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 Winston-Salem? 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 Winston-Salem; 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 Winston-Salem with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for Winston-Salem

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Winston-Salem

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Black Samsonite carry-on suitcase with red tag

Found a black Samsonite carry-on rolling suitcase this afternoon around 2:15 pm in the parking lot behind Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on South Main Street, Winston-Salem. It's a hard-shell 22-inch model with a couple of light scratches and a small dent on the front corner. The outside has a bright red luggage tag with the name 'Lauren S.' and a blue lighthouse sticker on the inside lid. The navy-blue lining shows a few items peeking through, including a folded scarf and a charger cable. I’d love to help reunite it with its owner—if this is yours, share a couple of identifying details and we can meet up somewhere nearby.

Winston-Salem 23 days ago

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Found blue Yamaha snare drum behind Central Library

I found a blue Yamaha snare drum this afternoon around 4pm behind the Winston-Salem Central Library on West Fifth Street. It's a 14x6.5 inch model, blue lacquer with some scuffs and silver hardware. Inside the shell there's a small sticker with the initials 'LJ' and a faint dent near the rim. If you think it might be yours, describe the sticker and size and we can meet downtown to return it.

Winston-Salem 25 days ago

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Found 1TB external hard drive near Benton Convention Center

I found a slim silver external hard drive (1TB) on the sidewalk behind the Benton Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem this morning around 9:15am. It's in a black fabric sleeve with a blue logo sticker on the back and a red USB-C cable still attached. The drive looks a bit dusty but otherwise intact, no cracks. There's a white sticker that reads 'Travel Tech' with a tiny cartoon rocket. I know how stressful it is to lose work files, so I'd love to get this back to its owner—if you're missing it, send me a message with any identifying details like the wallpaper or a specific file name to verify. We can arrange pickup near the Coffee Lab on 4th Street.

Winston-Salem 25 days ago

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Black leather briefcase found near Benton Convention Center

Found a black leather Samsonite briefcase this afternoon around 3:15pm behind the Benton Convention Center on West 5th Street, downtown Winston-Salem. It's medium-sized, with a few scuffs on the corners and a small scratch on the front; the interior lining is gray and holds a USB drive, a few papers, and a blue notepad with the initials 'LS' in ink. One distinctive feature is a red Samsonite tag on the zipper pull and a tiny dent on the bottom edge. If this belongs to you, please get in touch—I’d be happy to return it to its owner and I know how important a briefcase can be.

Winston-Salem 27 days ago

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Red concert tickets for Stevens Center show

Found a pair of red concert tickets this morning around 10am outside the Stevens Center on West Fourth Street, Winston-Salem. The tickets are glossy red with bold black print, about 2 by 5 inches, and they have a clear barcode on the back. One ticket has a small blue star sticker in the corner as a unique identifying feature, and the bottom shows the date SEP 12. They’re not torn, just a little creased from being kept in a wallet. If these belong to you, I’d be glad to help reunite you with them; they probably mean a lot.

Winston-Salem about 1 month ago

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Walnut coffee table with brass drawer pulls

I found a dark walnut coffee table this afternoon around 3:15pm behind the Target on Hanes Mall Boulevard in Winston-Salem. It's about 48 inches long, with two shallow drawers and brass pulls on both. The top shows a few small scratches and a circular water stain in the center, but the wood grain is rich and sturdy. One drawer pull is a little looser than the other, and there's a tiny heart-shaped etching near the back edge—easy to spot. Happy to return it to its owner if this sounds like yours.

Winston-Salem about 2 months ago