What to Do When Someone Dies: A Step-by-Step Checklist
The only thing that has to happen immediately is a legal pronouncement of death — in a hospital or hospice, staff handle it; at home on hospice, call the hospice's 24-hour line, not 911. In the first days, order several certified copies of the death certificate (usually through the funeral home), then notify Social Security, banks, and insurers. Almost nothing else is urgent in the first hours, so give yourself room to breathe first. Here is the rest, in the order it actually has to happen.
Quick answer
Nothing in the first hour is urgent except a legal pronouncement of death — in a hospital or hospice, staff handle it; at home on hospice, call the hospice's 24-hour line, not 911. In the first days, order several certified copies of the death certificate (usually through the funeral home), then notify Social Security, banks, and insurers. Ask the SSA about the one-time $255 death payment and survivor benefits.
First, take a breath
There is no task in the first hour that can't wait until you've steadied yourself. The only thing that has to happen quickly is a legal pronouncement of death — and if your loved one was in a hospital or hospice, the staff are already handling it. Everything below can be done over days and weeks, often with help. Keep this checklist nearby and work through it at your own pace.
What do I do in the first few days after a death?
1. Get a legal pronouncement of death
A medical professional must formally declare the death before a death certificate can be issued. In a hospital, hospice, or care facility, staff do this automatically. If the death happens at home without hospice involved, call 911 (or your local non-emergency line); emergency responders or the coroner will handle the pronouncement.
If the death happened at home
What to do when someone dies at home depends on their care. If they were in hospice, do not call 911 — call the hospice's 24-hour line, and a hospice nurse will come to confirm the death and handle the paperwork. If the death was unexpected, or they were not under hospice or a doctor's care, call 911. Either way, the death must be formally pronounced by someone in authority — a hospice nurse, a doctor, or the medical examiner — and there's no need to move the body right away. You have time for customs, rituals, and to gather the people who want to be there.
2. Contact a funeral home, crematory, or donation program
Whether your loved one wanted burial, cremation, or to donate their body, this is the next call. The funeral director coordinates transport and the disposition you've chosen — and, helpfully, usually reports the death to Social Security for you (more on that below).
3. Order certified copies of the death certificate
You'll need certified copies — not photocopies — to settle nearly everything: banks, insurers, retirement accounts, and government agencies. USA.gov notes you'll need the person's Social Security number and certified copies of the death certificate for most agencies and programs. Order more than you think you'll need — many institutions require an original and won't return it. The funeral home can usually order them for you.
| Where you’re using it | Certified copy required? | Do they usually keep the original? |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | Usually none needed | N/A — the funeral home typically reports the death electronically; call only if it wasn’t reported |
| Each bank or credit union | Yes, 1 per institution | Often not — many copy it and hand the original back to you |
| Each life insurance policy | Yes, 1 per policy | Sometimes, especially on larger payouts — ask before mailing it in |
| Each pension or retirement plan | Yes, 1 per plan administrator | Varies by administrator |
| Each brokerage or investment firm | Yes, 1 per firm, to re-title or transfer assets | Varies |
| Vehicle title or real estate transfer | Yes, 1 per transfer | Usually kept by the DMV or recording office |
| Recommended starting orderRule of thumb | 10–15 certified copies — the funeral home can usually order them for you | |
4. Secure their home and belongings
Lock up the home, arrange care for any pets, forward the mail, and safeguard valuables and important paperwork — especially the will, financial records, and an emergency binder if one exists. This also reduces the risk of theft or fraud during a vulnerable time.
Two things you'll reach for again and again
Keep the person's Social Security number and a stack of certified death certificates together. Per USA.gov, you'll need both for most agencies, banks, and benefit programs — having them in hand turns a dozen phone calls into quick ones.
Free: a fill-in obituary template
The funeral home usually needs the obituary quickly, and facing a blank page while grieving is a lot to ask. Our free printable breaks it into small steps — a worksheet to gather the facts once, a fill-in-the-blank short notice for the newspaper (papers often charge by the line), and a longer full tribute that follows the shape most families use. No email required — it's yours to download and keep.
Download the free obituary template (PDF) →Notify Social Security and Medicare
The funeral director typically reports the death to the Social Security Administration — but confirm it was done, and don't assume. If a funeral home isn't involved or didn't report it, you must. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778); you can't report a death online. Have the person's name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death ready. SSA then notifies Medicare automatically.
Don't keep the final benefit payment
Social Security is paid the month after it's earned, and a person must live the entire month to be entitled to that month's benefit. So the payment for the month of death generally has to be returned — even if they died on the last day of the month. If benefits arrive by direct deposit, tell the bank the person has died and ask it to return any funds received for the month of death or later.
Surviving family may also be eligible for benefits. A one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 can go to a qualifying surviving spouse or child, and some survivors qualify for ongoing monthly benefits. There's a deadline: the lump-sum payment must be applied for within two years of the date of death. Call Social Security to ask what the survivors are entitled to.
Who do I need to notify when someone dies?
