LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
Home > Guides > Who to notify after a death
Beyond family: the Social Security Administration, the IRS, the credit bureaus, voter registration, the DMV, banks, insurers, utilities, and any pension plan or employer. Send certified copies of the death certificate, never originals, and keep a dated list of everyone notified. Most offices act on a mailed notice alone.
Only part of it. Funeral homes routinely report the death to the Social Security Administration as part of their service, which is why SSA benefit changes often happen automatically. Everything else still needs your written notice: banks, employers, insurers, utilities, and pension plans will not hear about it from the funeral home. And even the SSA report is worth confirming: if a benefit payment arrives after the death month, the SSA can reclaim it from the estate, so check that the payments actually stopped.
| Party | What to send | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | Notice of death (the funeral home often files this; confirm it was done) | Benefits must stop; payments after the month of death are reclaimed |
| IRS | The final tax return, marked with the word "Deceased" and the date of death, filed by the usual deadline | The estate stays liable for the final year's taxes until the return is filed |
| Credit bureaus (all three) | Written request to flag the file as deceased, with a certified copy of the death certificate | A flagged file makes it far harder for anyone to open credit in the person's name |
| Banks and investment accounts | Death certificate copy plus your authority (executor letters or the account's beneficiary paperwork) | Accounts freeze on notice; joint accounts have their own rules |
| Insurers (life, health, home, auto) | Claim or cancellation notice with a death certificate copy | Life claims start here; other policies should be cancelled to stop premiums |
| DMV | Notice to cancel the driver's license, with a death certificate copy | Prevents license misuse; in some states it also clears voter registration automatically |
| Voter registration office | Notice with the certificate copy, unless your state removes names automatically | Stops ballots from being issued in the person's name |
| Utilities and landlord | Notice to close or transfer accounts | Bills keep accruing until someone closes the account |
| Employer and pension plans | Notice to the HR or benefits department | Survivor benefits and pension payments are claimed here, and deadlines can apply |
A certified copy is the official copy with the registrar's raised seal or stamp: banks, insurers, and government offices accept these and reject plain photocopies. Never mail the original certificate; if it is lost in the mail, replacing it is slow and expensive. Order several certified copies up front, because each institution typically keeps the copy you send. One copy per bank, insurer, and government office adds up fast, and ordering a second batch later costs you another round of waiting.
The same logic applies with different offices. Notify Service Canada for Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits, the Canada Revenue Agency (a final tax return is still required), the provincial health plan, the provincial driver's licence office, banks, and insurers. Canadian vital-statistics offices issue the certified copies, and the same rule holds: send copies, never the original.
Keep a dated list of every office you notified, what you sent, and how. When a stray bill or benefit notice arrives months later, that list is how you prove you did your part.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com