What to Do When Someone Dies: A US Checklist

Only a few things are urgent in the first hours. Almost everything else can wait a few days. This checklist follows the order things usually happen in the US. It is general information, not legal advice: probate, deadlines and benefits depend on state law and on how each asset was owned.

In the first hours

• Get a legal pronouncement of death. At home under hospice care, call the hospice nurse. At home without hospice, call 911. In a hospital or care home, staff handle this.
• Check for organ or body donation wishes. These decisions are time-sensitive. Check the driver's license, any donor card and the person's papers.
• Tell close family.

In the first day or two

• Choose a funeral home or cremation provider. Look for any pre-paid plan or written wishes first.
• Arrange care for children, dependents and pets.
• Secure the home and vehicles. Lock up, collect keys and stop deliveries.
• Find the will. Look for the signed original, not a copy.
• Make sure the mail goes to someone you trust. It is the best way to find accounts, bills and policies.

Your rights when arranging the funeral

Under the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule, a funeral home must give you an itemized price list, and you may choose only the goods and services you want. You can supply your own casket or urn, and the funeral home cannot refuse a casket you bought elsewhere or charge a fee for using it. Prices vary widely, so it is reasonable to call two or three providers and compare.

In the first week

• Order certified copies of the death certificate. The funeral home usually orders them. Banks, insurers and agencies may each ask for a certified copy, so ask how many you will need.
• Notify Social Security. The funeral home usually reports the death; call 1-800-772-1213 to confirm. Benefits paid for the month of death or later must be returned. A surviving spouse or eligible child may qualify for a one-time $255 death payment; it is not automatic and generally must be requested within two years.
• Contact the executor named in the will, and speak with an estate attorney about whether probate is needed.
• Tell the employer, if the person was working, and ask about final pay and benefits.

In the first month

• File life insurance claims. Insurers usually pay only when someone files a claim.
• Notify banks, brokerages and retirement-plan administrators.
• Notify Medicare and other health insurers.
• Contact the VA if the person was a veteran, and ask about burial and survivor benefits.
• Ask Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to flag the record as deceased. This helps prevent identity theft.
• Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate if the executor will open an estate account. It is free at IRS.gov; be wary of websites that charge for it.

Within the year

• File the final income tax return. Form 1040 for the year of death is generally due by the usual April deadline of the following year. An estate income tax return (Form 1041) is required if the estate has $600 or more of gross income in a tax year.
• Settle valid debts and final bills from the estate before distributing anything. Family members usually do not have to pay a relative's debts from their own money unless they co-signed, held the account jointly, or live in a state with special rules for spouses.
• Cancel subscriptions, memberships and autopays, and close or memorialize email and social media accounts.
• Keep a record of every payment and decision made for the estate.

Sources

• USA.gov: How to report a death to Social Security
• FTC: Complying with the Funeral Rule
• IRS: File the final income tax returns of a deceased person
• IRS: Instructions for Form 1041
• IRS: Apply for an EIN online
• VA: Burials and memorials
• CFPB: Does a person's debt go away when they die?

Last reviewed 2026-10-31. General information, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.