The Bona Vacantia List Explained: What It Is, Who's On It, and How to Search It

The bona vacantia listis the UK government's official register of unclaimed estates — property left by people who died without a will and without known relatives. It contains around 6,000 estates, some going back to the 1970s, and is freely searchable by the public. If a relative of yours appears on that list, their estate may be legally yours to claim.

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What is the bona vacantia list?

Bona vacantiais Latin for “ownerless goods.” Under English law, when someone dies intestate — without a valid will — and no known relatives come forward to claim their estate, the property transfers to the Crown. In England and Wales, the Crown is represented by the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department.

The Bona Vacantia Division publishes every estate it administers on a public list. That list — the unclaimed estates list— is the bona vacantia list. Each entry shows the deceased's name, date of death, place of death, and a unique reference number. Relatives who identify a match can step forward and make a claim.

How does an estate end up on the list?

Two conditions must both be true for an estate to appear on the bona vacantia list:

• The person died without a valid will (intestate)
• No entitled relatives came forward during the initial administration

The estate must also be worth more than £500 to be referred to the Bona Vacantia Division. Below that threshold, the coroner or local authority handles matters. In practice, most listed estates are worth considerably more — though the exact value is not shown on the list.

The list is updated regularly and currently contains around 6,000 open estates in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate registers under their own legislation.

Who can claim from the bona vacantia list?

You can claim if you are a qualifying relative under the UK intestacy rules. The order of entitlement runs from closest to most distant:

1. Spouse or civil partner
2. Children (and their descendants)
3. Parents
4. Siblings (full, then half)
5. Grandparents
6. Aunts and uncles (full, then half) and their children

Each category only inherits if no one in a higher category survives. Cohabiting partners and step-children who were not legally adopted have no automatic entitlement under intestacy law, regardless of how long the relationship lasted. Not sure where you stand? Use the FindMyLegacy entitlement checker to see whether you may have a valid claim.

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How to search the bona vacantia list

The official list is published on GOV.UK as a downloadable spreadsheet — free to access, but not exactly a pleasure to use. It is a raw data file, not a search tool. Most people prefer a searchable interface.

One critical thing to watch for: surnames change over time. Spelling variations, clerical errors, and anglicisation mean the name you are looking for may appear under a different spelling. A search for “Finucane” might miss “Fenocan.” A search for “Johnston” might miss “Johnson.” Standard exact-match searches are unreliable for historical family research.

FindMyLegacy uses Double Metaphone phonetic matching to catch these variations automatically. Search once and surface every phonetically similar match — including surnames that sound identical but are spelled differently. You can also save surnames to your watchlist and receive email alerts whenever a new matching estate is added to the list. No heir hunter required.

How to claim from the bona vacantia list

Once you have identified an estate on the list, making a claim involves three broad steps:

1. Establish your entitlement. Work out your relationship to the deceased and confirm you sit at the highest point in the intestacy hierarchy with no surviving relatives above you.
2. Gather your documentary evidence. You need an unbroken chain of official records linking you to the deceased — birth, marriage, and death certificates for every person in the connection.
3. Submit your claim to the Bona Vacantia Division. There is no charge for making a direct claim. Submit your family tree and supporting documents. The Division reviews your submission and pays out once administration is complete.

For a full walk-through, see our guide to how to make an inheritance claim on an unclaimed estate.

How long do you have to claim?

You have 30 years from the date of death to make a claim against a bona vacantia estate. That is why the list contains entries from the 1970s and 1980s — claims on those estates are still legally valid. The window is generous, but not unlimited.

There is a practical reason to act within 12 years of the estate being administered: claims within that window may also include interest on the amount owed. Claims after that threshold are still valid — just without interest. If you have spotted an older estate, time is worth bearing in mind.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the bona vacantia list?

The bona vacantia list is the UK government's register of unclaimed estates — property left by people who died without a will and without known relatives. It is published by the Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department and is freely available to search. Qualifying relatives have up to 30 years to come forward and claim.

How many estates are on the bona vacantia list?

Around 6,000 estates are currently open on the list in England and Wales. New entries are added as estates are referred to the Crown, and estates are closed when a claim is settled or the 30-year window expires.

Is the bona vacantia list free to search?

Yes. The official list is published on GOV.UK at no charge. FindMyLegacy provides a free searchable version with phonetic matching and surname watchlists, so you can monitor the list for new entries without manually checking every few months.

What happened to the bona vacantia list in 2025?

The list was temporarily removed from public view in July 2025, following a BBC investigation that found evidence of organised criminals using it to make fraudulent inheritance claims. The government reinstated the list in January 2026 with revised data restrictions — the current version shows name, date of death, and area, but some identifying details have been redacted.

Can I claim a bona vacantia estate without a solicitor?

Yes. You can submit a claim directly to the Bona Vacantia Division yourself, at no cost. A solicitor is not required for straightforward cases. Where the family tree is complex, records are missing, or the estate is very large, professional legal advice is a sensible investment — but you do not need to pay commission to an heir hunting firm.