Abandoned Property Project

Introduction

Fifty states, the territories, and the District of Columbia have adopted unclaimed property laws that pertain to “intangible property” such as money and financial instruments. The holdings of cultural institutions, however, fall under “tangible property.” This includes non-real estate property items—material that can be moved, touched or felt. Most states in the United States have provided libraries, archives, and museums with statutes regarding abandoned tangible property that has been given to a cultural or heritage institution and how those institutions may acquire ownership of the material in order to catalog, exhibit, and otherwise care for or dispose of it.

Most of these statutes provide definitions for what types of institutions can use the law; what constitutes abandoned property; and how long an institution must have physical ownership of an item before following the procedures to acquire legal ownership. These laws typically require that an institution provide legal notice about the property so that individuals or other entities who may have a claim in the property know of its existence at the cultural institution; lengths of time for this legal notice vary from state to state, as does how long an institution must have physical ownership before following this process.

As of 2023, two states, most of the territories, and Washington, D.C. have not adopted abandoned property laws with language specific to cultural institutions.

Note: This information is provided as a service and was not compiled by lawyers or legislative staffers. If you wish to implement the provisions of these laws to obtain ownership of a collection, please confirm the information provided.

Revision history: Page created in 2009, Updated in 2011, Updated in 2016, Updated in 2023

ALABAMA	Other	Link
Citation: Code of Alabama 1975 §41-6-72 to 41-6-75
Notes: Language specifically covers State Archives; no statute currently covers museums and abandoned property. Although this language specifically addresses State archives, there are other statutes that cover city and county museum operations; no code that specifically addresses museums and abandoned property. As of 2016, there is a movement to introduce legislation that will expand the statute to all Alabama cultural collecting entities. This is expected to come sooner rather than later.

ALASKA	Yes	Link
Citation Alaska Statutes 2006, Chapter 14, Section 57.200 to 290 (14.57.200-290)

AMERICAN SAMOA	Other	Link, Link
Citation: American Samoa Chapter 03 - Government Records Management. 2.0320 Exceptions to rules-Emergencies.

ARIZONA	Yes	Link
Citation Arizona Revised Statutes, Chapter 3.1, Article 1, Section 44-351 to 44-356

ARKANSAS	Yes	Link
Citation Arkansas Code, Title 13, Chapter 5, Subchapter 10

CALIFORNIA	Yes	Link
Citation California Civil Code Section 1899-1899.11

COLORADO	Yes	Link
Citation Colorado Statutes, Title 38, Article 14, Section 101 to 112 (38-14-101 – 38-14-112)
Notes: Alternative link at the Wayback Machine

CONNECTICUT	Yes	Link
Citation: General Statutes of Connecticut § 11-194-11-80 to 11-194-11-89

DELAWARE	Yes	Link
Citation: Delaware General Assembly House Bill 231, Volume 81, Chapter 213, Effective Date: 2018-03-08. Abandoned Cultural Property Act.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	No

FLORIDA	Yes	Link
Citation Florida Statutes, Title 18, Chapter 265, Section 565 (265.565)
Notes: Alternative link at Wayback Machine

GEORGIA	Yes	Link
Citation Official Code of Georgia, Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 17B, Section 529.1 to 529.7. Georgia Museum Property Act §10-1-529.1
Notes: Alternative link

GUAM	Yes	Link
Citation: Guam Code Annotated § 76105. Acquisitions and Gifts.

HAWAII	No

IDAHO	Other	Link
Citation: Idaho Statutes §14-534.
Notes: Applies to state historical society only; university repositories consult their legal staff

ILLINOIS	Yes	Link
Citation Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 765, ILCS 1033. Museum Disposition of Property Act.

INDIANA	Yes	Link
Citation Indiana Code, Title 32, Article 34, Chapter 5 (IC 32-34-5)
Notes: Alternative link

IOWA	Yes	Link
Citation Iowa Code, Museum Property Act Ch 305B and Administrative Rules Chapter 221-7

KANSAS	Yes	Link
Citation Kansas Statutes, Chapter 58, Part 6, Article 40, Statute 01 to 13 (K.S.A. 58-4001 through 58-4013)
Notes: Alternative link at Wayback Machine

KENTUCKY	Yes	Link
Citation Kentucky Revised Statutes, Title 14, Chapter 171, Section 830 to 849.

