Who to notify when someone dies

Family, friends and community

The people closest to the person should hear the news first, and ideally from someone they know. A phone call or visit is kinder than a text or a social media post.

• Spouse or partner, children, parents and siblings.
• Close friends and neighbors.
• The person’s place of worship or faith leader.
• Clubs, volunteer groups and associations they belonged to.
• Former coworkers and old friends they kept in touch with.

You do not need to make every call yourself. Ask one trusted person in each circle, such as a church friend or a longtime colleague, to share the news with others.

An obituary reaches everyone else. It lets people across the country learn about the death and the service. Our guide on how to write an obituary can help you start.

Employer, doctors and care providers

If the person was working, contact their employer’s human resources team. Ask about final pay, unused vacation, life insurance through work, retirement accounts and any pension.

Let the person’s doctors, dentist and pharmacy know so they can cancel appointments and refills. Cancel any home care, meal delivery or medical equipment rentals. Returning rented equipment promptly can stop further charges.

If the person was a veteran, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans may be eligible for burial benefits, and any VA payments will need to be stopped.

Government offices

Government notices protect the estate and stop payments that would later have to be returned.

• Social Security. Funeral homes often report the death to the Social Security Administration. Confirm this, and ask about survivor benefits. A benefit paid for the month of death usually must be returned.
• Medicare. Social Security passes the news to Medicare, so a separate call is usually not needed.
• State motor vehicle office. Cancel the driver’s license or ID and handle any vehicles in the person’s name.
• State Department. Cancel an active passport.
• Local election office. Remove the person from voter rolls. In many areas this happens automatically over time.
• IRS. There is no separate notice to file, but a final income tax return is usually due for the year of death.

Official records take time to update. For more on how deaths are recorded, see what the Social Security Death Index is.

Banks, credit and investments

Financial companies should be told early. This helps prevent fraud and lets the executor take control of accounts.

• Banks and credit unions where the person had checking, savings or safe deposit boxes.
• Credit card companies and store card issuers.
• Lenders for a mortgage, car loan or personal loan.
• Investment and retirement account providers.
• The three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Ask each one to mark the file as deceased.

Criminals sometimes use the names of people who have recently died to open new accounts. A deceased flag with the credit bureaus makes this much harder. The executor or a surviving spouse can usually make the request, with a copy of the death certificate.

Insurance companies

Contact every insurer the person used. Some will pay benefits, and others will need a policy changed or cancelled.

• Life insurance. Ask how to file a claim. The beneficiary usually needs a certified death certificate.
• Health insurance. Cancel coverage, and check whether a spouse or children on the plan need new coverage.
• Home and auto insurance. Keep these in place until the house and cars are sold or transferred, and tell the insurer about the death.

Look through bank statements for regular payments to insurers you may not know about, such as accidental death policies linked to credit cards or loans.

Utilities, services and online accounts

Household services can often be moved into another name rather than cancelled, especially if someone still lives in the home.

• Electricity, gas, water, trash, phone, internet and cable.
• Streaming, magazines, memberships and subscription boxes.
• Email, social media and cloud storage accounts. Many platforms let family request a memorial page or closure.
• The post office. The executor can ask to have mail forwarded, which also helps find accounts you did not know about.

For step by step help, read how to close accounts after a death.

Staying organized

This list is long, and it does not all need to happen in one week. Start with family, Social Security, banks and the credit bureaus. Handle the rest over the following weeks.

Keep a simple log of every call and letter, with the date, the person you spoke with and any reference number. Keep copies of death certificates, the will and letters from the court in one folder. Many companies will ask for the same papers, so having them ready saves time.

For a broader timeline of the first days and weeks, see what to do when someone dies.