Found an item? Your responsibilities

What to do when you find someone else's property — your responsibilities and how to return it safely.

Found something in Bloomington-Normal? Handling it responsibly protects both you and the owner. Rules vary by location, but the principles are consistent.

Make a reasonable effort to find the owner. Check for ID, contact details, or anything that identifies who it belongs to.
Don't assume it's yours to keep. Keeping found property without trying to return it can have legal consequences. When in doubt, hand it in.
Hand valuables to the authorities. Report significant or high-value finds to the police non-emergency line for Bloomington-Normal; they'll log it and may issue a reference.
Store it safely. Keep the item secure and unchanged while you try to return it.
Post a found listing. Add a found-item listing for Bloomington-Normal with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Bloomington-Normal

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Bloomington-Normal

found M

Found driver's license in Bloomington-Normal.

I was walking along the Constitution Trail near Normal Public Library yesterday afternoon around 3:15 pm when I spotted a driver's license lying on the sidewalk. The card bore a name I didn't recognize, and the photo looked recent. I picked it up and kept it safe, hoping the owner would recognize it. I turned it in at the Bloomington-Normal Police Department's lost-and-found so it could be reunited with its owner.

near Normal Public Library, downtown Bloomington 8 days ago

found P

Beige hearing aid with blue accents in case

Found a beige behind-the-ear hearing aid this morning around 9:15am outside the Normal Public Library on College Ave, Bloomington-Normal. It's in a clear plastic case with a blue accent on the hinge. The device has a tiny scratch on the outer rim and inside the battery door there’s an engraving with the initials 'A.J.' and a small sticker that says 'Signia' on the earpiece. It looks well cared for and I’d hate for it to be lost. If this belongs to you, please message me here so we can verify details and arrange pickup near the library.

Bloomington-Normal 3 months ago

found A

Blue paperback novel found near Bloomington Public Library

I found this blue paperback copy of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern this afternoon around 2:45 pm in front of the Bloomington Public Library on Main Street. It is a well-loved edition with a dog-eared page and a yellow bookmark sticking out from chapter 7. Inside the front cover there is a short inscription: 'To Sam, enjoy the magic,' written in neat handwriting, and a small coffee ring on the back cover. I figured someone must be missing it, so I am posting here to help reunite it with its owner. If you think it is yours, I can meet at the library desk to hand it over.

Bloomington-Normal 4 months ago

found P

Found teenage girl near Uptown Station, Bloomington

I found a teenage girl wandering near Uptown Station on Main Street in Bloomington around 4:15 yesterday afternoon. She's about 5'3", wearing a light-blue hoodie, black jeans, and white sneakers, and she carries a turquoise backpack with a unicorn keychain. She also has a small star tattoo on her left ankle. She seemed overwhelmed and asked repeatedly where her mom was, so I stayed with her until Bloomington-Normal security arrived. If this might be your missing person, check the app for more details and descriptions to see if it matches.

Bloomington-Normal 4 months ago

found P

Two printed concert tickets to Friday's Redbird Arena show

Found a pair of printed concert tickets this afternoon around 3:45pm on the sidewalk outside the Bone Student Center on College Ave, Normal. They're for a Friday night concert by the band Aurora at Redbird Arena, general admission, seats 12 and 13. The tickets are white with a red-blue gradient and a small holographic logo; they’re a bit wrinkled, and one corner has a coffee ring plus a tiny blue star doodle. If these belong to you, I’m glad to return them—meet near the Bone Student Center plaza and we can swap them safely.

Bloomington-Normal 5 months ago

found P

iPhone 13 in white OtterBox found Uptown Normal

I found this iPhone 13 this afternoon around 3:15 pm on the sidewalk outside Uptown Normal in Bloomington-Normal, near the coffee shop. It's in a white OtterBox Defender case with a small penguin sticker on the back, and the screen has a noticeable scratch along the bottom edge. The wallpaper is a blue mountain landscape, and the battery reads about 70%. If you're the owner, describe the penguin sticker or the wallpaper and I'll arrange a quick meet-up to return it.

Bloomington-Normal 6 months ago