Over the following weeks, work through the organizations the person dealt with — canceling benefits, closing or transferring accounts, and flagging the death to prevent identity theft. Per USA.gov, that includes:
- Banks, credit-card companies, and the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) — close or transfer accounts and place a deceased flag to block identity theft
- Insurance companies — life, health, auto, and home — to file claims or cancel coverage
- Employer or former employer and any pension plan — for final pay and survivor benefits
- The state motor-vehicles office — cancel the driver's license or ID and transfer vehicle titles
- The IRS — you must file the person's final income-tax return for the year of death
- The U.S. Department of State — return the passport for cancellation
- State social-services office — cancel benefit programs like Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF
- Your local election office — cancel the voter registration
- Utilities, subscriptions, and memberships the person paid for
Your own will just became urgent
No software settles the estate you're in now — that's probate, through your state's court. It's for the next one: your own will almost certainly names the person who just died, so your executor and beneficiary forms point at nobody. Trust & Will's Will Plan ($199, 2026) rewrites it. No deadline.Affiliate link — we may earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. Educational, not legal advice; use a licensed attorney for anything complex.
Start your Will Plan →Settling the estate
Locate the will and identify the named executor (or personal representative). Depending on the size of the estate and your state's rules, it may need to go through probate — the court process that validates the will and authorizes the executor to distribute assets. For anything beyond a simple estate, talk to an estate attorney; the cost is usually small next to the risk of doing it wrong. (This is general information, not legal advice.)
Watch for identity theft after a death
Scammers target the recently deceased — it's sometimes called "ghosting." Reporting the death promptly to Social Security and the three credit bureaus, shredding sensitive mail, and watching the person's accounts for a few months are the simplest defenses.
When you're ready: a place to remember them
Create an online memorial
Once the paperwork settles, many families want a lasting place to gather — to share photos and stories, and light a virtual candle from anywhere. An online memorial gives far-flung friends and family a way to grieve together, and keeps those tributes in one place for years to come. Create a memorial at ForeverMissed →
Affiliate link — RetirementInOrder may earn a commission if you create a memorial through it, at no extra cost to you.You may be interested in…
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Good to know
Common questions
It’s the middle of the night and he just died at home. Do I call 911?
It depends on whether he was on hospice. If he was, do not call 911 — call the hospice’s 24-hour line, and a nurse will come to confirm the death and handle the paperwork. If the death was unexpected, or he wasn’t under hospice or a doctor’s care, call 911. Either way, you don’t need to move him, and nothing else has to happen tonight.
My husband just died. Will his Social Security stop coming?
Yes, his own benefit ends, and the payment for the month he died generally has to be returned even if he died on the last day of that month — a person must live the entire month to be entitled to it. If it arrives by direct deposit, tell the bank so it can send back anything received for the month of death or later. Separately, you may qualify for ongoing survivor benefits and a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment, which must be applied for within two years of the death.
Am I going to be stuck paying his credit card debt?
Usually not out of your own money. Debts are paid from the estate, and family members generally aren’t personally responsible for a deceased relative’s debts. The exceptions matter: a joint account holder, a co-signer, and — depending on state law — a surviving spouse in a community property state can be on the hook. Debt collectors may contact the executor about estate debts, but they are not allowed to say or imply that you must pay from your own funds.
I have power of attorney. Can I use it to handle his accounts?
No. A power of attorney ends the moment the person dies, and using it after death isn’t valid. Authority passes to the executor or personal representative named in the will, or appointed by the court if there isn’t one — and you’ll need to notify the banks where you acted as agent that the authority has ended.
How many death certificates do I actually need?
More than you’d expect — many families order ten or more. Banks, insurers, retirement plans and government agencies often each require a certified original and won’t give it back. The funeral home can usually order them for you, and ordering extras up front is far cheaper and faster than going back to the vital records office months later.
Who reports the death to Social Security — do I have to?
The funeral home usually reports it, but confirm it was actually done rather than assuming. If no funeral home is involved, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) with the person’s name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death. You cannot report a death online.
What happens if I put off notifying everyone for a few months?
Two things go wrong, and both cost money. Benefit payments that keep arriving after the death have to be repaid, and the amount grows every month you wait. And scammers actively target the recently deceased — reporting the death to Social Security and the three credit bureaus, shredding sensitive mail, and watching the accounts for a few months are the simplest defenses against having his identity used to open new credit.
What can actually wait?
Almost everything. The only thing that has to happen immediately is a legal pronouncement of death. Ordering certified copies of the death certificate and notifying Social Security, banks and insurers belong to the first days, not the first hours. Estate settlement, closing accounts and the final tax return unfold over weeks and months — you are allowed to sit down before you start.
Verified from
Sources
- USA.gov — Agencies to notify when someone dies
- Social Security Administration — What to do when someone dies
- Social Security Administration — Lump-sum death payment
- National Institute on Aging — What To Do After Someone Dies
- Hospice Foundation of America — When Death Happens at Home
- U.S. Bank — What documents do you need after a loved one dies?
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Does a person’s debt go away when they die?
- Federal Trade Commission — Debts and Deceased Relatives
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — What is a power of attorney?
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