Old Bank Accounts and Safe Deposit Boxes: How to Find Them and Get Access

Sorting out a person’s bank accounts is often the first big financial task after a death, and two things make it harder than it sounds: you may not know every account that exists, and banks won’t simply hand over money or open a box because you’re family. This guide covers how to find accounts, who can access them, and how safe deposit boxes work. We use Texas as the worked example because access rules are set by states; ask the bank and your probate attorney what applies where the person lived.

How do I find accounts I don’t know about?

Start with what the person left behind, then use records that third parties keep.

• Mail and files. Statements, checks, bank envelopes, annual interest notices, and ATM cards point to accounts, and so do rental receipts or fee notices for a safe deposit box
• Tax records. Banks generally must report interest income of $10 or more, and IRS says that if you received interest of $10 or more, you should receive Copy B of Form 1099-INT. Last year’s 1099-INTs in the person’s files show which institutions paid interest
• IRS transcripts. The IRS explains that a tax transcript shows most of the line entries from a return and may provide income information from Forms W-2, 1099, or 1098 if you request it. To request a deceased person’s information, you submit proof of authority: the deceased’s name, last address, and Social Security number, a copy of the death certificate, and either Letters Testamentary or Form 56. A transcript requested by mail uses Form 4506-T. If requested online, it’s mailed to the deceased person’s address on record
• A credit report. TransUnion explains that you can request a deceased person’s report by sending a letter with their legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, and a death certificate, plus your ID and legal documentation if you’re an executor. But credit reports primarily list credit history: USA.gov says they show information such as bill payment history, loans, current debt, bankruptcy history, and lawsuit records. A credit report is better for finding debts than for finding savings or checking accounts
• Unclaimed property. Accounts that went dormant may have been turned over to a state. See unclaimed property after a death

See also how to find everything a person owned.

Can I withdraw money from the account?

Typically not right away. The Texas State Law Library explains that you may have to wait until a court appoints an executor or administrator, who is authorized to collect and distribute estate property, and that if you’re using an alternative probate method you may have to wait until the court approves your application.

Some accounts pass outside probate. The library notes that transferring nonprobate property doesn’t require court approval, and a bank can transfer funds directly to the beneficiary on:

• accounts with a transfer-on-death (TOD) designation
• accounts with a payable-on-death (POD) designation
• joint accounts with a survivorship agreement. In Texas, the library stresses that joint accounts do not automatically come with a survivorship agreement, so check the account paperwork

If there was no will, the library says heirs or creditors may ask the court to see the account balances, but must wait at least 90 days from the death, and the court can grant the request if no one has applied for administration during that time (Texas Estates Code, Chapter 153). See letters testamentary and probate vs. non-probate assets.

Does deposit insurance change after a death?

Briefly, yes. The FDIC says it insures a deceased owner’s accounts as if the person were still alive for six months after death. After that grace period, coverage depends on the ownership category in which the accounts are now held, and the FDIC notes there’s no grace period when a beneficiary dies. For large balances, ask the bank whether the account’s insurance coverage needs restructuring.

How does a safe deposit box work after a death?

A safe deposit box is not a deposit account. The FDIC explains it is storage space provided by the bank, so its contents, including cash, checks, or other valuables, aren’t covered by FDIC deposit insurance if damaged or stolen, and financial institutions generally don’t insure the contents. The FDIC also says the rules for accessing a box after the owner’s death depend on state law.

Texas example. Texas Estates Code Chapter 151 sets two routes:

• Without a court order (§ 151.003). The person who leases the box to the decedent may permit it to be examined by the decedent’s spouse, a parent, a descendant who is at least 18, or a person named as executor in a copy of a document that appears to be the decedent’s will. The examination must take place in the presence of the person who controls the box, or, if that’s a corporation such as a bank, an officer of the corporation
• With a court order (§ 151.001). A judge may order an examination when it’s shown the documents or box may contain a will, a deed to a burial plot, or an insurance policy issued in the decedent’s name and payable to a named beneficiary. If a bank won’t let you in, the State Law Library says you can petition the court

What you can take out. The statute is narrow. Under § 151.004, the person permitting the examination may deliver only:

• A document that appears to be the will, to the clerk of a probate court in the county where the decedent lived or to a person named in it as executor
• A document that appears to be a deed to a burial plot, or to give burial instructions, to the person conducting the examination
• A document that appears to be a life insurance policy on the decedent, to a named beneficiary

The delivery requires a request and a receipt, and the box lessor must keep a copy of any will delivered until the fourth anniversary of delivery. Section 151.005 restricts removal of anything else except as provided by that chapter or other law, so jewelry, cash, and other contents generally stay in the box until an executor is appointed.

Other states may have similar “will search” rules, but who can look, what they can take, and whether a court order is needed vary, so ask the bank and an attorney.

What should I bring to the bank?

Requirements vary by institution and state, but expect to need:

• A certified copy of the death certificate
• Your photo ID and proof of relationship, if you’re relying on a family-member provision
• Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, if you’re the executor or administrator (see letters testamentary)
• A copy of the will, if you’re named executor and relying on a will-search provision
• The key, if you have it. Having the key doesn’t by itself entitle you to open the box

Call ahead. Branches differ, and some require an appointment or handle estates through a central department.

What if I don’t know which bank has the box?

Look for rental fees on bank statements, a key (often stamped with a number), or rental invoices. Ask the banks where the person did business. If a box was abandoned, the Comptroller of Maryland’s unclaimed property guidance lists safe deposit box contents among the property that can be reported to the state, so also search the person’s states; see unclaimed property after a death.

What mistakes should I avoid?

• Don’t remove other items from a box opened under a will-search provision
• Don’t use the person’s debit card or online banking. Generally it isn’t authorized, and it can cause problems for the estate
• Keep copies and receipts of everything delivered or inventoried
• Don’t assume the contents are insured, and consider moving valuables into insured custody once you have authority
• Ask an attorney if the bank refuses access or you’re unsure whether a court order is needed

For a step-by-step checklist with links to each official search, use our interactive Find the Money checklist.

This is general educational information, not legal or financial advice. Rules on who may access accounts and safe deposit boxes, and on what may be removed, are set by state law and bank policy and change over time; Texas is used as a worked example only. A probate attorney or the bank can address your situation.