# Unclaimed Royalties in Indiana: Find and Claim Them (2026) > How to find unclaimed oil and gas royalties in Indiana: the free state search, how long before the operator sends money to the state, how an heir proves a claim, finder fee rules, and the Indiana-specific traps. Source: https://www.berlinroyalties.com/unclaimed-royalties/indiana/ Publisher: Berlin Royalties, a veteran-owned oil and gas mineral and royalty buyer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, buying for its own account since 2014. Call or text 918-984-1645. License: free to quote and cite with attribution to Berlin Royalties and a link to the source URL. Unclaimed Royalties ยท Indiana ## Unclaimed royalties in Indiana: how to find and claim them Royalty money that could not be paid does not vanish. It sits with the operator, then goes to the state, under the name of whoever owned the minerals, which is often someone who died years ago. Here is where Indiana puts it, how long it takes to get there, and how to get it back. The search is free and so is our help. [Search Indiana Unclaimed Property](https://www.indianaunclaimed.gov/) [Free Paperwork Review](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/shoebox/) Updated November 2026. Written by [Stephen Clayman](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/stephen-clayman/), career landman and owner of Berlin Royalties. Statutes were checked against primary sources; where we could not confirm a detail the page says so. This is general information from a buyer, not legal advice. ## How do I find unclaimed royalties in Indiana? Search the [Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division](https://www.indianaunclaimed.gov/) database under the name of every family member who ever owned the minerals, including maiden names, initials and misspellings. Then call the operator's owner relations department, because money inside the dormancy period is still at the operator and will not show up in the state's search. Both steps are free, and we will run both for you free. ## Where to search The Indiana search is run by the Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division at [www.indianaunclaimed.gov/](https://www.indianaunclaimed.gov/). Search by name only, so try every variant. For money still at the operator, our free [operator directory](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/operators/) has the owner relations contact for every company registered in the state, including the ones that no longer exist, which is where older wells' money usually sits. ## How long before Indiana royalties go to the state? Three years under IC 32-34-1.5-4(13), the earlier of three years after the owner first has a right to demand the money or the obligation to pay arises. Indiana's is the only unclaimed property program run by an Attorney General, and owners have 25 years after reporting to claim. ## What "pay to current" means for your claim Yes. IC 32-34-1.5-3(17) defines mineral proceeds to include, on the abandonment of the first amount, amounts that become payable afterward. In a pay-to-current state, once an owner's first payment is reported, every later royalty follows it, so the state's balance under a family name keeps growing and the operator holds nothing. In the other states, each payment runs its own clock, and the newest money is still with the operator. ## How an heir claims a deceased owner's royalties Only a legal heir may claim for a deceased owner, and a will counts as probated if a court appointed an executor or personal representative. Expect to show the death certificate and the documents that make you the heir. The state pays the owner of record or that owner's legal successor, so the title question and the claim question are the same question: who inherited the minerals, and what document proves it. Our page on [inherited mineral rights in Indiana](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/inherited-mineral-rights/indiana/) covers which document the state requires and how to get it. ## Finder fees, and why you never need one Finder agreements are void within 24 months of the money reaching the state, and any provision paying a finder from minerals or mineral proceeds not yet abandoned is void, under IC 32-34-1.5-75. You do not need one. Companies that write to heirs offering to "recover" unclaimed royalties for a percentage are selling you a search you can run in two minutes. Some of them also ask for the minerals themselves. Do not sign anything that conveys an interest in exchange for help with a claim. ## Indiana specifics worth knowing - Indiana has no statute setting royalty payment deadlines or late interest on private leases; the lease governs. Money at the operator is a contract question. - The 20-year Dormant Mineral Interest Act is the larger risk. Payment of royalties is a 'use' that keeps the interest alive, and unclaimed royalties are still payments; but an interest with no production, no lease and no statement of claim for 20 years is gone. Check the county recorder's dormant mineral record before you claim anything. ## What to do, in order - **Search the state** at [Indiana Attorney General, Unclaimed Property Division](https://www.indianaunclaimed.gov/) under every family name and spelling. - **Write to every operator** that ever paid the family and ask what is in suspense and what releases it. Our [letter generator](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/letter-generator/?type=suspense) writes the suspense release request with the enclosures listed. - **Confirm what the family owned** in the county records; our page on [finding out whether you own mineral rights](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/find-out-if-you-own-mineral-rights/) lists the free searches. - **Get the title document the state and the operator both need.** The route is on [inherited mineral rights in Indiana](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/inherited-mineral-rights/indiana/). If you are selling to us, we coordinate and pay for it. - **Send us the shoebox.** Photograph whatever paperwork the family has and send it through the [free shoebox review](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/shoebox/); we will tell you what the family owns, what pays, and where the money is, whether or not you ever sell. ### Found money, found a mystery, or found an operator that will not answer? Send a photo of whatever you have. We will identify the interest, tell you why the money is suspended, and tell you what document unlocks it. Free, and the answer is the same whether or not you sell. [Get a Free Valuation](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/free-valuation/) [Text a Check Stub](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/text-your-check/) Or call or text [918-984-1645](tel:9189841645) and ask for Stephen. ## Questions Indiana owners ask ### How long before Indiana royalties go to the state? Three years under IC 32-34-1.5-4(13). Later-accruing royalties follow the first abandoned payment automatically, and you have 25 years after reporting to claim. ### Who runs Indiana's unclaimed property program? The Indiana Attorney General, the only such program in the country run by an AG, at indianaunclaimed.gov. ### Can a finder take part of my Indiana minerals as a fee? No. IC 32-34-1.5-75 voids any provision paying a finder from minerals or mineral proceeds not yet abandoned, and voids finder agreements made within 24 months of the money reaching the state. ## Related - [Unclaimed royalties](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/unclaimed-royalties/), the hub, with every state's search - [Sell Indiana mineral rights](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/indiana/), the state page - [Inherited mineral rights in Indiana](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/inherited-mineral-rights/indiana/) - [Royalty payment laws by state](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/royalty-payment-laws/) and the [letter generator](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/letter-generator/) - [Operator directory](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/operators/) and [the shoebox review](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/shoebox/)