BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of the Treasury has mailed 44,614 unclaimed property checks totaling $6.5 million to residents across the state, following a data-matching effort with the Louisiana Department of Revenue to update recipient addresses.
State Treasurer John Fleming said the checks were sent June 12 to individuals in every parish. Of the total, 42,172 checks were mailed to Louisiana addresses, while 2,442 were sent to recipients outside the state.
“I want to stress to all of the recipients that these are real checks from the Louisiana Department of Treasury, so please cash them,” Fleming said. “Every year, some of the checks we mail out are not cashed. This is due to people changing addresses and others not believing the checks are real. Let me guarantee that these checks are real. It’s your money.”
The distribution is enabled by Act 339, approved during the 2018 regular legislative session, which allows the Department of Revenue to share address data with the Treasury. The process helps the state return funds without requiring residents to file claims and reduces a backlog of unclaimed property.
Unclaimed property can include payroll checks, dormant bank accounts, utility deposits, insurance proceeds, stock holdings and other financial assets. These funds are typically turned over to the state when businesses lose contact with the rightful owner, often due to outdated address information.
The Treasury estimates that about $1.2 billion in unclaimed property remains held by the state. Officials said roughly one in six Louisiana residents has unclaimed property, with the average claim amount around $900.
Residents can check for unclaimed property through the state’s online portal or by contacting the Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Division.