Dormant Accounts

The Department has enacted rules regarding the permitted service charges, fees, and practices for dormant accounts held in banks and credit unions.  Department Rules 80-1-8-.01 and 80-2-3-.06.  Department Rules can be accessed through the Georgia Secretary of State’s website at rules.sos.state.ga.us/.

The Georgia Department of Revenue enforces the Disposition of Unclaimed Properties Act (“Act”).  O.C.G.A. §§ 44-12-190 through 44-12-238.[1]  Under the Act, when a bank or company holds property belonging to someone else but has lost contact with that person for a certain period of time, the bank or company must send the property to the state.  The state serves as custodian to the property.  The Act provides that dormant funds are remitted to the Georgia Department of Revenue.  More information regarding unclaimed property in Georgia can be found on the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website at dor.georgia.gov/unclaimed-property-faq-0.

If you are looking for "lost money" or "unclaimed funds" at a bank that is closed or that you have been unable to contact, you can check the bank's history on the FDIC's website at banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-suite/bankfind. The bank’s history may help you determine the current location of the funds if they have not been remitted to the Georgia Department of Revenue.  You can find more information about unclaimed funds through the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators at unclaimed.org/.

[1] To access these laws or any part of the Georgia Code, please visit the Georgia General Assembly and type in the relevant Code Section (e.g., “44-12-190”) into the provided search bar. (Links off-site)

The Code is provided by the State of Georgia from the Georgia General Assembly's website. In viewing the Code, please be aware that legislation passed during the most recent legislative session may not yet be posted on LexisNexis.