Central Lost and Found

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Lost and Found Process

Items classified as found are held at the building where the finder turned them in for a period of one week. After that time, the person within each building designated to administer lost and found is required to send all unclaimed items to Central Lost and Found. Items are held at Central Lost and Found for the owner to claim for a period of one month. Once the holding period has ended, all unclaimed items are sold through the Purdue Surplus Store.

The university is not responsible for any loss of personal property. Individuals should take proper precautions to protect their valuables; do not leave valuables unattended in the classroom or any other public area at any time.

West Lafayette’s Central Lost and Found is located at the Surplus Store in the Surplus Operations Building:

Address: 698 Ahlers Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 12-4 p.m.
Phone: 765-494-2125
Email: surplus@purdue.edu

The campus address is Central Lost and Found/SRPL.

Central Lost and Found does not receive items from the Indianapolis location or regional campuses.

Unclaimed Packages at Residence Halls

Special deliveries, same-day deliveries and packages that are delivered incorrectly to residence halls must be picked up by the recipient within three days. This includes packages left outside the residence hall building, at the facility’s loading dock or on the same-day delivery rack within the residence hall.  

Packages that are not picked up get transferred to Purdue’s Surplus department and are held there for four weeks. During that time, owners may claim their package by providing a photo ID in person at the Purdue University Surplus Store during operating hours. Following the four-week holding period, packages are considered abandoned and will be disposed of or sold.

Lost Item Recovery Tips

If you lost one of the following items:

If you lost an item at one of the following locations:

  • Campus grounds or buildings
    Check the building or nearest building’s lost and found.
  • CityBus
    Items lost on CityBus transportation should be directed to CityBus at 765-742-7433.
  • Sporting events
    Contact the ticket booth for the athletic venue visited. Items will be sent to the Surplus Store if not claimed.
  • Purdue Memorial Union Hotel
    Report the lost item(s) on ileftmystuff.com: Online Management Solution for Lost and Found.
  • Elliott Hall of Music
    Contact the hall’s ticket office.

Preventing Loss and Improving Recovery

  • Bicycles and electric or motor powered vehicles (EMPVs): Bike locks are a deterrent to theft and can be used on either device. They are available for sale through the Purdue Surplus Store and Parking Operations. Individuals who park EMPVs on campus are required to register their device with Parking Operations every two years, and bicyclists are encouraged to complete a one-time registration. Registration will assist in identifying the owner if it is lost or stolen.
  • Laptops: Individuals are encouraged to register their laptops.

Report Lost Property

Complete the form to report a lost property item for the West Lafayette location.

Report Found Property

For Building Lost and Found Designees

Campus police should be called immediately when purses, wallets and negotiable items (e.g., cash, checks, credit cards, student IDs, passports, weapons, illegal items or items that are commonly used for illegal activities) are found in any campus location.

To report a found property item electronically complete the Found Property Reporting Form through DocuSign.

  • The individual who found the item (the finder) will need to provide their contact information to complete the Central Lost and Found Form which will be used to track the final disposition of the item, if they want to have the option to claim it after a five-week period or receive the tracking report.