Executor Checklist: First Steps With Sources

If you are the executor of an estate in the United States, you do not have to do everything in the first week. A few things come first: find out whether you have been named and where the will is, make sure the death was reported, order certified copies of the death certificate, and keep the mail coming to you. Everything else can be done in order over the following weeks and months.

This page gives you that order in three lists: the first days, the first weeks and the first months. Most steps name a public source you can open, or say "Ask" when no public source gives a firm answer; the rest are plain advice and say so. A printable version is further down.

This is not legal advice. It is a plain-English checklist built from federal government pages. Rules, forms and deadlines differ by state and change over time. For any decision about a will, probate, taxes, debts or property, ask a probate attorney or the probate court clerk in the county where the person lived. This page covers the United States only.

If you are still sorting out what has to happen in the first days after the death itself, start with what to do when someone dies. For a plain account of the role, see what an executor does.

What "executor" means here

The executor is the person named in a will to carry out what it says. When there is no will, the court may appoint someone, called an administrator or personal representative. The IRS uses "personal representative" for any of them: "an executor, administrator, or anyone else in charge of the decedent's property." Source: IRS, Topic no. 356, Decedents; FTC, Debts and Deceased Relatives.

Being named in a will is not the same as having legal authority yet. The IRS says the probate court "will issue Letters of Testamentary or a similar document" that authorizes you to act, and that you will need it to handle tax and other matters. Source: IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator. What your state calls that document, and how long it takes, is a question for the court clerk.

The first days

1. Find the will and learn who is named. Ask the probate court clerk, or an attorney, in the county where the person lived: where the original should be, whether it must be filed with the court, and by when. Keep the original safe. Ask: this varies by state, and no federal page gives a firm answer.

2. Ask the funeral director whether Social Security has been told. USAGov says the funeral director should report the death to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and that if they do not, "you must do this as soon as possible." SSA says you can report a death by calling 1-800-772-1213 or by contacting a local Social Security office, and that survivors benefits cannot be applied for online. SSA also says a one-time $255 lump-sum death payment can be made to a qualifying spouse or child, and that it must be applied for within 2 years of the death. Sources: USAGov, Agencies to notify when someone dies; SSA, "Who is eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits and how do I apply?".

3. Order certified copies of the death certificate. USAGov says most agencies and programs need the person's Social Security number and certified copies of the death certificate. How many to order depends on the estate; ask the funeral director or the state vital records office, and ask each organization whether it will accept a photocopy. Source: USAGov.

4. Keep the mail coming to you. Each envelope tells you about an account, a bill or a benefit. If you shared an address with the person, the Postal Service says you may open and manage their mail. If you live elsewhere, you must go to a Post Office in person, show documented proof that you are the appointed executor or administrator, and complete a change of address request; "simply having their death certificate is not enough." You can also forward a single piece of mail to an executor by crossing out your address and writing "Forward to" and the new address on the front. Source: USPS, How to Stop or Forward Mail for the Deceased. More in what to do with a deceased person's mail.

5. Start one running list of every call, letter and reference number. Write the date, who you spoke to, what they said and any reference number. It saves repeat calls later and is the record an attorney will ask for. No source is needed: this is practical advice. A page to record the date, who you spoke to and the reference number is part of The Executor's Workbook (see the box at the end).

6. Do not move money or hand out belongings yet. Ask the attorney or the court clerk what you may do before you are appointed. Ask: this is a question about your state's rules, not a fact from a source.

The first weeks

7. Get appointed. The IRS says probate "will generally open 30 to 90 days after the date of death," depending on state law, and that one of the court's first actions is to appoint an estate administrator. Ask the clerk what your county's timing is and what papers the court needs. Source: IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator.

8. Tell the agencies that apply. USAGov lists these, depending on the person: the state motor vehicles office (cancel the license or ID, transfer a vehicle title), state social services (cancel benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid), the local election office (cancel voter registration), the Department of State (return the passport for cancellation), the Department of Veterans Affairs for a veteran, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service for a military retiree, and the Office of Personnel Management for a federal employee or retiree. Source: USAGov.

9. Tell banks, card companies, credit bureaus, utilities and memberships. USAGov lists each. Our own tip: pause rather than cancel anything you are unsure about, and keep housing, utilities and insurance paid. The IRS suggests sending each credit bureau a copy of the death certificate and asking for a "deceased alert" on the credit reports, then watching the reports for unusual activity. Sources: USAGov; IRS, Identity theft guide for individuals. If an account is opened after the death, the FTC runs IdentityTheft.gov for reports. What proof each bank and bureau needs is something to ask each one.

10. Understand debts before you pay any. The FTC says a person's debts do not go away when they die: they are owed by and paid from the estate, and family members "usually don't have to pay the debts of a deceased relative from their own money." There are exceptions, for example a debt you cosigned, or, for a surviving spouse, community property states and some healthcare costs. The FTC says the executor is responsible for settling the deceased person's debts. Before you pay a bill from your own money, ask an attorney; the FTC says to "talk to a lawyer" if you are unsure. Source: FTC, Debts and Deceased Relatives (page dated February 2023).

