TfL lost property: how to get back something lost on the Tube or a bus

Items found on the Tube and London buses, along with several other TfL services, are stored by TfL’s Lost Property Office. Make an enquiry with TfL, and it will contact you if it thinks it has your item. Found property is kept for no more than 3 months, so report the loss quickly.

There are exceptions. Something left on a bus in the past 3 days may still be at the bus garage, and some items, such as loose bank cards and Oyster cards, are never kept.

Which services TfL lost property covers

TfL stores property found on:

• The Tube
• The Elizabeth line
• The London Overground
• The DLR
• London’s buses
• The London Cable Car
• Black cabs
• Victoria Coach Station

Enquiries and records are managed through a system called NotLost.

Lost something on a bus

If you left something on a bus in the past 3 days, contact the bus operator first. The item may still be at the garage. Picking something up from a station or garage costs nothing, as long as it has not yet been sent on to the Lost Property Office.

How to make a lost property enquiry

Start with an enquiry, not a visit. The office only opens for appointments, and TfL asks people not to call in without one.

Once your enquiry is in, TfL can take up to 15 days to review it, and longer at busy times. It will get in touch if it believes it has your property or needs more details from you.

Items TfL will not keep

Some things are never stored, so an enquiry for them will not help.

• Credit and debit cards found on their own are securely destroyed. If your card was inside a wallet or purse, TfL still advises calling your bank straight away to report the loss and get a replacement.
• Oyster cards and photocards found on their own are not kept. You need to apply for a replacement.
• Hazardous or perishable items are not stored. Lighters and e-cigarettes fall into this group. So do food and soiled clothing, along with highly flammable substances and anything else that could be hazardous to store.

Getting your item back and what it costs

When TfL confirms it has found your property, it explains how to reclaim it. You can either collect it from the office by appointment or have it sent to you by courier. Both options carry a fee.

The collection office only sees people with a booked appointment, from Monday to Friday. TfL sends the collection details once your item has been processed and is ready.

An admin fee applies once an item has reached the Lost Property Office for processing and storage. Property left in a taxi carries an extra charge based on its value, and that money goes to the driver as a reward for handing it in. TfL publishes a schedule of Lost Property Office fees, which has applied since April 2026.

How long TfL keeps lost property

Found items are held for a maximum of 3 months. After that, counted from the date of loss, anything unclaimed becomes TfL’s property. Personal data is removed and securely destroyed, and the items are then given to charity, recycled, thrown away or sold. TfL does not hold special auctions of unclaimed property.

Cash works differently. You have a year from the date of the loss to claim it, whether the money was lost on its own or inside something else, such as a wallet.

Lost property on trams and the river

• London Trams: search for your item on the MissingX website. The London Trams Shop is at 5 Suffolk House, George Street, Croydon, CR10 1PE.
• River boats: contact the company that runs the boat.
• Piers: email river@tfl.gov.uk.

TfL does not deal with items lost on National Rail trains, licensed minicabs, coaches or tour buses, or at airports. For those, contact the operator directly.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages on 18 September 2026. Fares, times and rules can change, so check them before you travel.

• Lost property (tfl.gov.uk)