Governor Janet Mills has officially declared February 2-8, 2026 Maine Unclaimed Property Week through a proclamation put forward by the Maine Office of the State Treasurer (OST). The proclamation builds on the National Association of State Treasurers (NAST) celebration of National Unclaimed Property Day on February 1 and coincides with a Maine Unclaimed Property Week telethon on WGME TV, Monday, February 2, 2026, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. 

OST manages Maine’s unclaimed property program. Unclaimed Property consists of money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specified period of time of inactivity, according to Maine Treasurer Joseph C. Perry, in a news release. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends, refunds, and safe deposit box contents. Unclaimed Property does not include real estate, animals or vehicles. 

Each and every year, tens of millions of dollars go unclaimed by Maine residents, according to the news release. These financial assets are turned over by thousands of national and local businesses and organizations by a law called MRSA Title 33, Chapter 45: Maine Revised Unclaimed Property Act. The Treasurer’s office holds these assets, free of charge, until claimed by the owner or heir. The State is currently holding over $395,000,000 in unclaimed property. In the month of December alone, 1,900 claims were paid for $2,176,869.98 (10,780 properties paid). The highest single payment in December 2025 was for $120,542 (Mutual Fund). 

“Maine continues to play a leading role among states in reuniting people with their unclaimed property,” said Perry. “The Governor’s proclamation recognizes and amplifies our commitment to the process, providing us a perfect launching pad for increasing awareness of unclaimed property in Maine.” he said. 

The Office of the Treasurer of State is established in Article V, Part Third of the Constitution of the State of Maine. The core duties of the Treasurer’s Office are debt management, cash management, trust fund administration and unclaimed property administration. Other major tasks assigned to the Treasurer are directorships on many of Maine’s quasi-governmental debt issuing agencies and distributions under the Municipal Revenue Sharing Program.