What to Do When Someone Dies in United States: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Verification and Official Certification of Death

   Before a funeral home can complete civil registration or arrange burial or cremation, an authorized medical professional or medico-legal authority must pronounce the death and complete the medical portion of the death certificate [1][2].

   • Death in a hospital, nursing home, or under hospice care: When a person dies in a hospital or licensed care facility, the attending physician, nurse practitioner, or medical staff pronounces the death, completes the medical cause-of-death certification (typically through the state's Electronic Death Registration System), and coordinates release of the body to the family's appointed funeral home [1][2]. If your family member died at home under registered hospice care, call the hospice nurse on duty rather than emergency services so the hospice team can pronounce the death and arrange release without an unnecessary emergency investigation [1].
   • Unexpected or unattended death at home or in a public place: If the death occurs suddenly at home without hospice supervision or in a public place, call 911 immediately [1]. Local law enforcement and emergency medical services will respond and notify the county Coroner or Medical Examiner (for example, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City or the County Department of Medical Examiner in Los Angeles County) [1][2]. For sudden, accidental, unexplained, or unattended deaths, the Coroner or Medical Examiner takes legal jurisdiction to determine the cause and manner of death, conduct an examination or autopsy if required by state statute, and issue the official medical certification and release before the funeral director can transfer your family member [1][2].
2. 2

   Check Pre-Arrangements and Appoint a Licensed Funeral Provider

   Before signing a funeral contract, check your family member's records for a pre-need funeral contract, burial insurance, life insurance policy, or eligibility for veterans burial benefits [1][3].

   • Appointing a licensed funeral home: In almost all U.S. states, a state-licensed funeral director coordinates the physical care and transport of the deceased, files the death certificate with the local registrar, and obtains the burial-transit or cremation permit [2][4]. You can locate a state-licensed provider through the directory of the National Funeral Directors Association (phone: +1 262-789-1880; email: [email protected]) [4]. Clarvia provides directory information for orientation only and does not endorse, recommend, or rank individual providers.
   • Consumer protections under the FTC Funeral Rule: Under the federal Funeral Rule enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (phone: +1 877-382-4357), every funeral provider must give you an itemized General Price List (GPL) in writing when you begin discussing arrangements and provide price information over the phone upon request [3]. You have the legal right to purchase only the specific goods and services you select, to use a casket or urn purchased from a third-party vendor without paying a handling fee, and to decline embalming unless your specific state law requires it after a set time or for specialized transport (refrigeration is an accepted alternative in most jurisdictions) [3].
   • Statutory burial and cremation timelines: Timelines and waiting periods are set by state law. Many states require cremation or burial permits to be issued only after a mandatory waiting period (commonly 24 to 48 hours after death, as in Texas or New York) and require specific authorization from the Coroner or Medical Examiner before cremation can proceed [2][4].
3. 3

   Register the Death with State or County Vital Records and Obtain Death Certificates

   Your appointed funeral director normally gathers your family member's personal and demographic information (including full legal name, Social Security number, date and place of birth, parents' names, and occupation) and files the official death record with the local county health department or state Office of Vital Statistics / Vital Records within the statutory state deadline (typically 3 to 5 days after death, depending on the state) [1][2].

   • Burial-transit permits and certified Death Certificates: Once the death is registered, the local registrar issues the official burial, cremation, or transit permit required before final disposition [2]. Order 5 to 10 certified copies of the official Death Certificate through the funeral home at the time of registration or directly from the state or county Vital Records office (retrievable through the directory on USA.gov at +1 844-872-4681), as banks, life insurers, pension administrators, and probate courts require certified copies bearing an official raised or multicolored seal [1][2].
   • If a U.S. citizen dies abroad: When a U.S. citizen dies outside the United States, the death is registered first with the local foreign civil registry, and the U.S. Department of State (Overseas Citizens Services phone: +1 888-407-4747 from the U.S./Canada or +1 202-501-4444 from abroad) through the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate issues the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (CRDA, Form DS-2060), which serves as official English-language proof of death across all U.S. states [5].
4. 4

   Claim Social Security, Veterans, and Survivor Benefits

   Promptly notify federal benefit agencies to prevent overpayments (any monthly benefit paid for the month of death or later must be returned) and to apply for survivor entitlements [1][6]:

   • Social Security Administration (SSA): Although the funeral director can report the death to Social Security if you supply your family member's Social Security number, you must contact the Social Security Administration directly by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778; or through the relevant U.S. Embassy Federal Benefits Unit if residing abroad) to claim benefits, as survivor claims cannot be completed online [6]. Depending on your relationship to the deceased and their work credits, eligible family members (such as a surviving spouse, eligible divorced spouse, minor or disabled child, or dependent parent) may qualify for monthly Social Security survivor benefits and a one-time lump-sum death payment of $255 [6].
   • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): If your family member served in the U.S. Armed Forces, contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (phone: +1 800-827-1000; National Cemetery Scheduling Office: +1 800-535-1117) to check eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery at no cost, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or Survivors Pension, and monetary burial allowances claimed via VA Form 21P-530EZ [7].
   • Employer benefits and life insurance: Contact your family member's current or former employers, labor unions, and pension plan administrators regarding unpaid wages, 401(k) or IRA retirement accounts, and employer-sponsored group life insurance [1].
5. 5

   Complete Probate / Estate Administration, Notify Banks, and File Final Tax Returns

   The legal process for settling your family member's assets and liabilities depends on how assets were titled and the laws of the state where your family member was domiciled [1]:

   • State Probate Court and estate succession: Locate the original will or trust documents [1]. File the will with the county Probate Court (also called the Surrogate's Court in states like New York and New Jersey, or Orphans' Court in Pennsylvania and Maryland) in the county where the deceased resided [1]. If probate is required, the court appoints the executor (Letters Testamentary) or, if there is no will, an administrator (Letters of Administration). Most states offer a simplified Small Estate Affidavit procedure when probate assets fall below a state-specific statutory threshold (for example, in California, Texas, or Illinois), while assets with designated beneficiaries (life insurance, retirement accounts, payable-on-death bank accounts, and joint tenancy property) generally transfer outside probate upon presentation of a certified Death Certificate [1].
   • Notifying banks, creditors, and credit bureaus: Present certified copies of the Death Certificate and court-issued Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to banks and financial institutions to close or retitled sole accounts and open an estate bank account if needed [1]. Notify the three major credit reporting bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to place a deceased alert on the credit file and prevent identity theft [1].
   • Federal and state tax filings (IRS): The court-appointed personal representative or surviving person responsible for the estate must file the deceased's final federal income tax return on Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR with the Internal Revenue Service (phone: +1 800-829-1040) by the standard April 15 deadline of the year following death [8]. Write the word Deceased, your family member's name, and the date of death across the top of Form 1040 [8]. If the estate earns gross income of $600 or more after the date of death, you must also obtain an estate Employer Identification Number (EIN) and file a fiduciary income tax return (IRS Form 1041), alongside any applicable state income or inheritance tax returns [8].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   What to do when someone dies — USA.gov
2. [2]
   How to get a certified copy of a death certificate — USA.gov
3. [3]
   The FTC Funeral Rule — Federal Trade Commission
4. [4]
   National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Directory — National Funeral Directors Association
5. [5]
   Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (CRDA Form DS-2060) — U.S. Department of State
6. [6]
   Social Security Survivor Benefits and Reporting a Death — Social Security Administration
7. [7]
   VA Burials and Memorials — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
8. [8]
   About Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return — Internal Revenue Service