May I keep money that I have found?
You may not simply keep money you have found – under the Property Code (SPZ) you must return it to the owner or report and hand it over to the police, and it can become yours only after one year. If the finder knows whose money it is, they must return it; if they do not know the owner, they must report the find to the police, who issue a record. You may keep the item in custody or the police may take it. The key myth is »finders keepers«: that is not true. If within one year of the find the owner is not found or ownership is not established, the finder acquires ownership of the found item, including the money. If the owner is found, the money is returned to them (ownership is usually proven by describing the circumstances of the loss). An honest finder is entitled to reimbursement of necessary costs of custody. Anyone who simply pockets found money risks the criminal offence of misappropriation, punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison. If the finder waives acquisition, the money goes to the state budget.
📋 The rules
- If you know whose the found money is, you must return it; otherwise you must report the find to the police, who issue a record of found items.
- You may keep the item in custody or the police may take it; where the value is negligible, reporting to the police is not compulsory.
- If within one year of the find the owner is not found, the finder acquires ownership of the found item.
- An honest finder is entitled to reimbursement of necessary and useful costs; the claim is time-barred three years after the item is returned.
- Appropriating found money is the criminal offence of misappropriation (a fine or up to one year in prison).
🔓 Exceptions
- Where the value of the found item is negligible, the find need not be reported to the police, yet you still may not appropriate it if you know the owner.
- Money found on premises with an organised lost-property service (airport, railway, shop, public transport) is handed to that service, not necessarily to the police.
- If the finder waives acquisition of ownership, the found money is not auctioned but goes directly to the state budget.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Found money is no »lottery win«: anyone who conceals and keeps it, although they could have traced the owner or handed in the find, commits the criminal offence of misappropriation under the Criminal Code (KZ-1), punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison. If the money was stolen or lost in the circumstances of a criminal offence, the procedure may widen. The correct path is clear: you report the find to the police, who issue a record of found items, and you either keep the item in custody or the police take it. If within one year the owner does not come forward, the money lawfully becomes yours; if they do, it is returned, and you are entitled to reimbursement of the necessary costs of custody. The indirect consequences of concealment are not negligible: modern cameras and transaction traces often make it possible to trace who picked the money up, turning an innocent find into criminal proceedings. If you find money at an airport, on the railway or in a shop, hand it to the lost-property service there, and otherwise report it to the police.
📎 Official sources
- PISRS · Property Code (SPZ, found property) →
- Police · found items and the procedure →
- PISRS · Criminal Code (KZ-1, misappropriation) →
❓ Frequently asked
May I keep money that I have found?
Not straight away, since you must first return it to the owner or, if you do not know them, report it to the police. Only if within one year of the find the owner is not found or ownership is not established do you acquire ownership of the found money under the Property Code.
What must I do when I find money?
If you know whose it is, return it; otherwise report the find at a police station, where you are given a record of found items. You may keep the money in custody or the police may take it, and where the value is negligible, reporting to the police is not compulsory.
When does found money become mine?
The money becomes yours if within one year of the find the owner is not found or ownership is not established, provided you have met the finder's duties. If the owner comes forward, the money is returned to them, and you are entitled to reimbursement of the necessary costs of custody.
What do I risk if I keep found money without reporting it?
Anyone who appropriates found money, although they could have traced the owner or handed in the find, commits the criminal offence of misappropriation. It is punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, and modern cameras and traces often make it possible to trace the finder.
Where do I hand in money found at an airport or in a shop?
Money found on premises with an organised lost-property service, such as an airport, railway, public transport or a shop, is handed to that service. In other cases you report the find to the police, who arrange the further procedure and custody.
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