Ohio State Fair offers chance to find your forgotten money

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Ohioans can discover and claim their unclaimed funds while visiting the 2024 Ohio State Fair.

The Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Unclaimed Funds is returning to the Ohio State Fair this year to offer attendees a chance to find and claim their lost or forgotten money.

Fairgoers can visit the Division’s booth within the Department of Commerce’s “Commerce House” inside the Bricker Building. The building is located in the middle of the fairgrounds.

Staff will be available to walk attendees through the process of finding out if they have unclaimed funds available.

During the 2023 Ohio State Fair, more than 1,000 people found a total of $322,729 while visiting the unclaimed funds booth. The Division says one fairgoer found more than $50,000, and another found over $28,000. On average, most claimants found $300 during last year’s fair.

Unclaimed funds are defined as any lost or forgotten money that businesses or banks report to the Division after accounts become inactive, typically after 3-5 years. The Division is currently safeguarding approximately $4 billion in unclaimed funds.

The Ohio State Fair is the division’s largest in-person outreach event, according to Division Superintendent Akil Hardy. Ohioans can also look up their unclaimed funds status online at unclaimedfunds.ohio.gov .

The 2024 Ohio State Fair runs from July 24 through Aug. 4. Click here for more information.

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