Find Unclaimed Money in Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County residents have two separate avenues for unclaimed money: the statewide Maryland Comptroller program, which holds over $2.76 billion in total unclaimed funds, and the county's own tax sale surplus program, which generated more than $3 million in excess funds in a recent fiscal year alone. If you live in Annapolis, Glen Burnie, Severn, or anywhere else in the county, it is worth checking both sources. Searching is free and takes only a few minutes.
Anne Arundel County Unclaimed Money Overview
Anne Arundel County Unclaimed Money: Two Programs to Check
Most people know about the Maryland Comptroller's statewide unclaimed property program, but Anne Arundel County also runs its own program for tax sale surplus funds. These are two separate databases, and neither one automatically shows you what is in the other. If you have ever owned property in the county that went to a tax sale, you may be owed funds from the county directly, independent of anything the state is holding.
The statewide program is administered by the Maryland Comptroller under Maryland Code §17-101 through §17-404. It covers bank accounts, insurance proceeds, wages, utility deposits, and dozens of other property types. All holders doing business in Maryland are required to report and remit dormant accounts to the Comptroller under Maryland Code §17-301. Anne Arundel County, with nearly 595,000 residents, likely has more accounts in the state database than most other Maryland counties.
The county tax sale surplus program is separate. When a property sells at tax auction for more than what was owed, the former owner may claim the difference. The Anne Arundel County Office of Finance Tax Sale Department processed over $3 million in surplus funds in a single recent fiscal year. That is real money sitting in county accounts, and the former property owners may not even know it exists.
Searching the Anne Arundel County Unclaimed Funds Database
For standard unclaimed property, start your search at the ClaimItMD portal. Enter your name and review any matches. The search is free and requires no account. You can also search by business name, which is useful if you owned a small business in Annapolis or elsewhere in the county and want to check for any dormant business accounts.
For tax sale surplus, contact the Anne Arundel County Office of Finance Tax Sale Department directly. The office is located at 2660 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 (mailing: P.O. Box 427, Annapolis, MD 21404). The Tax Sale Department number is 410-222-1735. Treasurer Scott Poyer can also be reached at 410-222-1753. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The main finance email is finance@aacounty.org.
The county's tax sale process runs online through the RealAuction platform. The screenshot below shows the county's main tax sale page, which is a good starting point if you want to understand how the process works or check if a property you formerly owned appeared in a sale.
The Anne Arundel County Finance tax sale page details the annual auction process, notice requirements, and how surplus funds are handled.
The county sends notice at least 30 days before each sale and advertises in local newspapers, so former owners typically had an opportunity to learn their property was at risk before the auction took place.
Anne Arundel County Tax Sale Surplus Claim Process
Claiming tax sale surplus funds from Anne Arundel County requires a few specific steps. First, call 410-222-1735 to confirm that excess funds exist for a property you formerly owned. Staff can look up whether a surplus was generated from a specific parcel. Do this before gathering documents, as not every tax sale produces a surplus.
If funds exist, you will need to gather: a government-issued photo ID, proof of former ownership such as a deed or prior tax bill, a completed claim form, and a W-9 form. Submit the package by mail to P.O. Box 9140, Annapolis, MD 21404. Processing takes roughly 6 to 12 weeks after the county receives your complete claim.
The RealAuction portal is where the annual tax sale is conducted. It handles bidding for the county and is the source of the surplus data.
The Anne Arundel County RealAuction tax sale portal is the online bidding platform used for the county's annual tax lien auction, held on the third Monday of June each year.
Minimum bids start at $250, and the interest rate on certificates is 18% per annum, which makes these auctions competitive and often drives sale prices above the tax amount owed.
Note: The redemption period for Anne Arundel County tax sales runs 6 to 9 months from the sale date. Former owners who redeem within that window do not lose the property and do not need to file a surplus claim.
How to Claim Statewide Unclaimed Money as an Anne Arundel Resident
Filing a claim through the Maryland Comptroller's statewide system follows a standard process. After you find a match on ClaimItMD, you will need to submit documentation to prove your identity and your right to the property. Required items are a photo ID, proof of your Social Security number, and the completed COT-ST912 claim form. The form is a single PDF you can fill out and print.
Claims submitted online are processed in 6 to 12 weeks. Mail claims take 12 to 24 weeks. The Comptroller's office phone is 410-767-1700 or toll-free 1-800-782-7383. You can also email unclaim@marylandtaxes.gov. The mailing address is 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21202. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Under Maryland Code §17-401, the state must pay an approved claim within 30 days. Maryland has no statute of limitations for claimants. You can file for funds that were turned over to the state five years ago or fifty years ago. The state holds them permanently until someone claims them.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Finance main page is a useful resource for understanding all county financial programs, including tax billing, payment options, and surplus fund procedures.
The finance department handles property tax collections, tax sales, and surplus fund distribution, making it the primary local contact for any county-level unclaimed funds questions.
What Anne Arundel County Unclaimed Property Looks Like
The most common types of unclaimed property in Anne Arundel County are bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, and uncashed checks. Utility deposits are common too, particularly in areas like Glen Burnie and Severn where rental turnover can be high. Wages that were never picked up after leaving a job, dividend payments from stocks, and contents of safe deposit boxes that were abandoned all show up in the state database.
Dormancy periods vary by property type. Bank accounts and wages go dormant after three years under Maryland Code §17-102. Money orders become dormant after seven years. Traveler's checks take fifteen years before they are considered abandoned. Most holders report and remit in the fall, so new accounts typically show up in the state database by the following spring.
If you have moved within Anne Arundel County or from another state, it is worth checking the national MissingMoney.com database as well. It searches multiple states and can surface accounts from places you may have forgotten about.
Finder services sometimes contact Anne Arundel residents offering to locate unclaimed money for a fee. Under Maryland Code §17-404, finder agreements signed within 24 months of the property being reported to the state are void. You can always search and claim for free on your own through the ClaimItMD portal.
Cities in Anne Arundel County
Two cities in Anne Arundel County have their own unclaimed money pages with local details.
Nearby Counties
Anne Arundel County shares borders with four neighboring counties. If you have lived or owned property in any of them, check their unclaimed property and tax sale surplus programs as well.