How to Access a Deceased Person's Bank Account and Pay for the Funeral

You usually can't take money out of a dead person's sole bank account just because you are family. The account normally stays restricted until an executor or administrator with court authority steps in, or a state small-estate process applies. There are faster routes, though: a joint owner or payable-on-death beneficiary can often claim the money directly, some banks will pay a funeral home from an invoice, and if you pay first the estate can repay you. Call the bank before you count on any of them.

Who can get into the account?

It depends on how the account was set up and who you are.

Our guides on joint accounts and payable-on-death accounts explain the first two in more detail. The notifying banks guide covers what to say on the first call.

Will the bank pay the funeral home?

Sometimes. Whether a bank will pay a funeral invoice out of a restricted sole account is a matter of the bank's own policy and sometimes state law. Some have a process. Others won't release anything until a court has named someone to act. Don't assume.

If you want to try, this is the usual approach:

1. Ask the funeral home for the itemized statement. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, the funeral home must give you a statement listing every good and service you chose, the price of each and the total, right after you make the arrangements.
2. Call the bank's estate or bereavement team, not the branch. Ask whether they will pay a funeral home from the account and what they need.
3. Send what they ask for. That is typically a certified death certificate, the itemized statement and your photo ID. Our guide to how many death certificates you need helps you order enough.
4. Ask for payment to go to the funeral home, not to you, and get the answer in writing.

What if the bank says no?

You still have options for paying the bill in the first week.

• A joint account or POD account. Money here is often available to the survivor or beneficiary quickly.
• Life insurance with a named beneficiary. It usually skips probate, though payout takes time. See claiming life insurance.
• Pay yourself and be repaid. A relative or the executor pays by card or check, keeps the receipt and claims it back from the estate. See below.
• Ask the funeral home. Some may agree to a payment plan or wait for the estate. Ask what they offer and get it in writing.
• Look for other money. Our guides to paying for a funeral and government help with funeral costs list further sources.

How does the estate repay you?

The FTC says a dead person's debts are owed by and paid from the estate, and that family members usually don't have to pay them from their own money. The funeral bill is usually one of the debts the estate pays first, but the order is set by each state.

If the estate runs out of money before everything is paid, creditors in a lower class may get little or nothing, and you may not be fully repaid. Keep the itemized statement, proof of payment and a note of who paid. The executor decides how the estate repays you, so ask them or a probate attorney before assuming.

How does an executor get access?

1. Get certified death certificates and the original will.
2. Apply for letters with the probate court. Our probate guide explains the process and our guide on what an executor does covers the role.
3. Get an EIN for the estate. The IRS lists estates among the entities that can apply, and Publication 559 says the personal representative should apply for one as soon as possible. Online applications are usually issued immediately.
4. Show the bank the letters and EIN. It may then open an estate account or release funds into one, so the estate's money stays separate from yours.
5. Pay bills from the estate account, including reimbursing anyone who paid the funeral.

Can heirs use a small estate affidavit?

In many states, yes. The Legal Information Institute says small estate laws vary heavily, with some limits as low as $30,000 and others in the hundreds of thousands. Some states use a short court process. Others let heirs skip probate with a death certificate and a sworn affidavit.

Waiting periods are common. California, for example, makes heirs wait 40 days after the death, and the court's self-help page says certain property, such as joint accounts and accounts with beneficiaries, isn't counted toward the limit. Check your state court's website for current limits. Our small estate guide has examples by state.

In states with a waiting period, an affidavit rarely helps with the funeral bill itself, but it can unlock the account afterward.

What should you not do?

• Don't use the person's debit card, checkbook or online banking. You're not the account holder and have no authority. Banks can treat this as unauthorized use, and it can cause problems for the estate.
• Don't move money to your own account "for safekeeping."
• Don't spend Social Security deposits. USA.gov says the SSA cannot pay benefits for the month of death, so the payment that covers that month, and any later one, must be returned. Tell the bank so it can return a direct deposit.
• Don't pay bills from your own funds without a record. If the estate repays you, you'll need receipts.

How do you find accounts you didn't know about?

Check mailed and emailed statements, tax papers showing interest income, and banking apps on the person's phone. Then search state unclaimed property records through NAUPA, which links to every state's database. Our guide on notifying banks lists other places to look.

What if the person died in the UK?

The rules differ. Citizens Advice says the person who arranges a funeral has to pay for it, and that you can ask the bank to pay the funeral costs even if the account has been frozen. Once you have the final invoice from the funeral director, you give it to the bank, which is how the payment is requested. Banks may still ask for a death certificate or other proof. GOV.UK says to ask each bank whether you need probate, because every organisation has its own rules, and that money owned jointly passes automatically to the surviving owners. For other countries, ask the bank what it needs and whether the law gives funeral costs priority.

What to do next

1. Work out which accounts are joint, POD or sole, and who you are in each case.
2. Get the funeral home's itemized statement.
3. Call each bank's estate team about paying the funeral home, and record the answer.
4. If the executor has not started probate, start with our probate guide.
5. Keep a single folder of receipts, statements and call notes.