St. Petersburg Unclaimed Money

Unclaimed money tied to St. Petersburg addresses is held by the state of Florida until someone comes forward to claim it. As the largest city in Pinellas County with over 267,000 residents, St. Petersburg generates a significant amount of lost financial accounts each year. Dormant bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, old insurance payouts, forgotten utility deposits, and other financial assets all end up in the state system. Searching is free and takes just a few minutes. The Pinellas County Clerk of Courts may also hold court-related funds that St. Petersburg residents are owed.

How to Search for Unclaimed Money in St. Petersburg

Go to the Florida Treasure Hunt search page. Enter your name. The system checks every unclaimed account on file across the state, including those tied to St. Petersburg. Results show up right away with the property type, the company that reported it, and the dollar amount. You can file a claim from the results page.

St. Petersburg has a mix of long-time residents and people who move in and out. That means a lot of accounts go dormant. If you lived in St. Petersburg at any point, even for a short time, it is worth running a search. An old landlord could be holding a deposit. A former employer might owe you wages. A bank account you stopped using years ago could still have money in it.

Try every version of your name. Maiden names, former married names, and nicknames can all appear in the database. Records get reported with whatever name was on the account, so variations matter. Misspellings happen too, so try those as well.

Where St. Petersburg Unclaimed Money Comes From

Chapter 717, Florida Statutes requires businesses and institutions to report dormant accounts to the state. Banks report after five years of no activity. Employers must turn over uncashed wages after one year. Insurance companies, brokerage firms, and utility providers each follow their own reporting schedules.

St. Petersburg's economy generates unclaimed property from many directions. Local banks and credit unions, employers throughout the city, insurance companies, Duke Energy, the city water department, and investment firms all report funds. Real estate transactions in the city can also produce unclaimed deposits and escrow funds. With St. Petersburg's active housing market, these add up.

The Pinellas County court system is another source. Bond refunds, lawsuit deposits, and surplus from tax deed and foreclosure sales can sit with the Clerk of Courts. If parties do not collect, the money becomes unclaimed.

Note: Retirees in St. Petersburg should check for old pension payments or insurance benefits that may have been sent to a previous address.

St. Petersburg City Government

The City of St. Petersburg can generate unclaimed funds through its own operations. Overpayments on utility bills, uncashed vendor checks, permit refunds, and other city-issued payments sometimes go uncollected. When the city cannot return these funds, they are reported to the state under Chapter 717.

St. Petersburg processes a large volume of financial transactions through its various departments. Water and sewer refunds are common. If you overpaid or closed an account without collecting the balance, that money may now be in the state system. You generally do not need to contact the city directly since reported funds are searchable through the state website.

Pinellas County Clerk of Courts

St. Petersburg is in Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Clerk of Courts in Clearwater manages all court funds for the area. Cash bonds, civil case deposits, and surplus from tax deed and foreclosure sales are held by this office. Uncollected funds are eventually transferred to the state.

Tax deed surplus deserves special attention for St. Petersburg property owners. When a property sells at a tax deed auction for more than the taxes owed, the extra money goes to the former owner. Foreclosure surplus works the same way under Florida Statute 45.032. If you once owned property in St. Petersburg that went through either process, there could be money waiting for you.

Call the Clerk if you think court-held funds from a case in St. Petersburg or Pinellas County belong to you. Staff can check whether the money is still at the courthouse or has been sent to the state.

St. Petersburg City Homepage

The St. Petersburg city website has information about city services and payments that can sometimes lead to unclaimed funds.

Review any past accounts or payments through the city to make sure nothing is owed to you before searching the state database.

How to File a Claim in St. Petersburg

Found your name on the list? Filing a claim through fltreasurehunt.gov is simple. Complete the online claim form and submit the documents they ask for. A government-issued photo ID is required. If your address has changed since the account was reported, include a utility bill or bank statement showing your current address.

You will also need to prove you own the account. The state gets claims from people with matching names more often than you would expect. Old bank statements, pay stubs, insurance documents, or anything that links you to the specific account will help. If you are claiming money that belonged to a deceased relative, include a certified death certificate and proof of your legal right to the funds. Claims can take up to 90 days to process.

Florida Treasure Hunt Search Page

The Florida Treasure Hunt search page is the official tool for finding unclaimed property tied to St. Petersburg and all Florida addresses.

Search results are instant. Each entry shows the holder name, property type, and reported amount. You can start a claim directly from the results. No login or fee is needed.

Unclaimed Property Law in Florida

Florida law is on your side. There is no deadline to claim your money. The state does not take ownership of unclaimed funds. It holds them as custodian. Whether the money was reported last year or two decades ago, you can still claim it at no cost.

Section 717.102 sets the five-year dormancy period for most intangible property. Wages have a one-year window under Section 717.115. Safe deposit box contents become unclaimed after three years per Section 717.116. All holders, including those in St. Petersburg, must file annual reports by May 1 under Section 717.117. They should attempt to contact owners before sending funds to the state.

Scam Warnings

Watch out for scams when looking for unclaimed money in St. Petersburg. The state will never send a text message or make an unsolicited phone call about your claim. Anyone asking for your Social Security number, bank information, or an upfront payment is running a scam. The official process is always free.

Third-party locator services will find and file claims for a percentage of your money. You do not need them. The state site is built for anyone to use. For help, call the Division of Unclaimed Property at 888-258-2253.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near St. Petersburg. Search for unclaimed money in any area where you have lived or worked.

Pinellas County

St. Petersburg is the largest city in Pinellas County. For more on unclaimed money across the full county, visit the Pinellas County page.