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

Helpful resources for St Louis

Nextdoor
Reach neighbors to return a found item

Recent reports in St Louis

found S

Found passports in downtown St. Louis

I found a black leather passport wallet under a bench near Union Station on Market Street in downtown St. Louis around 4:15 p.m. today. Inside were two passports—one blue U.S. passport and one burgundy foreign passport—along with a few travel papers. I’m posting here hoping the owner sees this listing and can claim them through the site. It’s a relief to have them off the ground, and I’ll keep them safe until the owner comes forward.

near Union Station main entrance, Market St & 18th St, St. Louis about 3 hours ago

found A

Vintage stamp and coin collection in red-sealed tin

I found a small metal tin this afternoon around 2:15pm near the Gateway Arch grounds along Market Street in St Louis. It's about 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, 2 inches tall, a little dented but solid, with a bright red wax seal on the lid and a handwritten label that reads 'RHC Collection.' Inside there’s a neat stack of vintage stamps on faded album sheets, plus a few old coin folders peeking out. The stamps look mid-20th century, with a mix of commemoratives and a couple blocks still attached; a tiny hinge remnant sticks to one page. I’m posting this here because I figure a collector would appreciate it and I’d feel better knowing it could go back to its owner.

St Louis 19 days ago

found P

Blue USB drive with initials 'AS' found downtown

Found a small USB drive this afternoon around 3:15pm outside the Busch Stadium entrance along 8th Street in downtown St. Louis. It's a silver USB drive with a blue label on the front and a tiny dent on the corner; the label has the initials 'AS' in white. I haven’t opened it and don’t know what's inside, but it looks like it might hold personal photos. If you recognize it, message me with the initials on the label and the approximate capacity (64GB or 128GB) and I’ll return it right away.

St Louis about 1 month ago

found P

Gray quilted throw blanket found near Union Station

I found a gray quilted throw blanket this afternoon around 2:15pm outside Union Station's main entrance on 18th Street, by the Amtrak platform. It's about 60x70 inches, thick quilted fabric with darker gray piping along the edges, and a bit of pilling from use. In the lower-right corner there's a small blue embroidery patch with the initials HL, plus a faint coffee ring mark in the center. The blanket looks well-loved, clean, and has no strong odors. I hate to think someone might be missing it after a long day—if you recognize these details, please reach out so we can help reunite you with it.

St Louis about 1 month ago

found P

Found missing person: woman in blue jacket near Arch

I found a woman who seems to be missing this afternoon around 2:15 pm in the Gateway Arch National Park area, near the Old Courthouse on Market Street. She was wearing a bright blue windbreaker, dark jeans, and white sneakers, and she carried a brown backpack with a distinctive yellow star patch on the front. She looked anxious and kept glancing around as if searching for someone. She mentioned she might have wandered away from a nearby group and asked for help locating her family. I also noticed a small crescent moon tattoo on her left wrist and a faint scar on her forearm. Security helped connect her with staff to reunite her with loved ones.

St Louis about 2 months ago

found P

Red leather stamp album, vintage collection

I found a red leather-bound stamp album from the 1950s this afternoon around 2:30pm behind the St. Louis Science Center, near the Forest Park entrance on Education Way. It's about 8 by 6 inches and has a brass clasp that still works, plus a blue ribbon bookmark sticking out. Inside, there are a handful of old stamps with tiny handwritten notes in the margins and a small envelope labeled 'R. Kimura' in pencil. The cover shows gold lettering 'Stamps of the World' with a faded embossing of a palm tree, and the whole thing is a bit worn from years of handling. It looks like someone spent a lot of time collecting, and I can tell it matters to them—if this is yours, message me here and we can arrange a safe return.

St Louis 3 months ago