Search Bureau County Unclaimed Money
Unclaimed money in Bureau County is held by the Illinois State Treasurer through the ICash program. The Bureau County seat is Princeton, where the Treasurer's office manages local tax collection and county finances. All unclaimed property claims for Bureau County residents must go through the state. The Treasurer holds more than $5 billion in lost funds statewide, and some of that could be yours. Searching the ICash database is free and open to anyone.
Bureau County Quick Facts
Bureau County Treasurer's Office
The Bureau County Treasurer is an elected position with a four-year term. This office handles all financial transactions for the county government. That includes accounts payable, payroll, and investing county assets. The Treasurer also serves as County Collector, which means preparing tax bills and collecting real estate, drainage, and mobile home taxes.
Bureau County does not run its own unclaimed property program. The Treasurer's office focuses on tax collection and county fund management. When checks issued by the county go uncashed past a certain point, those funds eventually get sent to the state as unclaimed property. If you think the county owes you money from an old check or refund, start by checking the state ICash site.
The Bureau County Courthouse is located at 700 S. Main Street in Princeton. You can visit the Treasurer's office in Room 103 during regular business hours.
| Office | Bureau County Treasurer/Collector |
|---|---|
| Address | 700 S. Main St., Room 103, Princeton, IL 61356 |
| Phone | (815) 875-2014 |
| Website | bureaucounty-il.gov |
Note: The Bureau County website may load slowly at times. If you have trouble, try again later or call the office directly.
Search for Lost Funds in Bureau County
To find unclaimed money in Bureau County, use the state's ICash portal at icash.illinoistreasurer.gov. Type in your name and see what comes up. The search is simple. You can also try your old addresses or search by city.
About 1 in 4 Illinois residents have some form of unclaimed property waiting for them. That means people in Bureau County could have money sitting in the state's database right now. Banks, insurance firms, employers, and utilities in the Princeton area and across Bureau County all report dormant accounts to the state each year.
When a bank account in Bureau County has no activity for three to five years, the bank is required to turn those funds over to the Illinois Treasurer. The same goes for uncashed checks, old insurance payments, and forgotten security deposits. The state then holds that money until the owner claims it.
You can also check the national database at missingmoney.com. This covers multiple states, so it is useful if you have lived outside Illinois.
What Unclaimed Money Looks Like
Many people wonder what kind of money could be waiting for them. Here are the most common types of unclaimed property that Bureau County residents might find:
- Dormant savings or checking accounts
- Uncashed payroll or vendor checks
- Insurance claim payments or refunds
- Utility deposits and overpayments
- Stock dividends and mutual fund shares
- Contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes
Some of these amounts are small. A few dollars from an old refund, maybe. But some people find hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The Money Match program has helped return over $2 billion since Treasurer Frerichs took office. The program matches state records with the unclaimed property database to find owners automatically.
How to File a Claim
Filing a claim for unclaimed money in Bureau County is straightforward. Start by searching on ICash. When you find property that belongs to you, click the claim button. The site will walk you through the steps.
You will need to prove your identity. A valid driver's license or state ID works for most claims. You also need proof of your Social Security number, like a Social Security card, Medicare card, or W-2. If your current address is different from what is on file, bring proof of the old address too. Old bank statements, tax returns, or utility bills can serve as proof.
Claims over $2,000 need a notarized signature. If you are claiming for a deceased family member, you will also need a death certificate and either a small estate affidavit or probate papers. The state processes most claims within 90 days of receiving all required documents.
Send your claim documents to the Illinois State Treasurer at P.O. Box 19495, Springfield, IL 62794-9495. You can also email them to unclaimedproperty@illinoistreasurer.gov or upload them through the ICash website.
State Law on Unclaimed Property
The Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (765 ILCS 1026) controls how unclaimed money works in Illinois. This law requires all businesses in the state to report dormant accounts each year. Even businesses with nothing to report must file a negative report.
The law was updated in 2017 to bring Illinois in line with the Uniform Law Commission's guidelines. Key parts of the law include a 10% cap on finder fees and a requirement that finders hold a state license. The Treasurer can fine anyone who acts as a finder without a license up to $10,000 per violation.
Note: The state's unclaimed property database is not available for bulk download. Article 14 of the Act makes the database exempt from disclosure requests.
Nearby Counties
If you have lived in other parts of north-central Illinois, check these nearby counties too. Unclaimed money could be tied to any address where you once lived or did business.