How to Get Money From a Bank Account After Death

The Account Is Frozen — Now What

When a bank learns that an account holder has died, it freezes all solely owned accounts. Debit cards stop working, online banking locks out, and automatic payments halt. The money is still there — the bank is legally required to protect it until someone with proper authority claims it.

How you get access depends on how the account was set up.

Path 1: POD/TOD Beneficiary Claim (Fastest)

Timeline: 3 to 10 business days

If the deceased named you as a Payable-on-Death or Transfer-on-Death beneficiary, you can claim the funds without probate. Contact the bank's estate services department — not a regular teller — and bring:

• Certified death certificate (raised seal required)
• Your government-issued photo ID
• Account numbers or the deceased's identifying details

The bank verifies your identity against the beneficiary designation, you complete a claim form, and the funds transfer within days.

Path 2: Surviving Joint Owner (Immediate)

Access: A true JTWROS account generally remains accessible to the surviving owner.

If the account was titled as Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship, you're already the legal owner of the full balance. Bring a certified death certificate and your ID to the bank. They'll remove the deceased's name from the account and update the signature card.

You should retain uninterrupted access throughout this process. If the bank freezes a true JTWROS account, escalate to their estate services department.

Path 3: Small Estate Affidavit (Weeks, Not Months)

Timeline: Weeks rather than months under the state process

If the account has no beneficiary and no joint owner, but the total estate value is below your state's small estate threshold, you can skip formal probate. File a small estate affidavit — a sworn statement certifying the estate qualifies — and present it to the bank with a certified death certificate.

Where a waiting period applies, state-specific periods include 10 days in Oklahoma, 28 in Michigan, 30 in Texas, 40 in California, and 60 in Illinois. Thresholds range from $10,000 to $208,850 depending on the state.

Path 4: Formal Probate (Months)

Timeline: Estate settlement averages 16 months nationally; mid-tier estates average 13.5 to 14 months

For solely owned accounts that don't qualify for any shortcut, you'll go through probate court. The steps:

1. File the will and death certificate with the county probate court
2. Get appointed as executor (Letters Testamentary) or administrator (Letters of Administration)
3. Apply for an EIN from the IRS — the estate needs its own tax ID
4. Open an estate checking account under the EIN
5. Present your court letters, EIN, death certificate, and ID to each bank
6. Transfer frozen funds into the estate account
7. Pay debts in statutory priority order
8. Distribute remaining funds to heirs after the creditor claim period closes

The national average estate takes 16 months to settle. Executors spend an average of 570 hours on the process. The average legal and accounting cost is $12,400.

Emergency Expenses During the Wait

If funeral bills are due and probate hasn't started, some banks will release funds for funeral expenses upon presentation of the funeral director's invoice and a certified death certificate. This exception varies by institution — ask the bank's estate services team directly.

Do not use the deceased person's online credentials, payment card, or a Power of Attorney to access an account after death. Such use is unauthorized and can lead to civil or criminal liability.

For the complete claims process — including bank-specific procedures, document checklists, and phone scripts — the Bank Accounts & Financial Claims After Death toolkit covers every path with step-by-step instructions.