11. Know who a debt collector may talk to. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act the FTC says collectors can discuss a deceased person's debt only with the spouse, a parent of a minor, a legal guardian, a lawyer, the executor, administrator or personal representative, or a confirmed successor in interest on a mortgage. A collector may contact other relatives once to ask who the representative is, but may not discuss the debt. Source: FTC, Debts and Deceased Relatives. To report a collector, the FTC points to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general.

12. Look for insurance, pensions and retirement accounts. Ask each insurer, employer and retirement plan how to file a claim and which papers it needs. Ask: no single public source for this step was read.

The first months

13. Tell the IRS who is in charge. The IRS says you may need to file Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship, to tell it a fiduciary relationship exists. Source: IRS, Topic no. 356.

14. Get an EIN for the estate and learn whether it must file. The IRS says an estate must file Form 1041, the estate income tax return, if its assets generate more than $600 in annual gross income, and that you need an employer identification number (EIN) for the estate first. The IRS says calendar-year estates file Form 1041 by April 15 of the following year; fiscal-year estates file by the 15th day of the 4th month after the tax year closes. Ask a tax preparer or the attorney which applies. Sources: IRS, File an estate income tax return (page last reviewed 2 April 2026); IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator.

15. File the final income tax return. The IRS says to file it the way you would if the person were alive: report all income up to the date of death, check the "Deceased" box and enter the date of death. If the person did not file for earlier years, you may have to. If a refund is due, a Form 1310 may be needed; a court-appointed personal representative does not file it but attaches a copy of the court papers showing the appointment. To verify non-filing status and get income documents, the IRS points to Form 4506-T. Sources: IRS, File the final income tax returns of a deceased person; IRS, Topic no. 356.

16. Find out whether an estate tax return is needed. The IRS says Form 706 is required only if the estate is above a filing threshold that changes with the year of death, and "in general, estate tax only applies to large estates." Check the Form 706 instructions for the year of death, or ask an attorney. Sources: IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator; IRS, Deceased person.

17. List the assets and the debts for the court. The IRS says your first responsibility as estate administrator is to give the probate court an accounting of the assets and debts of the deceased: have the assets appraised, verify the debts, and contact the IRS to file a proof of claim. Whether your state requires this, and in what form, is for the clerk or attorney. Source: IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator.

18. Pay creditors, then distribute, only with the attorney's say-so. The IRS describes the order: the administrator collects the assets, pays creditors, then distributes what remains to heirs or beneficiaries. Ask the attorney before you pay a large bill or hand anything to a beneficiary. Source: IRS, Responsibilities of an estate administrator.

19. Keep every record. Letters, receipts, claim numbers, who you paid and why. Keep it in one file. No source is needed.

20. Look after yourself. Grief is not a task list. If you ever feel unsafe, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: it is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day. Source: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Questions for the attorney or court clerk

These are the points where this page gives no answer because the answer depends on your state or the estate. Take them to the first meeting.

• Do I need to be appointed by the court, and what document will I get?
• Where is the original will, and does it have to be filed? By when?
• What is a small-estate process, and does it apply here?
• May I pay bills or access accounts before I am appointed?
• How many certified death certificates should I order?
• Do I need an EIN for the estate and a Form 1041?
• What do I list for the court, and when?
• When may I pay creditors and distribute belongings?

Printable checklist

To print this section on its own, use your browser's Print command (Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac). The page is set up to print this checklist and the call log below. Each line is a short form of the step above with the same number.

Call log

Write no passwords or full account numbers on this page.

Sources

Each step marked with a source links to the page it came from. Steps that say "Ask" depend on your state or the organization: probate timing, the court's papers, small-estate rules, how many certified copies to order, and what each bank and credit bureau needs. Government pages change; if a detail matters, open the source.

All read on 4 October 2026.

• USAGov, "Agencies to notify when someone dies", updated 31 August 2026.
• SSA, "Who is eligible to receive Social Security survivors benefits and how do I apply?", dated 13 March 2024.
• USPS, "How to Stop or Forward Mail for the Deceased", no date shown on the page.
• IRS, Topic no. 356, Decedents, last reviewed 24 September 2026.
• IRS, "Responsibilities of an estate administrator", last reviewed 14 August 2026.
• IRS, "File an estate income tax return", last reviewed 2 April 2026.
• IRS, "File the final income tax returns of a deceased person", last reviewed 14 August 2026.
• IRS, "Deceased person", last reviewed 28 June 2026.
• IRS, "Identity theft guide for individuals", last reviewed 4 June 2026.
• FTC, "Debts and Deceased Relatives", dated February 2023.
• FTC, "Identity theft", no date shown on the page; used only for the pointer to IdentityTheft.gov.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.