People who need a certified copy of a death certificate include the executor of the estate, close family members, every life insurance company that issued a policy, each bank and brokerage holding an account, retirement plan administrators, the Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs, credit bureaus, major technology companies, the county recorder for any real estate, and most utility and subscription providers. Funeral directors commonly recommend ordering ten certified copies to start, and complex estates often need twelve or more.
The Executor and Immediate Family
The executor named in a will, or the administrator a probate court appoints, is usually first in line. Probate courts require a certified death certificate as part of the initial filing to open the estate. Without it, the court cannot formally appoint anyone, and until someone is appointed, no one has legal authority to act for the estate.
Spouses, adult children, and parents are typically the people eligible to request certified copies from the state vital records office in the first place. Once the estate is open, the executor burns through additional copies closing accounts, transferring property, filing taxes, and settling debts. Family members who aren’t the executor often need their own copies too, for things like claiming survivor benefits, rolling over a retirement account, or refinancing a jointly held mortgage.
Life Insurance Companies
Every life insurance company requires a certified death certificate before paying a claim. The beneficiary submits it alongside a claimant statement, and processing won’t begin until both arrive. For larger policies, some insurers insist on an original certified copy rather than a photocopy. Nassau Financial Group, for example, requires an original for claims above $500,000 and accepts a copy of a certified certificate for smaller benefits.1Nassau Financial Group. How to File a Life Insurance or Death Claim With Our Company
If the primary beneficiary died before the insured person, the proceeds go to a contingent beneficiary or the estate, and the insurer may need a death certificate for the beneficiary as well.2John Hancock. Life Insurance Death Benefit Claim Families often hold policies across multiple carriers, so life insurance alone can consume several copies.
Banks, Brokerages, and Credit Cards
Banks and credit unions require a certified copy before they will close an account, release funds to the estate, or remove a deceased co-owner from a joint account. A surviving joint account holder who already has full access to the money still has to present the certificate before the bank updates its records.3KeyBank. Handling Bank Accounts After a Loss Investment brokerages follow the same rule when transferring stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
Credit card companies need the certificate to close accounts and stop recurring charges. Outstanding balances usually become a debt of the estate rather than a family member’s personal obligation, but the card issuer still wants proof of death before working with the executor on the balance.
Retirement Accounts and Pensions
Employer-sponsored retirement plans, IRAs, and pension funds each require their own certified copy. A beneficiary claiming a 401(k) or IRA distribution submits the certificate with the plan’s claim form. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which insures certain private-sector pensions, specifically requires a certified copy before processing any survivor claim.4Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Report a Death
Many people have accounts with more than one custodian, so this category can take two or three copies by itself. The deceased person’s most recent employer may also need one to release final wages, unused vacation pay, or employer-sponsored life insurance benefits.
Government Agencies
Social Security Administration
A funeral home usually reports the death to the Social Security Administration automatically, so the family doesn’t typically need to make that call.5Social Security Administration. What to Do When Someone Dies Applying for survivor benefits is a separate step and does require documentation. The SSA’s application for widow’s or widower’s benefits lists proof of the worker’s death among the documents you may need to provide, and the agency generally wants the original rather than a photocopy.6Social Security Administration. Information You Need to Apply for Widows or Widowers Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs
The VA requires a death certificate showing cause of death when survivors apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, survivors pension, or accrued benefits. The cause-of-death information matters because service-connected conditions listed on the certificate can affect eligibility for higher benefit levels.7Department of Veterans Affairs. Evidence to Support VA Pension, DIC, or Accrued Benefits Claims
The IRS
One agency that catches people off guard: the IRS explicitly does not need a copy of the death certificate when the executor files the deceased person’s final tax return.8Internal Revenue Service. Filing a Final Federal Tax Return for Someone Who Has Died If you’re claiming a refund on behalf of the deceased using Form 1310, you must keep proof of death in your records in case the IRS later asks, but you don’t attach it to the return.9Internal Revenue Service. Form 1310 (Rev. December 2025)
State DMV
State motor vehicle agencies use the death certificate to cancel the deceased person’s driver’s license and vehicle registration and to process title transfers. Requirements vary, but most accept a photocopy rather than requiring a certified original. Getting it done promptly helps prevent the deceased’s identity from being misused.
Credit Bureaus
Notifying the credit bureaus is one of the most overlooked steps, and skipping it creates real identity-theft risk. Fraudsters monitor obituaries and public records to find recently deceased people whose credit files are still open, a practice known as ghosting. A deceased alert on the credit report stops new accounts from being opened in that person’s name.
