The Bank of Canada held $1.60 billion in 3.6 million unclaimed bank balances at the end of 2025. Searching for yours and claiming it is free.
The Bank of Canada is holding $1.60 billion that belongs to people who forgot about it. Its Unclaimed Properties Office counted 3.6 million unclaimed bank balances as of December 31, 2025, and searching for yours is free.
In 2025 the office paid $20.0 million back to owners, across 1,937 claims. That is a small slice of the total, about 1.25% of it (our math).
How money ends up there
An unclaimed bank balance is an account, deposit or negotiable instrument at a federally regulated bank or trust company. It moves to the Bank of Canada when it has been inactive for 10 years and the owner cannot be reached, or was reached but did nothing.
- Banks must send a written notice after 2, 5 and 9 years of inactivity, under the Bank Act and other federal law.
- Transfers happen once a year, between mid-November and December.
- Owners are not told automatically when their money moves to the Bank of Canada.
It can include chequing and savings accounts, term deposits, GICs, positive credit card balances, bank drafts, certified cheques, money orders and traveller's cheques.
What is not in it
TFSAs, most RRSPs and RRIFs, credit union and caisse populaire balances, life insurance, safety deposit boxes, stocks and dividends, gift certificates and balances at utilities are not held there. BC, Alberta and Quebec run their own searchable registries for property under provincial rules.
How to check
- Open the office's search page and type your last name, a business name or an account number.
- If the list is long, narrow it with a first name, city or province. Start broad, since results must match every field.
- Select a balance you believe is yours and start a claim. You will need to prove you are entitled to it.
Balances under $2.00 do not show up in the online search.
Fees and deadlines
- No fee: the Unclaimed Properties Office does not charge a fee to process a claim, though proving entitlement can cost something, such as having documents notarized.
- 30 years: how long it holds balances under $1,000.
- 100 years: how long it holds balances of $1,000 or more.
- After that, unclaimed money goes to the Receiver General for Canada.
Interest is paid only for the first 10 years of custody, and only on balances that arrived as interest-bearing savings accounts.
