I found money or an object on the ground in Malta — can I keep it?
No — whoever finds money or a lost object in Malta is obliged by law to hand it in to the nearest police station within three days if they do not know who the owner is. Keeping what you find can be treated as theft by finding under the Criminal Code (Cap. 9) and can take you to court. When you hand an object in, the police check whether it has been reported lost, and the owner collects it by proving it is theirs; every three months the Government Gazette publishes a list of found objects that went unclaimed. The myth: that "finders keepers" — that if you find something on the ground it is automatically yours. That is not true: you have no right to keep it straight away. What happens to unclaimed objects depends on the law and the Gazette process, and the sources do not agree on whether, after a period, they pass to the finder or to the Government — so do not assume they become yours. The Civil Code (Cap. 16) also covers finds and treasure.
📋 The rules
- Whoever finds a lost object is obliged to hand it in to the nearest police station within three days if they do not know who the owner is.
- Keeping what you find can be treated as theft by finding under Cap. 9 and can take you to court.
- The police check whether the object has been reported lost and pass it to the owner who proves it is theirs.
- Every three months the Government Gazette publishes a list of found objects that went unclaimed.
- The Civil Code (Cap. 16) covers finds, lost objects and treasure under its own rules.
🔓 Exceptions
- If you know who the owner is, your first duty is to notify them directly, not to go to the police station.
- Objects of very small value or with no identifiable owner may be handled differently in practice, but the duty to report remains.
- The sources do not agree on whether an unclaimed object, after a period, passes to the finder or to the Government; it is best to assume it is not automatically yours.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Keeping found money or an object is no light matter: it can be treated as theft by finding under Cap. 9, and theft is an offence that can lead to criminal proceedings and a stained conduct record, not a simple fine. This is all the more so when the object is of high value or an official document such as a passport or a vehicle number plate, which you are expected to report at once. The official police advice is to hand every find in to the nearest station within three days; by doing so, you protect yourself and give the owner the chance to collect. If instead you keep the money and the person who lost it later turns up and reports it, you can find yourself under investigation, and the "finders keepers" excuse will not keep you out of trouble. The Government Gazette list every three months shows how structured the official process is.
📎 Official sources
- Malta Police Force · Lost or Found Property →
- Laws of Malta · Criminal Code (Cap. 9) — theft →
- Laws of Malta · Civil Code (Cap. 16) — finds and treasure →
❓ Frequently asked
I found money on the ground — can I keep it?
No — you have no right to keep found money; if you do not know who the owner is, you must hand it in to the nearest police station within three days. Keeping it can be treated as theft by finding under the Criminal Code, and that is an offence and not simply a matter of luck.
What exactly do I do when I find an object?
If you know who the owner is, notify them directly; if not, hand the object in to the nearest police station within three days. The police then check whether it has been reported lost and hold it until the owner collects it with proof that it is theirs.
If nobody collects the object, does it become mine?
Not automatically — the sources do not agree on whether an unclaimed object passes to the finder or to the Government. Every three months the Government Gazette publishes a list of found objects, and what happens next depends on the law and the official process, not on a "finders keepers" rule.
Is there really a three-day rule?
Yes — the Malta Police Force confirms that whoever finds an object is obliged by law to hand it in to the nearest station within three days. This is the practical rule that protects you from a charge of theft by finding and gives the owner the chance to recover their property.
What if I find a document or a vehicle number plate?
Official documents such as a passport or a vehicle number plate are particularly important and should be handed in to the police at once. These can be misused if they fall into the wrong hands, so reporting quickly is both a legal duty and a practical help to the owner.
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