Lost & Found Services in Puerto Rico

Discover how to report or find lost items across major cities in Puerto Rico. We help you connect with local services, transportation hubs, and more.

Most Populated Cities in Puerto Rico

San Juan

Aguadilla

Bayamon

Carolina

Arecibo

Ponce

How Lost & Found Works in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is not a common-law jurisdiction, and lost property is one of the places where the difference is immediately visible. The rules come from the Civil Code enacted as Act 55-2020, in force since November 28, 2020, and they are unusually explicit: article 749 tells a finder exactly what to do with your item, and section 7966 gives that finder a legal right to a reward.

One consequence surprises visitors and residents alike. The law does not send a found item to a police station: it names the municipal authority. With 78 municipalities on the island, the right casa alcaldía is often the address that matters, alongside the airport, the transit desk or the hotel where the item was actually left.

What the Law Says in Puerto Rico

Article 749: the item goes to the municipality

Anyone who finds movable property whose previous possessor is unknown must deliver it immediately to the municipal authority, which then publishes a public notice of the find. This is the legal route in Puerto Rico, rather than the police property room used in many mainland states. The municipality responsible for the location where the item was found administers this process.

Three months from the public notice

If nobody claims the item within three months of that public notice, the item, or its value, is awarded to the finder. The clock runs from the notice, not from the day you lost it, so the date the municipality publishes is the one that counts. Items that cannot be kept without deteriorating, or without storage costs that would noticeably reduce their value, are sold at public auction eight days after the notice.

The reward is an obligation, not a courtesy

Under 31 L.P.R.A. section 7966, an owner who recovers a lost item must pay the expenses incurred and give the finder one tenth of the sum or of the item's current value. In most US states a reward is entirely your choice. In Puerto Rico it is owed by law, which is worth knowing both before you offer one and when an honest finder asks.

Where items end up in Puerto Rico

Legally, found items belong at the municipal authority of the town where they were picked up, and municipal police departments often staff that desk in practice. The Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico handles theft, which is a separate filing from a lost item. Beyond that, the usual private circuits apply and each keeps its own: Luis Muñoz Marín airport in San Juan and the airlines serving it, Rafael Hernández in Aguadilla and Mercedita in Ponce, cruise terminals and hotels in Old San Juan, resorts, car rental companies, and the Autoridad de Transporte Integrado for the Tren Urbano and AMA buses, which publishes customer service numbers rather than a written lost and found procedure. The city pages below list local contacts. ReportLost’s free listing and optional paid services are described on the report form.

Lost something in Puerto Rico?

A free report creates a public listing. The $12 option adds six months of automatic monitoring, a ReportLost certificate, an anonymous case address, and QR stickers. The $25 option adds manual research, direct service contact, report submission, local social sharing, and 12 months of monitoring.

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Puerto Rico Lost & Found FAQ

Do I report a lost item to the police or to the city in Puerto Rico?

The Civil Code points to the municipal authority: article 749 requires a finder to deliver the item to the municipality, which publishes a public notice. Report a theft to the Negociado de la Policía de Puerto Rico, but for an item simply lost, the municipality is the place the law designates.

How long is a found item kept in Puerto Rico?

Three months from the date of the public notice. After that, an unclaimed item or its value is awarded to the finder. Items that would deteriorate or cost too much to store can be auctioned eight days after the notice.

Is a reward mandatory in Puerto Rico?

Yes, and this is a real difference from the mainland. Under 31 L.P.R.A. section 7966 the owner who recovers the item owes the expenses plus one tenth of its value to the finder.

I lost something at the airport or on the Tren Urbano, who has it?

Those are separate circuits from the municipality. Luis Muñoz Marín airport, the airlines, and the Autoridad de Transporte Integrado each hold what is found on their premises, and an item left on a bus or a train rarely reaches a city desk. The report form describes ReportLost’s free public listing, six-month automatic monitoring and twelve-month team-assisted option with relevant outreach.

Does Puerto Rico follow the same lost and found rules as US states?

No. Puerto Rico is a civil law jurisdiction, and its rules come from the Civil Code rather than from common-law finders' doctrine. The current code took effect on November 28, 2020, and rewrote these provisions, so guidance published before that date may be out of date.

This page provides general information about Puerto Rico law as of publication and is not legal advice. Procedures vary by municipality and by venue; verify details with the local authorities concerned. Last reviewed: September 2026.

All Cities We Cover in Puerto Rico

Each city page lists the local lost & found contacts and how to report a loss there.