Closing a Bank of America Account After a Death
How to start
Call Bank of America's Estate Services: 1-800-878-7878, available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Or visit any Bank of America branch with the documents below.
For credit cards specifically, you can also call 1-888-689-4466 (Mon–Fri 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET).
What to bring
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Your government-issued photo ID
- The deceased's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and account numbers
- Letters testamentary or letters of administration if you are the executor or administrator
- Small estate threshold: Bank of America may accept a small estate affidavit in lieu of full probate. Ask about the current threshold for your state when you call.
What to expect
Bank of America will place a "deceased hold" on the account upon notification.
- Joint account: Surviving owner retains access; deceased's name is removed.
- Sole account: Frozen until legal documentation is provided.
- Payable on Death (POD) account: Beneficiary claims with death certificate and ID.
Bank of America may require you to close existing accounts and open a new estate account to receive and distribute the funds.
Credit cards
Report through the Estate Services line. Authorized users' cards will stop working when the primary account is closed. You are not personally responsible for the deceased's credit card balance unless you were a joint account holder. The estate is responsible for outstanding balances.
Merrill Lynch and investment accounts
If the deceased had Merrill Lynch or Merrill Edge accounts, these are handled through Bank of America's wealth management estate team: 1-800-637-7455. Beneficiary designations on investment accounts supersede the will, if the deceased named a beneficiary on their IRA or brokerage account, that person receives those funds regardless of what the will says.
Timeline
2 to 8 weeks, depending on estate complexity.