COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Unclaimed Funds is celebrating another successful year of helping Ohioans find their missing money at the 2024 Ohio State Fair, which concluded Sunday evening.

At this year’s fair, the division helped nearly 1,000 claimants who visited the division’s booth find more than $155,400, according to a news release. The largest amount found by a fairgoer was more than $14,000.

“The Ohio State Fair is our largest in-person outreach event and is something we look forward to all year,” Division of Unclaimed Funds Superintendent Akil Hardy said. “It is always satisfying to be able to help Ohioans reunite with their missing money and to be able to talk to them face-to-face and guide them through the process and answer any questions they may have.”

Each year at the Ohio State Fair, the Division of Unclaimed Funds sets up a table in the Department of Commerce booth to help reunite Ohioans with their lost or forgotten funds. Over the past three state fairs, the division has helped Ohioans find more than $867,000.

Unclaimed funds are lost or forgotten money that businesses and banks report to the Division after accounts become inactive, typically 3-5 years. The money comes from inactive checking and savings accounts, refund/credit balances, uncashed cashier’s checks, stocks and bonds forgotten utility deposits or last paychecks.

The division is currently safeguarding more than $4 billion in unclaimed funds.

For individuals who missed the Division at the fair, Ohioans can still search for and claim their unclaimed funds at anytime by following three simple steps:

Search for money at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov

Gather the required supporting documents

Send the information to the division either online or by mail