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Smithsonian Office of Protection Services: Lost and Found

Smithsonian personnel and visitors may claim, turn-in and/or search for lost items at the Lost and Found Office.

Location: Capital Gallery, 600 Maryland Ave SW, 4th Floor

Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday
7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Telephone: 202-633-5630
Facsimile: 202-633-5658

Click to Send an Email to This Office

PROPERTY:

The Lost and Found Clerk matches lost property with daily lost property reports and checks lost property for information that can facilitate its return to its owner.

Lost property is returned to its rightful owner whenever possible.

Returned items are generally delivered via certified U.S. mail.

Otherwise, claimants who request items in person at lost and found must provide an accurate description of the item and, if possible, proof of ownership. Claimants also must sign a receipt for all property received.

Please Note: The Lost and Found Office retains all items for the duration of the month it is turned-in to Lost and Found, as well as the following month. After this time period, items generally are donated to charity.

CASH:

Cash turned-in to the Lost and Found Office is held for approximately five working days, and then deposited in the OPS Accounting Petty Cash Office, located in the Smithsonian Castle Building, Room B-2.

To claim lost cash, the claimant must provide an accurate description of the container in which it was found and/or the correct amount. If the claimant arrives at the Lost and Found Office before the money has been deposited in OPS Accounting Petty Cash Office, he or she may sign for, and immediately receive, their currency.

Once the cash has been deposited into the OPS Accounting Petty Cash Office however, the Lost and Found Office must send a memo on behalf of the claimant to the OPS Accounting Office requesting a check to be forwarded to him/her for the amount of the lost currency.

If the cash remains unclaimed, but the owner's identity is known, through identification cards in a wallet, for example, the Lost and Found Office will forward the owner a money order for the amount of the cash, minus the cost of the money order and postage.

Please Note:
Unclaimed cash will be returned to the finder at his/her request. Smithsonian employees, however, cannot claim unclaimed money or property.

 

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