Panama City Unclaimed Money

Unclaimed money tied to Panama City addresses could be waiting for you in the state database right now. The Florida Department of Financial Services holds lost funds from dormant bank accounts, old paychecks, insurance payouts, and other sources connected to Panama City zip codes. Hurricane Michael in 2018 displaced many residents, and that kind of upheaval often leads to unclaimed accounts when people move and lose track of old financial ties. Searching costs nothing and takes only a few minutes. The Bay County Clerk of Courts may also hold funds from court cases and property sales.

How to Search for Panama City Unclaimed Money

Start at the Florida Treasure Hunt search page. This is the official state tool. It is free. Enter your name and the system checks every unclaimed account in Florida, including those linked to Panama City addresses.

Try all the names you have used. Maiden names, old married names, nicknames. If you worked at Tyndall Air Force Base or any of the military facilities in the Bay County area, search the name the military had on file. Records from employers, banks, and utility companies can list your name differently than what you go by today. A search under your full legal name might not catch an account filed under a nickname or shortened version.

Misspellings matter too. Data entry mistakes happen, and a wrong letter can hide an account from a basic search. Try common variations and see what comes up.

Note: If Hurricane Michael forced you to relocate from Panama City, accounts tied to your old address may have gone dormant while you were dealing with recovery. Those funds could be in the state system now.

Sources of Unclaimed Money in Panama City

Chapter 717, Florida Statutes requires businesses and agencies to report money they cannot return to the owner. Banks report dormant accounts after five years. Old paychecks become unclaimed after one year under Section 717.115. Insurance payouts, utility deposits, and stock dividends follow set timelines.

Panama City has some specific sources. Insurance claim payments from Hurricane Michael that were sent to old addresses and never collected may be sitting in the state database. Utility deposits from Gulf Power (now Florida Power and Light) go unclaimed when account holders move without requesting their deposit back. Security deposits from rental properties, especially from the Panama City Beach area where seasonal rentals are common, are another source. Military-related payroll from Tyndall AFB and the Naval Support Activity also generates unclaimed wages when service members transfer out quickly.

Safe deposit box contents left behind at Panama City bank branches get turned over after three years under Section 717.116. These items are inventoried and held by the state.

Bay County Clerk of Courts

Panama City is the county seat of Bay County. The Bay County Clerk of Courts handles all court-held funds for the area. Bond money, lawsuit deposits, and court-ordered payments sit with this office. When parties do not collect their funds or leave Panama City without updating their information, those amounts become unclaimed.

Tax deed surplus deserves attention. When property in Bay County sells at a tax deed auction for more than the taxes owed, the extra cash belongs to the former owner. Foreclosure surplus works the same way under Florida Statute 45.032. After Hurricane Michael, some property owners lost homes to foreclosure during the recovery period. If you lost property in Panama City to a tax sale or foreclosure, contact the Clerk about possible surplus funds.

Contact the Clerk if you believe the court holds funds from a Panama City case. Staff can check their records and point you in the right direction if money has already been transferred to the state.

How to Claim Panama City Unclaimed Money

Found your name in the results? The next step is filing a claim through fltreasurehunt.gov. Click the account and follow the prompts. You need to prove who you are and that the account belongs to you.

Start with a government-issued photo ID. If the address on your ID does not match your current address, add a recent utility bill or bank statement showing where you live now. For older accounts, old bank statements, insurance correspondence, or pay stubs connecting you to the specific account will strengthen your claim. The form lists exactly what documents each account requires.

If the money belonged to a deceased Panama City resident, you need a certified death certificate and proof you are the legal heir. The state takes up to 90 days to process a complete claim. Many finish faster. Filing is free.

Florida Treasure Hunt Search Page

The Florida Treasure Hunt search page is the official tool for locating unclaimed property tied to Panama City addresses.

Search by person or business name. Each result shows the holder, property type, and reported amount. Start a claim directly from the results page. No sign-up or payment is needed to use this tool.

Florida Treasure Hunt Portal

The Florida Treasure Hunt homepage is the starting point for all unclaimed property activity in the state, including Panama City searches.

Use this portal to search, file claims, and check the status of claims you have already filed. The site has scam warnings and confirms that the state will never contact you by text about a claim.

Unclaimed Property Laws Affecting Panama City

Florida law protects your right to claim lost money. There is no deadline. The state never takes ownership. It acts as custodian only. Whether the money was reported a year ago or decades ago, you can still claim it for free.

Section 717.102 sets the main rule: intangible property unclaimed for over five years is presumed abandoned. Wages follow a one-year rule under Section 717.115. Safe deposit box items become unclaimed after three years per Section 717.116. Businesses in Panama City file unclaimed property reports with the state by May 1 each year as Section 717.117 requires. Before turning over funds, they must try to reach the owner.

Under Section 116.21, the Bay County Clerk handles court-related unclaimed funds separately. Uncashed vendor checks, jury payments, and refunds from the Panama City courthouse follow their own reporting steps before moving to the state system.

Search Tips for Panama City Residents

Being thorough with your search gives you the best chance of finding unclaimed money. Keep these tips in mind:

• Search every name you have used, including maiden and married names
• Try misspellings and shortened versions of your name
• Look up deceased relatives who lived in Panama City or Bay County
• Search business names you operated in the area
• Use MissingMoney.com for a multi-state search
• Check under pre-hurricane addresses if you relocated after Michael

New reports come in every May. A search that turns up nothing today might show Panama City accounts after the next round. Check once a year. It is always free.

Scam Warnings for Panama City

Watch for scams when you look for unclaimed money. The Florida Department of Financial Services will never send a text or make unsolicited calls about a claim. If someone asks for your Social Security number, bank details, or a fee to release lost funds, it is a scam. The only legitimate way to search and claim is through the official state website. It costs nothing.

Some companies offer to find and file Panama City unclaimed money claims for a cut of the recovery. You do not need them. The process at fltreasurehunt.gov is straightforward and built for anyone to use. Call the Division of Unclaimed Property toll-free at 888-258-2253 if you need help.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Panama City. If you have lived or worked in the surrounding area, search those locations too. Unclaimed money is connected to the last known address on file.

Bay County Page

For more details on unclaimed money across all of Bay County, visit the full county page.