Step 1
Contact the state's office for vital records or the county clerk where the deceased account owner died. Request a certified copy of the decedent's death certificate online, by mail, in person or by fax. Pay the applicable fee to obtain the death certificate.
Step 2
Present a certified death certificate where the deceased's account is located. Inform the bank you are either a trustee or POD beneficiary for the decedent's account. Provide a copy of the trust if you are closing an account titled in trust. Provide proper identification, such as a driver's license or passport, to establish your identity as either trustee or a named beneficiary on a POD account.
Step 3
Instruct the bank on how to disburse the account's funds. For example, trustees must distribute funds according to the terms of the trust; a POD beneficiary may request funds be made payable to himself in the form of a cashier's check. Keep all statements from the bank showing accounts were properly closed and disbursed.