Money The State Is Holding
A.R.S. 44-317 — ninety days to decide, and thirty-five years to file
In Arizona, a person who claims property paid or delivered to the department may file a claim on the department's form, verified by the claimant.
Ninety days, then thirty. Within ninety days after a claim is filed, the department allows or denies it with written notice, giving the reasons and the additional evidence needed if denied. Within thirty days after it is allowed, the property or net proceeds is delivered, with any increment the claimant is entitled to.
Thirty-five years. Notwithstanding any other time limit, a claim may be filed within thirty-five years after the final day of the fiscal year in which the department received the property.
Going to court. A person aggrieved by a decision, or whose claim is not decided within ninety days, may sue the department in superior court within ninety days after the decision or one hundred eighty days after filing; a claimant who establishes the claim may be awarded reasonable attorney fees.
| The question | The statute's answer |
|---|---|
| The questionA decision | The statute's answerWithin ninety days |
| The questionPayment after approval | The statute's answerWithin thirty days |
| The questionThe time to claim | The statute's answerThirty-five years after the fiscal year the department received it |
The increment rules and finders' agreements are not on this page. Whether a particular claim will be paid is a question for the state's unclaimed property office or a licensed Arizona attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- A.R.S. 44-317 — Filing claim with department
- A.R.S. 44-318 — Action to establish claim; attorney fees
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.