Notification checklist
Who to notify when someone dies
There is no central place to report a death. Each organization has to be told separately, and each one asks for something slightly different. This is the full list, grouped by how soon it tends to matter — so you can work through it a piece at a time rather than all at once.
Nothing here has to be done today. The order below reflects which delays cause problems, not how quickly anyone expects you to move.
Before you start
Order more death certificates than you think you need
Most institutions on this list want a certified copy — one with a raised seal from the vital records office — and many will not return it. Photocopies are refused by nearly every bank and government agency.
Ten to twelve copies covers a typical estate. Ordering more later is possible but slow, and a missing certificate stalls everything downstream of it. The funeral home can usually order them on your behalf at the same time as the arrangements.
First few days
The notifications that stop other things from going wrong
These few come first — not because anyone is rushing you, but because delay here creates work later: benefit overpayments that must be repaid, or accounts left open long enough to be targeted.
Social Security Administration
Report the death and stop benefit payments. Any payment for the month of death or later usually has to be returned, even if it arrives automatically.
What they ask for: Social Security number, date of death. The funeral director often files this — confirm rather than assume.
The three credit bureaus
Afterglow can handle thisPlace a deceased flag on the credit file at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This is the single most effective step against identity theft, which is common in the months after a death.
What they ask for: Certified death certificate, Social Security number, last known address.
Employer or former employer
Ask about final pay, unused leave, life insurance held through work, and pension or 401(k) beneficiaries. Employer-held life insurance is the benefit families most often miss.
What they ask for: Death certificate; the HR or benefits contact.
Banks holding day-to-day accounts
Afterglow can handle thisNotify them so automatic payments and direct deposits can be handled deliberately. Joint accounts and payable-on-death accounts follow different paths than sole accounts.
What they ask for: Certified death certificate, account numbers, your ID and your role in the estate.
First few weeks
Government agencies
Each agency is notified separately. Reporting a death to one does not report it to the others, with one exception: Social Security notifies Medicare.
Internal Revenue Service
Afterglow can handle thisA final income tax return is still due for the year of death. The estate may also need its own taxpayer ID.
What they ask for: Death certificate; prior-year return if you have it.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Afterglow can handle thisStop benefit payments and ask about burial allowance, a headstone, and survivor benefits, which are frequently unclaimed.
What they ask for: Discharge papers (DD-214) if available, death certificate.
State DMV
Cancel the driver's license so it cannot be used as identification, and transfer vehicle titles.
What they ask for: Death certificate, license number, title documents.
U.S. Postal Service
Afterglow can handle thisForward or hold mail. Accumulating mail signals an empty home, and it is often how you discover accounts nobody knew about.
What they ask for: Proof of your authority over the estate.
Voter registration and passport agency
Remove the registration and cancel the passport to close two more routes to identity misuse.
What they ask for: Death certificate; the passport itself for cancellation.
First few weeks
Banks, cards, and investments
Every institution asks for slightly different things, and several will not speak to you at all until you can show your legal authority over the estate.
Credit card issuers
Afterglow can handle thisClose accounts and stop recurring charges. Balances are paid by the estate — a surviving family member is generally not personally liable unless they were a joint account holder.
What they ask for: Certified death certificate, account numbers.
Brokerages and retirement accounts
Afterglow can handle thisTransfer to named beneficiaries. Accounts with a named beneficiary usually pass outside probate, which makes these among the faster items.
What they ask for: Death certificate, beneficiary documentation, account numbers.
Mortgage and loan servicers
Tell them early. Payments continue to be owed during probate, and servicers have specific successor-in-interest processes that protect the home.
What they ask for: Death certificate, loan number, proof of your authority.
Safe deposit box holder
Access rules vary by state and often require a court order or a bank officer present.
What they ask for: Death certificate, the key, your legal authority.
First month
Insurance
Life insurance is a claim you file, not a notification you send — and it is worth checking old employers and membership organizations for small policies people forget they hold.
Life insurance companies
Afterglow can handle thisFile a claim as the named beneficiary. This is money owed to the beneficiary directly, and it usually does not wait on probate.
What they ask for: Certified death certificate, policy number, claim form.
Health insurance
Afterglow can handle thisCancel coverage and stop premiums. Check whether dependents lose coverage on the same date and need a replacement plan.
What they ask for: Death certificate, member ID.
Auto and home insurance
Afterglow can handle thisDo not simply cancel. Property still needs coverage while the estate is settled, so transfer the policy rather than leaving a house or car uninsured.
What they ask for: Death certificate, policy number.
First month
Utilities, subscriptions, and accounts
Individually small, collectively the longest part of the list. These are also where charges quietly continue for months.
Utilities
Afterglow can handle thisElectricity, gas, water, and trash. Transfer to whoever is staying in the home, or request final bills and close them out.
What they ask for: Account number, death certificate for some providers.
Phone, internet, and television
Afterglow can handle thisCancel or transfer. Keep the phone number active for a while if it is tied to two-factor authentication on other accounts.
What they ask for: Account number, PIN if one was set.
Subscriptions and memberships
Streaming, gyms, clubs, publications, storage units, and anything else billing monthly. A recent bank statement is the most reliable way to find them all.
Online and social accounts
Most major platforms have a memorialization or closure process for a deceased user.
What they ask for: Death certificate, proof of relationship.
If it helps
You do not have to write these letters yourself
Afterglow keeps a record of what each institution requires and produces the correct letter for it — addressed properly, with the right documents named. For some institutions we can prepare the whole submission and mail it for you. It is free to use, and your personal information is never sent to an AI service.
This checklist is general information, not legal or tax advice. Requirements vary by state and by institution, and an estate attorney is worth consulting for anything contested or complex. Last reviewed August 17, 2026.