# Unclaimed Royalties in Michigan: Find and Claim Them (2026) > How to find unclaimed oil and gas royalties in Michigan: 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 Michigan-specific traps. Source: https://www.berlinroyalties.com/unclaimed-royalties/michigan/ 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 Michigan ## Unclaimed royalties in Michigan: 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 Michigan 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 Michigan Unclaimed Property](https://unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov/app/claim-search) [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 Michigan? Search the [Michigan Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property](https://unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov/app/claim-search) 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 Michigan search is run by the Michigan Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property at [unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov/app/claim-search](https://unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov/app/claim-search). 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 Michigan royalties go to the state? Three years after the money becomes payable, under MCL 567.223(1). Michigan has no mineral-specific section; royalties fall under the general rule. ## What "pay to current" means for your claim We could not confirm pay-to-current language in Michigan's statute; MCL 567.222 does not define mineral proceeds. Ask the operator whether later payments are still being held. 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 If the owner is deceased, a biological heir or devisee, a beneficiary, or the personal representative if the estate is in probate may claim. No finder is required and the Treasury does not endorse locators. 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. ## Finder fees, and why you never need one Locator agreements made within 24 months after the property reaches the state are unenforceable under MCL 567.256, locators must register with the Treasury, and there is no percentage cap in that section. You do not need one; the search is free. 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. ## Michigan specifics worth knowing - Michigan's forced pooling under MCL 324.61513 is weak and rarely used, and the state exempts its own minerals from it. A stopped Antrim or Niagaran royalty is usually a title or lease question. - Michigan publishes well and production data through EGLE, which is the quickest way to confirm whether the family's wells are still producing before you chase the money. ## What to do, in order - **Search the state** at [Michigan Department of Treasury, Unclaimed Property](https://unclaimedproperty.michigan.gov/app/claim-search) 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.** A Michigan attorney can tell you whether an affidavit or a probate is required. 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 Michigan owners ask ### How long before Michigan royalties go to the state? Three years after they become payable under MCL 567.223(1). There is no separate rule for mineral proceeds. ### Who can claim a deceased owner's Michigan royalties? A biological heir or devisee, a beneficiary, or the personal representative while the estate is in probate. No finder is needed. ### Are Michigan locator fees capped? No percentage cap in MCL 567.256, but any locator agreement signed within 24 months of the money reaching the state is unenforceable, and locators must be registered. The search is free. ## Related - [Unclaimed royalties](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/unclaimed-royalties/), the hub, with every state's search - [Sell Michigan mineral rights](https://www.berlinroyalties.com/michigan/), the state page - [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/)