Checked against official SSA, IRS, USAGov and FTC pages on 2026-10-07. Rules change; the agency's or court's current instructions win.
There's no single right order, and no one expects you to do it all in a week. This page covers the paperwork that usually follows in the first weeks.
USAGov: "Contact the vital records office of the state where the death occurred" to learn how to order and "The cost for each certified copy". Certified copies are needed for tasks such as "Notifying the Social Security Administration and other government agencies" and "Closing or transferring credit cards and bank accounts" (USAGov).
SSA: "Funeral homes generally tell us when someone dies. So, you don't typically need to report a death to us." If a funeral home isn't involved, SSA asks you to call with "the name, Social Security number, date of birth, and date of death for the person who died" (SSA). USAGov adds: "SSA will notify Medicare." and "The SSA cannot pay benefits for the month of a recipient's death." (USAGov).
From USAGov's list: the motor vehicles office (to "Cancel the person's license or ID" and "Transfer the title of a vehicle the person owned"), the passport, the local election office, state social services, and the VA, DFAS or OPM if the person was a veteran, military retiree or federal retiree.
"Report the person's death to banks, credit card companies, credit bureaus, and other financial organizations. And contact utilities and places where the person had memberships and subscriptions." (USAGov). See how to close accounts.
Each state sets its own rules for estates. We don't summarize them; read your state's court self-help page.
The FTC: "The law requires funeral homes to give you written price lists for products and services." (FTC).
The kit has this checklist with trackers for every call, copy, account and receipt, in PDF and Word.
Get the Executor's Checklist (PDF + Word), $14
Instant download. 14-day no-questions refund. Edition 1.0, dated 2026-10-07. For use in any state; state court rules you look up on your state's own page.