177.0205 or a fixed and certain interest in intangible property held, issued, or owed in the course of a holder’s business or by a government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality. (b) “Property” includes all of the following: 1. All income from or increments to the property. 2. Property referred to as or evidenced by: a. Money, virtual currency, or interest. b. A dividend, check, draft, deposit, or payroll card. c. A credit balance, customer overpayment, security deposit, refund, credit memorandum, unpaid wage, unused ticket for which the issuer has an obligation to provide a refund, mineral proceeds, or unidentified remittance. d. A security, except for a worthless security or a security that is subject to a lien, legal hold, or restriction evidenced on the records of the holder or imposed by operation of law, if the lien, legal hold, or restriction restricts the holder’s or owner’s ability to receive, transfer, sell, or otherwise negotiate the security. e. A bond, debenture, note, or other evidence of indebtedness. f. Money deposited to redeem a security, make a distribution, or pay a dividend. g. An amount due and payable under an annuity contract or insurance policy. h. An amount distributable from a trust or custodial fund established under a plan to provide health, welfare, pension, vacation, severance, retirement, death, stock purchase, profit-sharing, employee-savings, supplemental-unemployment insurance, or a similar benefit. (c) “Property” does not include the following: 1. Property held in a plan described in section 529A of the Internal Revenue Code. 2. Game-related digital content. 3. A loyalty card.
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4. An in-store credit for returned merchandise. 5. A gift card. 6. A stored-value card. 7. Property described under s. 177.015 (2). 8. A financial organization loyalty card. (13d) “Putative holder” means a person believed by the administrator to be a holder, until the person pays or delivers to the administrator property subject to this chapter or the administrator or a court makes a final determination that the person is or is not a holder. (13f) “Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. (13h) “Security” means all of the following: (a) A security, as defined in s. 408.102 (1) (o). (b) A security entitlement, as defined in s. 408.102 (1) (q), including a customer security account held by a registered brokerdealer, to the extent the financial assets held in the security account are not any of the following: 1. Registered on the books of the issuer in the name of the person for which the broker-dealer holds the assets. 2. Payable to the order of the person. 3. Specifically endorsed to the person. (c) An equity interest in a business association that is not a security under par. (a) or a security entitlement under par. (b). (13j) “Sign” means any of the following done with the intent to authenticate or adopt a record: (a) To execute or adopt a tangible symbol. (b) To attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic symbol, sound, or process. (14) “State” means any state, district, commonwealth, territory, insular possession and any other area subject to the legislative authority of the United States. (14d) (a) “Stored-value card” means a record evidencing a promise for consideration by the seller or issuer of the record that merchandise, goods, services, or money will be provided to the owner of the record equal to the value or amount shown in the record, if all of the following apply: 1. The value or amount does not expire. 2. The value or amount may be decreased only by redemption for merchandise, goods, services, or money. 3. The value or amount may be redeemed for or converted into money or otherwise monetized by the issuer. (b) “Stored-value card” includes the following: 1. A record that contains or consists of a microprocessor chip, magnetic strip, or other means for the storage of information, that is prefunded, and the value or amount of which is decreased on each use and increased by payment of additional consideration. 2. A prepaid commercial mobile radio service, as defined in 47 CFR 20.3, as amended. (c) “Stored-value card” does not include the following: 1. A payroll card. 2. A loyalty card. 3. A gift card. 4. Game-related digital content. 5. A financial organization loyalty card. (14m) “U.S. savings bond” means a savings bond issued by the U.S. department of the treasury, whether in paper, electronic, or paperless form, and includes all proceeds of the savings bond. (15) “Utility” means a person that owns or operates for public use any plant, equipment, real property, franchise, or license for
May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26)
177.01
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY ACT
the transmission of communications; the production, storage, transmission, sale, delivery, or furnishing of electricity, water, steam, or gas; the provision of sewage or septic services; or the disposal or recycling of trash or garbage. (16) “Virtual currency” means a digital representation of value used as a medium of exchange, unit of account, or store of value that does not have legal tender status recognized by the United States. “Virtual currency” does not include: (a) The software or protocols governing the transfer of the digital representation of value. (b) Game-related digital content. (c) A loyalty card. (d) A gift card. (e) A financial organization loyalty card. (17) “Worthless security” means a security for which the cost of liquidation and delivery to the administrator exceeds the value of the security on the date on which a report is due under this chapter. History: 1983 a. 408; 1991 a. 221; 1993 a. 112; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 109; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 309; 2021 a. 87; 2021 a. 240 s. 30; 2023 a. 138. Uncashed worker’s compensation benefits checks in uncontested cases are “intangible property” subject to reporting and delivery under this chapter. Discussing the applicable statute of limitations. Employers Insurance of Wausau v. Smith, 154 Wis. 2d 199, 453 N.W.2d 856 (1990).