Howard County Unclaimed Money
Howard County residents can search for unclaimed money through the Maryland Comptroller's statewide program, which holds over $2.76 billion in total unclaimed funds across more than 1.3 million accounts. If you live in Columbia, Ellicott City, or anywhere else in the county, the search is free and takes just a few minutes. Many Howard County residents do not know money is sitting in the state database with their name on it, and the only way to find out is to check.
Howard County Unclaimed Money Overview
How Howard County Unclaimed Money Works
Maryland does not operate a separate county-level unclaimed property database for Howard County. All unclaimed funds held by banks, insurance companies, employers, utility providers, and other businesses are reported directly to the Maryland Comptroller under Maryland Code §17-301. That means the state database is the single place to search for most types of lost money, and it covers Howard County residents the same as every other county in the state.
Howard County is one of the wealthiest counties in the entire country. Median household incomes run well above the national average, and the county has seen rapid growth for decades. With that kind of economic activity comes a higher-than-average chance that residents have financial accounts, policies, or payments that went dormant without them knowing. People change jobs, move between neighborhoods, close old bank accounts, or forget about utility deposits. Those funds eventually get turned over to the state if the holder cannot locate the owner.
The state holds funds indefinitely. There is no deadline to file a claim. Whether the money was turned over last year or twenty years ago, it stays in the system until you ask for it back.
Searching for Howard County Unclaimed Funds
Start your search at the ClaimItMD portal, which is the official Maryland Comptroller search database. You can enter any name and browse results at no cost. The search works for individuals and businesses alike, so if you ran a small business in Columbia or Ellicott City, check for dormant business accounts as well as personal ones. The portal is available at any hour and does not require you to create an account.
You can also search the national MissingMoney.com database. That database aggregates unclaimed property records from multiple states. It is useful if you have moved to Howard County from another state or if you have lived in multiple places over the years. A former address in Virginia, Pennsylvania, or any other state may have accounts that were never transferred or claimed.
The screenshot below comes from the Maryland Comptroller's main unclaimed property portal, which is the gateway for all state-level unclaimed fund searches and claims.
The Maryland Comptroller unclaimed property page is the official state starting point for any Howard County resident trying to locate lost funds.
The portal links to both the search tool and the claim submission system, and it provides guidance on what documents you will need before you file.
Note: Search your full legal name, any former names, and maiden names if applicable. Short or common names can return many results, so look through all of them carefully.
Howard County Tax Sale Surplus Funds
In addition to the statewide program, Howard County runs an annual tax sale for properties with delinquent tax bills. The county holds its tax sale in May each year. The interest rate on tax sale certificates is 12% per annum, and the minimum bid threshold is $250. Former property owners have a six-month redemption window after the sale date, during which they can pay off the delinquent taxes and reclaim the property without losing title.
When a property sells at the tax auction for more than the total amount of taxes and fees owed, the excess money belongs to the former owner. These are called surplus funds. The Howard County Finance Department handles these claims. If you believe a property you formerly owned was sold at a Howard County tax sale and generated a surplus, contact the Finance Department to find out.
The screenshot below shows the Howard County Finance tax sale page, which outlines the county's annual sale process, notice procedures, and how to get information about surplus funds.
The Howard County Finance tax sale page gives a full overview of the May auction, including how excess funds are handled after a sale closes.
Surplus funds from tax sales are a less well-known form of unclaimed money. Many former property owners never realize a surplus exists because they may have vacated the property well before the auction took place.
Howard County Finance Department Contact Info
For questions about county-level tax sale surplus funds, contact the Howard County Finance Department directly. The main finance page is at howardcountymd.gov/finance. Staff can tell you whether a specific property generated surplus funds and what documentation you need to submit a claim.
The screenshot below shows the Howard County Finance Department main page, which is the starting point for any county-level financial inquiry including tax sale surplus claims.
The Howard County Finance Department manages all county revenue functions, including property tax billing, the annual tax sale, and distribution of excess funds to former property owners.
The Finance Department is your county-level contact. For all other types of unclaimed property, the Maryland Comptroller's office handles claims statewide.
The nearest Maryland Comptroller field office to Howard County is the Baltimore main office, which serves the central Maryland region. The state mailing address for claims is 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 320, Baltimore, MD 21202. You can also call 410-767-1700 or toll-free at 1-800-782-7383. Email goes to unclaim@marylandtaxes.gov. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Filing a Claim: What Howard County Residents Need
Once you find an account in the ClaimItMD database, you need to submit documentation to prove your identity and your right to the property. The state requires a government-issued photo ID, proof of your Social Security number, and the completed COT-ST912 claim form. That form is a PDF you can download, print, and fill out by hand. For joint accounts or estates, additional paperwork may be required depending on the circumstances.
Claims submitted through the online portal typically process in 6 to 12 weeks. Claims sent by mail take 12 to 24 weeks. The Comptroller's office is required under Maryland Code §17-401 to pay an approved claim within 30 days of approval. So the main variable is how long it takes them to review and approve the paperwork, not how long they take to cut the check after approval.
Dormancy periods vary by property type. Bank accounts and wages become dormant after three years under Maryland Code §17-102. Money orders go dormant after seven years. Traveler's checks take fifteen years. Most holders report in the fall, so new accounts typically show up in the ClaimItMD database by the following spring. If you searched a year or two ago and found nothing, it may be worth checking again now.
Common Types of Unclaimed Money in Howard County
The most common property types in the state database for any county include bank checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, insurance policy proceeds, and uncashed checks. For Howard County specifically, dividend payments from investment accounts are worth looking for. The county has a high concentration of professional workers and dual-income households, many of whom have investment accounts through multiple employers over the course of a career. Dormant brokerage accounts or old 401(k) balances that were never rolled over can end up in the state database.
Utility deposits are another common source. If you rented in Columbia or Ellicott City and moved out without claiming your deposit back from BGE or another utility, that money may have been turned over to the state after a few years. Safe deposit box contents, unclaimed court settlements, and refunds from old insurance policies also appear regularly in the database.
Under Maryland Code §17-404, finder agreements signed within 24 months after property is reported to the state are void and unenforceable. You never need to pay a finder service to claim your own money. The ClaimItMD portal is free, and the state's staff will walk you through the process at no charge.
Note: The state holds funds permanently. There is no deadline to file a claim under Maryland's custodial law. Even very old accounts can still be claimed.
Cities in Howard County
Two cities in Howard County have their own unclaimed money pages with more localized details.
Nearby Counties
Howard County shares borders with five neighboring counties. If you have lived or owned property in any of them, it is worth checking their unclaimed property programs as well.