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What Documents Will I Need Immediately After My Loved One Dies?
When a loved one dies, you’ll first want to check their driver’s license to see if they’re an organ or tissue donor. This is important as medical professionals will need […]
When a loved one dies, you’ll first want to check their driver’s license to see if they’re an organ or tissue donor. This is important as medical professionals will need to know this information right away. (See our section on Organ, Tissue and Whole Body donation for more information about donating organs and tissues.) Next, you should locate any records that indicate if the loved one has made funeral or cremation or body donation arrangements — these may be in an Advance Directive, documents from a funeral home or potentially the loved one’s will. If there are no arrangement records, typically the next of kin will decide. The chosen funeral home or cremation provider will help arrange transport of the body.
Getting a Death Certificate
Typically the funeral or cremation provider prepares the death certificate. If you wish to obtain copies, you may obtain them from the funeral home or from the appropriate government agency, typically the Office of Vital Records or Department of Health. You may need to provide some form of identification when requesting copies. This may include:
Photo ID (one of the following)
- Driver’s license
- Passport
- A state-issued, nondriver photo ID card
- U.S. Military photo ID
OR two of the below, indicating the applicant’s name and address:
- Telephone or utility bill
- Letter from a government agency with a date withins the last six months
After Transport of the Body
Gather your loved one’s will and any other legal documents such as safety deposit box records, life insurance or final expense policies (if you don’t find policy documents outright, you may be able to determine this through bank statements). These documents will specify your loved one’s wishes regarding management of their estate.
| For more detailed information about what to do immediately after someone dies, see our Comprehensive Step-by-Step Planning Guide: Immediately Upon Death. |
Sources
“Fact Sheet: Death Certificates”. New York State Department of Health. https://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/death.htm
“How to Get a Death Certificate”. Nolo. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-get-death-certificate.html
