What to do after someone dies

We’re so sorry. Losing someone is hard enough without paperwork. You don’t have to do everything at once. This page lists what usually comes first, what can wait a few weeks, and what can wait a few months. Take it one step at a time, and ask for help.

Death certificates

Banks, insurance companies, and government offices often ask for a certified copy of the death certificate. That’s an official copy from the state, not a photocopy.

• Where to get them: USAGov says to contact the vital records office of the state where the death happened. You can usually order online, by mail, or in person. Each state sets its own price. Many families also ask the funeral home whether it can order copies for them.
• Find your state’s office: the CDC keeps a list of every state’s vital records office, with fees and how to order: Where to Write for Vital Records. The federal government doesn’t keep death certificates.
• Who can order: USAGov says only certain family members, like a spouse, brother or sister, or child, may be able to get a copy at first.
• How many? There’s no set number. USAGov says you’ll need certified copies for things like Social Security and other agencies, closing bank and credit card accounts, and life insurance or pension claims. A photocopy may be fine for smaller things like canceling a subscription. Make a list of places that will need one, and ask each place whether a photocopy is OK.
• If the person died outside the U.S.: the U.S. embassy or consulate issues a Consular Report of Death Abroad. USAGov says you can get up to 20 free certified copies at the time of death.

Telling Social Security

• The funeral home usually reports it. Social Security says funeral homes generally tell it when someone dies, so you usually don’t need to.
• If no funeral home is involved or it didn’t report the death, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Have the person’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death. USAGov says Social Security takes death reports only by phone or in person, not online.
• Payments after death: Social Security says benefits for the month of death and any later months must be returned. If it came by direct deposit, ask the bank to send it back. If it came as a check, don’t cash it; return it to Social Security.
• Survivor benefits: some family members, such as a surviving spouse, children, or dependent parents, may get monthly survivor benefits. Ask Social Security when you call.
• The $255 lump-sum death payment: Social Security may pay a one-time $255 to a surviving spouse. A spouse who didn’t live in the same home may qualify if they can get benefits on the person’s record. If there’s no spouse, some children may qualify: those 17 or younger, 18 or 19 and in school (through 12th grade) full time, or any age with a disability that began at 21 or younger. You must apply within 2 years of the death.

Read more: Social Security: When someone dies.

Medicare, VA, and other agencies

• Medicare: USAGov says that once Social Security is told about a death, it lets Medicare know. If the person had other health, drug, or supplement plans, call each plan.
• Veterans: VA may help pay burial and funeral costs if the Veteran wasn’t dishonorably discharged and meets one of VA’s conditions, such as dying from a service-connected condition, dying while in VA care, or getting VA disability compensation or a VA pension. Apply online or with VA Form 21P-530EZ. VA says a surviving spouse listed in the Veteran’s VA records may be paid automatically. For a death that wasn’t service-connected, you generally must apply within 2 years after the burial. Amounts change; see VA burial allowance. Veterans may also be eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery (VA eligibility).
• Others to tell: USAGov lists the state DMV, the IRS (through the final tax return), the passport office, voter registration, state social services, and the person’s banks and credit bureaus. Federal retirees’ families should contact OPM, and military retirees’ families should contact DFAS. See USAGov: Who to notify when someone dies.

Protect the person’s identity

Sadly, thieves sometimes use a person’s name and Social Security number after they die. The IRS and the credit bureaus suggest these steps:

1. Tell a credit bureau and ask for a “deceased” alert. Equifax says you can tell one of the three national bureaus, and it will let the other two know. Mail a copy of the death certificate with the person’s full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death, plus your name, address, and a copy of your ID. Equifax says a person who isn’t the spouse may also need court papers showing they handle the estate.
2. Where to mail: Equifax, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139. Or TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016. (Check the bureau’s page first in case the address has changed.)
3. Keep watching for misuse. The IRS suggests checking the person’s credit report for accounts you don’t recognize. Ask the bureau how to get a copy.
4. Keep the obituary short. The IRS suggests leaving out details a thief could use, like the birth date, address, and mother’s maiden name.
5. If someone already used the person’s identity for taxes: the IRS says a surviving spouse or court-appointed representative can file Form 14039, the Identity Theft Affidavit. See the IRS guide for a deceased person.

For more on what to do if a thief has used anyone’s information, see our identity theft guide.

Banks, bills, and debts

The FTC says a person’s debts don’t just go away when they die. They’re paid from the money and property the person left behind, called the estate. By law, family members usually don’t have to pay a relative’s debts from their own money. If the estate doesn’t have enough, the debt usually goes unpaid.