Only a spouse or a legally authorized representative such as an executor can report a death to a credit bureau. You only need to notify one of the three nationwide bureaus and it will alert the other two. Experian accepts the death certificate uploaded online or mailed to its Consumer Assistance Center.10Experian. How to Report a Relatives Death to Credit Bureaus TransUnion accepts notification by mail and processes it within five business days.11TransUnion. Reporting a Death of a Loved One to TransUnion You can also request a credit freeze, which blocks anyone from even viewing the deceased person’s credit report.
Digital Accounts
Most major technology companies have a process for a deceased user’s account, and a death certificate is almost always part of it. Apple requires a death certificate for any request involving a deceased person’s Apple Account. If the deceased set up a Legacy Contact, that person needs both the access key they were given and the death certificate. Without a Legacy Contact, Apple generally requires a court order in addition to the certificate.12Apple Support. How to Request Access to a Deceased Family Members Apple Account
Google uses a request form and review process for deceased users’ accounts.13Google. Submit a Request Regarding a Deceased Users Account Social media platforms allow accounts to be memorialized or removed, with documentation requirements that vary. Any online account holding financial data, stored photos, or digital purchases is worth addressing, and the death certificate is usually the starting document.
Real Estate and County Recorders
Transferring real property owned by a deceased person requires filing a certified death certificate with the county recorder’s office where the property sits. This applies whether the property passes through a will, a transfer-on-death deed, or joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Until the death certificate is recorded, the public record still shows the deceased as owner, which blocks any sale or refinancing. Title companies will also require a certified copy during the title search and closing on estate property. Property in multiple counties or states means a copy for each county recorder.
Utilities, Subscriptions, and Funeral Services
Utility companies, subscription services, phone carriers, and membership organizations may all ask for a death certificate to close or transfer accounts. The federal government’s post-death guidance specifically lists banks, credit card companies, credit bureaus, utilities, and membership services among the entities to contact.14USAGov. Agencies to Notify When Someone Dies Not every utility insists on a certified copy, and some will accept a photocopy or even an obituary, but a certified copy speeds things up. Funeral homes and cemeteries also use the certificate in their own operations, particularly to obtain burial or cremation permits.
Property or Accounts in Another Country
If the deceased owned property, held bank accounts, or had legal matters abroad, the death certificate needs additional authentication before foreign authorities will accept it. For countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention, you need an apostille certificate from the Secretary of State in the state that issued the death certificate. State-issued death certificates go through the issuing state’s Secretary of State office, not the federal one.15U.S. Department of State. Preparing a Document for an Apostille Certificate For countries outside the Hague Convention, the process involves additional legalization through the U.S. Department of State and the relevant foreign embassy. Some countries also require a certified translation.
Certified Copies vs. Informational Copies
Not every copy carries the same legal weight. A certified copy is issued by the state or county vital records office with an official seal or stamp. An informational copy contains the same data but is stamped with a notice that it cannot be used to establish identity. Some states issue informational copies by default to people who don’t meet the eligibility rules for a certified version.
For virtually every purpose above, you need the certified version. Informational copies work for personal records or genealogy, but financial institutions and government agencies will reject them. When ordering, specifically request certified copies.
How Many Copies to Order
Funeral directors commonly recommend ten certified copies as a starting point, with more complex estates needing twelve or more. The actual number depends on how many institutions you have to notify: each life insurance policy, each bank, each retirement account, and each county recorder’s office where property is held will want its own. Some institutions return the certificate after processing; many do not. You don’t want to be waiting on additional copies while time-sensitive claims sit idle.
Ordering extras upfront is significantly cheaper than ordering them one by one later. The first certified copy typically costs between $10 and $21 depending on the state, with additional copies in the same order running just a few dollars each. Ordering a replacement months later usually means paying the full first-copy price again, plus processing time.
Where to Get Them
Certified copies come from the vital records office in the state where the death occurred, not the state where the person lived. You can usually order online, by mail, or in person, and the state may ask for the date and place of death, your relationship to the deceased, and the reason you need the certificate.16USAGov. How to Get a Certified Copy of a Death Certificate Spouses, children, parents, and siblings are generally approved, along with anyone who can show they’re the legal representative of the estate. The funeral home handling arrangements can often order the initial batch on the family’s behalf, which is the fastest route since they’re already filing the certificate with the state.