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

Helpful resources for Missoula

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in Missoula

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Found: Dresses in downtown Missoula theatre lobby

Friday night, around 9:15 p.m., I found a pile of dresses tucked behind a chair in the Wilma Theatre lobby in downtown Missoula after the last act. They were pink and navy satin, a little wrinkled from the ride home, with a faint perfume and a few sequins catching the lights. I brought them to the front desk and waited a moment to see if someone would claim them, but no one appeared. Moments like these feel bigger than fabric; a dress can mark a memory, a pageant, a celebration. I hope this helps the owner reconnect with something meaningful.

near the Wilma Theatre, downtown Missoula 3 days ago

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Found travel visas near Caras Park, Missoula

I was walking along the Clark Fork River behind Caras Park in Missoula around 1:20 PM today when I spotted a blue folder wedged under a bench. Inside were several travel visas and other travel-related documents with names that clearly belonged to someone else. I picked them up and kept them visible in my jacket pocket, hoping the owner would see this listing and claim them. Please reach out through the site if these belong to you.

Caras Park area, Missoula, along the Clark Fork River 6 days ago

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Found a phone near apartments after drone show

Found a phone, July 3, near apartments, across from Ogren Field, right after the drone show.

Missoula 2 months ago

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Found: Driver's License in Missoula

I found a driver's license on the sidewalk outside a coffee shop on Higgins Avenue in Missoula, Montana, around 8:15 this morning. The card's photo looked travel-worn, and the Montana address suggested the owner had just spent time near Caras Park. I picked it up and tucked it into my jacket, thinking it would be safest to drop it at the Missoula Police Department front desk so it could find its way home. The Clark Fork breeze and the dogs getting a morning walk reminded me that small acts can matter in a city this big.

Outside a coffee shop on Higgins Ave, near Caras Park, Missoula 3 months ago

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Black North Face backpack with panda sticker

I found a black North Face backpack this afternoon around 3:15pm behind the Wilma Theatre on Higgins Ave in Missoula. It's a 25-liter daypack with some wear on the bottom corners and red zippers on the main pouch. The front pocket sports a small panda sticker, and there's a blue USB cable looped through a carabiner on the side pocket. Inside, I spotted a weathered Montana road map and a pair of over-ear headphones in decent shape. I know how important a backpack like this is for daily routines, and I’d really love to help get it back to its owner.

Missoula 4 months ago

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Silver hoop earrings with moon engraving

Found a pair of silver hoop earrings this afternoon around 3:15pm outside the downtown Starbucks on Main Street in Missoula. They’re small, about 1.2 cm in diameter, with a polished finish and a tiny moon engraving on the inner side of one hoop. They’re in good condition, though I can see a faint scratch on the back from picking them up off the sidewalk. I left them where I found them, on the ground near the coffee stand, in case their owner comes back for them. If these look like yours, we can figure out a time to swap them back.

Missoula 4 months ago