just sitting there," Harrah said.
She said she is glad that changes that have been made are getting more people their money.
WTKR asked the Department of Treasury what they attribute the record returns to:
“Each year we strive to add additional new initiatives to inform, educate and assist our citizens in recovering their unclaimed funds. This year our Outreach and Marketing Team has established partnerships with local Virginia libraries, distributing unclaimed property bookmarks and setting up physical search kiosks in Fairfax County, Russell County, Albemarle County, the City of Portsmouth, and Richmond City. Additionally, we have partnered with the Virginia Department of Veteran Services and Virginia Department of Social Services to have their local offices distribute our messaging, among other partnerships.
Additionally, we have hired two dedicated staff members to contact localities, charities, schools, places of worship, non-profits, etc. informing them about their unclaimed property and assisting them in the claim process. Also, the automation of processing claims through Fast Track and VACashNow has not only increased our output but also enables our team to address claims requiring more attention more quickly, helping us meet our internal goal of processing payments within 30 days of receiving evidence from the claimant.”
Despite the progress, national unclaimed property watchdog Ron Lizzi believes Virginia could do more. He argues the state should post exact addresses to help locate people, as certain other states do, and show exact dollar amounts for claims. This is currently the practice in Texas. Currently, Virginia's website only indicates if a claim is "$1,000 and above." The state also does not list claims under $10.
"Disclose everything. Let people decide whether or not they want to bother to make a claim," Lizzi said. "The state shouldn't be making the decision for them that we're not going to show you your property."
In an emailed response to News 3, the Department of Treasury defended its practices.
In relation to not posting claims under $10 – “Low-value properties under $10 aren't individually promoted in search results because processing costs exceed the property value, but they remain in the system and are included/paid out when a citizen files or receives another UCP claim.”
WTKR asked if there was any discussion to include businesses, nonprofits, and city governments to those who can receive automatic payments without the organization having to file a claim. This is something that would require the state law to change. They said, “Since these types of claims almost always require more attention, research, and coordination than the single owner properties which are being paid out via the VACashNow initiative, they do not lend themselves to automatic payment treatment. We have a dedicated team focusing on reaching out to various entities, including non-profits, schools, local gov't, churches, etc. and have successfully contacted over 3k potential claimants for a total of $12.4M found, with $4.4M of that reunited.”
Previously, WTKR was told safety concerns were the reason claims over $1,000 are not listed, and addresses are not posted online like in other states. When asked again, they said, “Virginia Treasury takes very seriously the importance of safeguarding the personal information collected in the reported unclaimed funds and is committed to being a good steward of these funds by doing everything within reason to prevent fraudulent activity. Below is last five years of amount paid and number of claims processed.”
Meanwhile, the state continues to take in more unclaimed property than it pays out, collecting a record $391 million in 2026.
For Harrah, the system worked, and she hopes others take advantage of it.
"I think more people should know about it," she said. "Just getting the word out there that they can go on there and do that."
