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 San Francisco Bay Area? 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 San Francisco Bay Area; 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 San Francisco Bay Area with enough detail for the real owner to identify it — while holding back one verifying detail.

Helpful resources for San Francisco Bay Area

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in San Francisco Bay Area

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Found: Microwaves in SF Bay Area

Hi, I'm Maya Chen. I found two microwaves outside a building on Market Street near Embarcadero Plaza in the San Francisco Bay Area around 4:20 p.m. today. One is white and the other is stainless; both are a bit dented but otherwise clean. They were sitting by a loading dock beside a catering truck, as if dropped during an event break. I figured someone would be missing them, so I brought them here and I hope the owner sees this message through the site.

Market Street near Embarcadero Plaza about 17 hours ago

found A

FOUND memory cards in SF Bay Area

On a breezy morning, around 10:30 AM, I found a small pouch with memory cards on a bench near the Ferry Building Marketplace in the San Francisco Bay Area. The pouch looked casual, and the cards are clearly used—some labeled with dates and folders, others with project names. I didn’t search through the data beyond a quick glance, and I’ve kept everything safe and untouched. I know how easy it is to misplace important data, and I hope this helps the rightful owner recover their memories. If these memory cards belong to you, please check the site for next steps.

Bench by the Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco 3 days ago

found J

Zoey's cellphone found on Dublin-bound BART train

Zoey's Cellphone found on Dublin bound BART train Saturday afternoon.

San Francisco Bay Area 27 days ago

found A

Gold Yamaha alto sax with case

Found a Yamaha alto sax this afternoon around 2:15pm outside the Ferry Building Marketplace along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, in the Bay Area. It’s a gold lacquer sax with a few small dings near the bell and a worn neck strap. The hard case is black with a white scuff on the front; inside lid there’s a tiny sailboat sticker. The bell is engraved with the initials 'L.H.' and there’s a dusty microfiber cloth tucked in the case. If this sounds like yours, we can meet up near Market Street or the Ferry Building to get it back to you.

San Francisco Bay Area about 2 months ago

found A

Found: Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones

I found a pair of Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones this afternoon around 2:15pm. They were on a bench outside the Ferry Building Marketplace along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. They're matte black with soft leatherette ear cushions, and there’s a small scratch on the right earcup near the Sony logo. The gray hard case has a red interior lining, and the left earcup carries a tiny sticker with the initials 'AH'—a couple of distinguishing details that might help the owner identify them. If these belong to you, reply with a quick description of the scratches and the case details, and we can set up a pickup somewhere convenient in the Bay Area.

San Francisco Bay Area 3 months ago

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Black Samsonite suitcase with red zipper

I found a black Samsonite roller suitcase this afternoon around 2:45pm near the Ferry Building Marketplace along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It's a large hard-shell piece, a bit scuffed on the corners, with a red zipper and a white luggage tag that has a handwritten name, 'Mina Cho,' plus a thin green ribbon tied to the handle. Inside, there are a couple of folded clothes and a travel-sized toiletries bag; nothing valuable, but it feels like it was recently used. I know how stressful losing a bag can be, so I’m hoping to reunite it with its owner. If this sounds like yours, drop a message here and we can arrange pickup.

San Francisco Bay Area 4 months ago