You may be responsible if you:

• co-signed the loan, like a car loan
• shared the account as a joint account holder (an authorized user on a credit card is different; the CFPB says authorized users generally aren’t responsible)
• are the spouse and live in a community property state. The CFPB lists Alaska (only with a special agreement), Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.
• are the spouse and your state requires spouses to pay certain debts, such as some health care bills
• were in charge of the estate and didn’t follow your state’s probate rules

Debt collectors and a death: the FTC says collectors may discuss the debt only with the spouse, the parents of a minor child, a guardian, a lawyer, or the executor or other person who can pay debts from the estate. They may contact other relatives once to find that person, but can’t discuss the debt with them. The CFPB says it’s illegal for a collector to suggest you must pay from your own money if you don’t owe it. If you don’t want a collector to contact you, send a letter or email, not just a call. See our debt collectors guide for letters you can use.

Bills and accounts: use the letter below to tell banks, credit card companies, and other companies about the death. Before you pay any bill, ask whether it should be paid from the estate.

Scams that target grieving families

• Fake funeral home calls. The FTC warns about imposters who pretend to be the funeral home and say the funeral will be canceled unless you pay more right away. Hang up and call the funeral home at a number you know is real, such as the one on its price list.
• Fake debts. The CFPB warns that scammers may read obituaries and call about debts that don’t exist. A real collector must give you written details about the debt (called validation information). If they won’t, it may be a scam.
• How scammers want to be paid: the FTC says never pay someone who insists on a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. See also I think I got scammed.

The final tax return

• Who files: the IRS says the surviving spouse or the person handling the estate files the person’s final federal tax return for the year they died, if a return is required.
• When: the IRS says the deadline is the same as for any other return (normally April 15 of the next year).
• How: the IRS says you don’t need to send a death certificate. On a paper return, write “Deceased,” the person’s name, and the date of death across the top.
• Claiming a refund: if you aren’t the surviving spouse filing jointly or a court-appointed representative, the IRS says you generally need Form 1310 to claim a refund.
• Telling the IRS you’re in charge: a person handling the estate can use Form 56 to notify the IRS.

Read more: IRS: File the final income tax returns of a deceased person and IRS Publication 559 for survivors, executors, and administrators. Got a letter from the IRS? See our IRS letters guide.

Probate and small estates

The California courts explain it well: probate is the legal process to transfer or inherit property after the owner dies. Depending on how much the person owned and what kind of property it is, you may or may not need to go to court. The California courts also note that a person may have named someone as a beneficiary, for example on a retirement or bank account. That person may have their own steps to claim it.

Most states also have a simpler process for small estates, often a sworn form called a small estate affidavit. Each state sets its own dollar limits, waiting periods, and forms, and they change, so check your state’s official page below or ask the probate court clerk.

Pick the state where the person lived (or where they owned property) to see official court or state law pages about probate and small estates.

State pages were checked Oct 18, 2026. Laws change; the court or state page has the final word. usaBob doesn’t pick or recommend lawyers. For free legal help, see Find help.

Phone, email, and social media accounts

• Apple (iPhone, iCloud): if the person named you as a Legacy Contact, you need the access key and the death certificate to ask for access to their data. Without a Legacy Contact, Apple says it requires legal papers, usually a death certificate and sometimes a court order. See Request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account.
• Google (Gmail, Photos): if the person set up Inactive Account Manager, Google shares the data they chose with the people they picked after the account has been inactive for a while. Google says it may also work with family to close an account and, in some cases, provide content. See Submit a request regarding a deceased user’s account.
• Facebook: Facebook says it memorializes an account when it gets a valid request. A memorialized account stays as a place to share memories, and no one can log in to it. Family can also ask for the account to be removed. See Facebook: Reporting a deceased person.
• Don’t log in as the person, even if you know the password. Facebook says it’s against its rules, and other companies have similar terms.
• For yourself: you can set up your own Apple Legacy Contact, Google Inactive Account Manager, or Facebook legacy contact now.

Letter to tell a company or creditor about a death

Send this to banks, credit card companies, utilities, and other companies. Send a copy of the death certificate, never the original.

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your phone or email]

[Date]

[Company name]
[Company address]

Re: Notice of death. Account number [account number]

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to let you know that [full name of the person who died], date of birth [date of birth], died on [date of death].

[He / She / They] had an account with you, number [account number].

I am [the person's spouse / child / executor / administrator / other relationship]. [If you were appointed by a court, add: A copy of my court papers is enclosed.]

Please:
1. Mark this account to show that the account holder has died.
2. Stop any automatic charges or payments on this account.
3. Send a final statement to me at the address above.
4. Tell me in writing what documents you need from me.

I have enclosed a copy of the death certificate.

Please note: I am not agreeing to pay this account from my own money. I am only letting you know about the death. [Delete this paragraph if you co-signed or shared this account.]

Thank you,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]

Enclosures: copy of death certificate [and court papers, if you have them]

Where to get more help

• Free legal help: legal aid offices may help with probate or debts if you qualify. See Find help near you.
• Helping an aging parent now? See Helping aging parents and power of attorney.
• Problems with a debt collector: report to the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov/complaint, the FTC, or your state attorney general.