Is it illegal to pick up and keep cash you find on the street? Here’s what Idaho law says
So you found some cash on the street.
Maybe you considered reporting it but decided it was too much of a hassle to track down the person who lost it. Or perhaps you could use an extra few bucks and figure there’s no way to track down the original owner.
Are you allowed to slip it into your wallet, or does Idaho law consider that theft?
Idaho laws for reporting cash that you find
State law explicitly outlines what to do if you find cash or property worth $100 or more.
Upon finding the cash or property, if you don’t know or can’t find the original owner, you must alert the county clerk of which the money or property was found within 10 days of finding it. The only time this rule doesn’t apply is if you find a firearm, explosive or deadly weapon, which must be reported immediately to police.
Once you’ve alerted the county clerk of your finding, the discovery must be published in a local newspaper in the county it was found once a week for two weeks. The notice must state:
A general description of the money or goods found
The address and telephone number of the county clerk’s office
The final date by which the money or property must be claimed
If no person claims and establishes ownership of the money or property by three months after the initial notice to the county clerk, the person who found the goods becomes the rightful owner.
If the property is claimed by the rightful owner, they’ll receive it back after paying for the costs incurred to find, give notice, and take care of it.
If you find money or property of less than $100, Idaho law does not specify that you have to turn it in. However, if you can identify the property owner — such as a wallet with an ID — you still must return the property.
Not doing so could be considered petty theft, resulting in a misdemeanor and fines of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail.
What if you don’t report found cash?
According to Idaho state law, anyone who doesn’t report the lost property they found will “forfeit all right to the property” and “be liable for the full value of the property to its owner.”
If you find property or cash worth more than $100 and fail to report it, you become liable to the county for the money or value of the goods. That means if discovered — along with the potential of a theft charge — you must forfeit the goods to the county treasurer, according to Idaho Law.
The county treasurer will then publish the find in a local newspaper using the same steps as above. If the original owner does not come forward to claim their property, money will placed in the county’s general fund. Physical objects will be delivered to the county sheriff’s office and sold at auction. The proceeds will then be added to the county’s general fund.