LOUISIANA	Yes	Link
Citation: Louisiana Revised Statutes § 25.345

MAINE	Yes	Link
Citation: Title 27: Libraries, History, Culture and Art. Chapter 19: Property Deposited with Museums and Historical Societies. §601

MARYLAND	Yes	Link
Citation: Maryland Senate Bill 88, Article II, Section 17(c) of the Maryland Constitution, Chapter 29. Abandoned Property in Possession of a Museum.

MASSACHUSETTS	Yes	Link
Citation CHAPTER 295 AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE DISPOSITION OF MUSEUM PROPERTY. (see Senate, No. 2402) Chapter 200b

MICHIGAN	Yes	Link
Citation Michigan Compiled Laws, Chapter 399, Section 601 to 613. Museum Disposition of Property Act.

MINNESOTA	Yes	Link
Citation Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 345, Section 70 to 74 Minnesota Museum Property Act.

MISSISSIPPI	Yes	Link
Citation Mississippi Code, Title 39, Chapter 19, Section 1-21. Museum Unclaimed Property Act
Notes: Alternative link

MISSOURI	Yes	Link
Citation Missouri Revised Statutes, Chapter 184, Sections 184.102 to 184.122
Notes: Alternative link

MONTANA	Yes	Link
Citation Montana Code Annotated 2005, Title 22, Chapter 3, Section 501-523 (511-520 reserved). Museum Loan Act.
Notes: Alternative link

NEBRASKA	Yes	Link
Citation Nebraska Revised Statutes, Section 51-701 to 51-712. Museum Property Act.

NEVADA	Other	Link
Citation Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 381, Section 9 (see also section 1 for covered museums.)
Notes: Apparently applies only to museums in the state system of museums.

NEW HAMPSHIRE	Yes	Link
Citation New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Title 16, Chapter 201-E, Section 1 to 7. Museum Property Act.

NEW JERSEY	Yes	Link
Citation: Title 46 - PROPERTY Section 46:30D-1 (2013). Museum Unclaimed Loan Act.

NEW MEXICO	Yes	Link
Citation New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, Chapter 18, Article 10, Section 1 to 5. Abandoned Cultural Properties Act.

NEW YORK	Yes	Link
Citation Consolidated Laws of New York, Education Law, Part 1, Section 233-AA
Notes: Alternative link

NORTH CAROLINA	Yes	Link
Citation North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 121-50 through 121-57

NORTH DAKOTA	No	Link
Citation North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 55, Section 12.
Notes: Alternative link (for instances when museum is closing)

NORTHERN MARIANAS	No

OHIO	Yes	Link
Citation Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 3385.01 to 3385.10, PROPERTY ON LOAN TO MUSEUM

OKLAHOMA	Yes	Link
Citation Oklahoma Statutes, Title 60: Chapter 651. Definitions;

OREGON	Yes	Link
Citation Oregon Revised Statutes (2005), Chapter 358.415 to 358.440
Notes: Alternative link

PENNSYLVANIA	Yes	Link
Citation Personal property. Title 37, Section 304

PUERTO RICO	No

RHODE ISLAND	Yes	Link

SOUTH CAROLINA	Yes	Link
Citation South Carolina Code of Laws, SECTION 27-45-10 to 27-45-100

SOUTH DAKOTA	Yes	Link
Citation South Dakota Codified Laws, CHAPTER 43-41C-1 to 43-41C -4

TENNESSEE	Yes	Link
Citation Tennessee Code, Title 66, Chapter 29, Section 66-29-201 to 66-29-204.

TEXAS	Yes	Link
Citation Texas Statutes, Title 6A, Chapter 80, Sections 80.001 to 80.008

US VIRGIN ISLANDS	No

UTAH	Yes	Link
Citation: Title 9, Changer 8, Part 8, Preserve our Heritage Act.Utah Code, Title 63A, Chapter 12, the Public Records management Act

VERMONT	Yes	Link
Citation Added 2007, Title 27. Chapter 12, Section 1151
Notes: Alternative link

VIRGINIA	Yes	Link
Citation Code of Virginia, Title 55, Chapter 11.2, Section 55-210.31 to 55-210.32

WASHINGTON	Yes	Link
Citation Revised Code of Washington, Title 63, Chapter 26 (63.26)

WEST VIRGINIA	No

WISCONSIN	Yes	Link
Citation Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 171 (171.30 -171.33)

WYOMING	Yes	Link
Citation Wyoming Statutes, Title 34, Chapter 23 (34-23-101 to 34-23-108)

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