What to do when someone dies in the United States

Pause. You do not have to do everything today.

Almost nothing in the first hours is truly urgent except care for the people present. The admin can wait until you have caught your breath.

Check organ or body donation wishes (time-sensitive)

Time-sensitive · 1d

If the person wished to donate organs or their body to science, this is only possible for a short window and is usually arranged with the hospital or donation registry quickly.

Tell the people who need to hear it from you

The closest people should learn it directly, not from social media or a chain message. Beyond that, you can delegate.

Get the death legally pronounced

Time-sensitive · 1d

A legal pronouncement of death must come first; it starts the certificate process.

Find any funeral wishes or a prepaid funeral plan before arranging

Many people leave instructions, prepay a plan, or hold funeral insurance. Finding these first can save money and honour their wishes — and you do not want to discover a paid plan after paying again.

Secure their home, pets, and essentials

An empty home can be a target, perishables spoil, pets need care, and bills keep running.

Notify their employer (and ask about benefits owed)

Final pay, a workplace pension, life insurance "death in service", or owed holiday may be due to the estate — and HR can stop ongoing deductions.

Order many certified copies of the death certificate

Almost every institution — banks, insurers, Social Security, the DMV — wants an original certified copy. People routinely underestimate how many they need.

Choose funeral arrangements (you have price-list rights)

Funeral costs vary widely. Federal law (the FTC "Funeral Rule") gives you the right to an itemised price list and to decline package add-ons.

Notify Social Security and claim survivor benefits

Social Security must be told (benefits stop, and an overpaid month is reclaimed). Survivors may be due benefits and a small one-time death payment.

Flag the credit files to prevent identity theft ("ghosting")

Criminals target the recently deceased to open credit. Flagging the credit files early is one of the most protective things you can do.

Monitor or redirect their post

Incoming mail tells you which institutions still need notifying — and unmonitored mail is a common route for identity theft of the deceased.

Cancel subscriptions and recurring payments

Streaming, memberships, software, and direct debits keep charging. Stopping them prevents wasted money and surfaces accounts you did not know about.

Locate the will and open probate (state-specific)

There is no national will registry. The will names the executor and is filed with the local probate court — but rules and thresholds vary dramatically by state.

Claim life insurance and retirement/employer benefits

Beneficiary-designated assets pay quickly and outside probate, but only if you claim them. Employers and pensions often hold cover people forget.

Veterans (VA) benefits, if they served

The VA may provide burial allowance, a national cemetery plot, a headstone/marker, a burial flag, and survivor benefits (DIC).

Notify banks, the DMV, and close/transfer accounts

Sole accounts freeze pending probate; joint and POD accounts pass to the survivor/beneficiary. The DMV and voter rolls should also be updated.

Memorialize or close online and social accounts

Dormant accounts can be hijacked, and active profiles can be painful for loved ones. Most major platforms have a process for the deceased.

Look after your own grief

The admin ends; grief does not run on a schedule. Support is not a luxury — it helps you function through the rest of this list too.

File the final income tax return (and check estate tax)

A final federal (and usually state) income tax return is required for the year of death. Federal estate tax only affects very large estates, but a handful of states have their own.