Can you keep money you find on the ground in Illinois? It depends, state law says
If you’ve been lucky enough to find cash laying on the ground in Illinois, you may have wondered whether it’s technically legal to keep it.
Illinois state law differentiates between finds worth more or less than $100, and it does ask finders to take action after spotting dropped cash.
Here’s what to know about state law regarding unclaimed property.
Is it legal to keep money you find in Illinois?
If you find any amount of money and know who the owner is, for example, if you see them drop their wallet in front of you, Illinois state law requires you to tell them and give it to them without asking for compensation.
If you find $100 or property worth $100 or more and you do not know who its owner is, you’re required to file an affidavit within five days which includes a description of the item, the time and place where you found it and a statement saying you do not know who the owner is and you have not kept any part of the property or money.
When you file an affidavit for perishable goods you found, the court will sell it at public auction and give the proceeds (minus expenses) to the finder, who should give it to the owner after deducting any expenses they incurred if the owner steps forward.
Other unclaimed items are also sometimes sold at public auction in Illinois, including collectible coins and jewelry.
Within 20 days of receiving a certified copy of a court order reporting found property worth $100 or more, the county clerk is required to have a notice published in a public newspaper for three weeks. If the owner does not step forward to claim their property and reimburse the finder for any expenses within one year of the notice, the item or money will become property of the finder.
If you find something that’s not worth more than $100, Illinois law says you must advertise your find at the courthouse. The owner then has six months to claim their property before it will legally belong to the finder.
You can report lost or stolen property to the Belleville Police Department at 618-234-1212.
