What happens to a 1Password account when someone dies
AgileBits publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through AgileBits' support ticket system.
Under AgileBits' terms, a 1Password account closes when the holder dies and nothing in it passes to anyone.
AgileBits publishes no process specific to a deceased person's account; a written request goes in through AgileBits' support ticket system. The request takes one document.
What to do
Required Documents
- The email address on the 1Password account
What AgileBits Inc.'s terms say at death
- The terms
“You may not assign, sub-license or otherwise transfer any of your rights under these Terms.”1
What AgileBits Inc. says happens9
- Transfer at death
The Terms of Use for individual users bar assigning or transferring any rights under them, and the Terms make no provision for the death of a user.1
- Passwords and login
The Emergency Kit lists the sign-in address, the email address used to create the account and the Secret Key, with a place to record the account password and a setup QR code.2
The Secret Key is created on the holder's own device; 1Password has no record of it, cannot recover it, and no one can open the data without it.3
Recovery by a family organizer or team administrator sends the person an email; they confirm their email address, get a new Secret Key and create a new account password before the organizer completes it.4
- Disclosure of account content
1Password states it cannot decrypt users' passwords and saved items, their account password, or item metadata such as titles, URLs, tags and custom icons.5
- Court orders and legal process
Its Government Request Guidelines say that, for a law-enforcement request, 1Password can provide account type and payment, login times, vault and item counts, storage used, IP addresses, connected devices, and the name, email and profile picture.5
- Subscriptions and billing
A cancelled subscription stays active to the end of the billing period, and then the account is frozen; it can be restarted at any time.6
1Password does not refund past charges or time remaining on an account at cancellation.7
- Inactive accounts and expiry
A frozen account keeps its items: they can still be viewed and copied, but not filled in the browser, and no one can be invited to the family or team.8
- Closing the account
A subscription can be cancelled without deleting the account, and 1Password says the data is then kept. A business or organization account is deleted by contacting 1Password Support.9
- Deletion and data retention
Deleting an account starts the deletion of all its information, with 30 days before it is permanently deleted; deleting a family, team or business account erases the information for everyone in it.9
- Restoring a deleted account
An individual account, or one deleted by its family organizer or team owner, may be restored by contacting 1Password Support within 30 days.9
Not in 1Password's published guidance6
- A process for a deceased account holder
- A form for estate requests
- A complete list of the documents to send
- Whether a certified death certificate is required
- A mailing address for a written request
- How long a request takes
Sources9
- 1.Terms of Service, Last updated: September 12, 2024
- 2.Get to know your Emergency Kit, Published: August 17, 2026
- 3.About your Secret Key, Published: October 6, 2026
- 4.Recover accounts for family or team members, Published: August 3, 2026
- 5.1Password Government Request Guidelines, Last updated: April 20, 2023
- 6.Manage your 1Password subscription on 1Password.com, Published: August 18, 2026
- 7.1Password refund policy, Published: July 29, 2024
- 8.If your 1Password account is frozen, Published: August 3, 2026
- 9.How to delete your 1Password account, Published: September 3, 2026
A written request to AgileBits can ask it to preserve the account while the estate is opened and close the account.
Nothing in the account survives the holder, and AgileBits allows no lifetime transfer of it either.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter for 1Password drafts that request from the estate's details.
Sources
Data sourced from AgileBits Inc. primary sources (18 pages reviewed). How we research.
1Password estate claims
1Password Support
Website
Estate requests go through general customer service.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's online accounts, points, and balances from the program that holds them.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Collect a small estate's property without probate — the sworn affidavit presented to banks and other holders, with a presentation letter for each.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need and see ordering info for your state.
Do I Need Probate?
Find out if an estate needs probate or qualifies for simplified procedures.
Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?
Find out which tax returns need to be filed after someone dies and whether tax clearance is required.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away.
What Do I Do When Someone Dies?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with state rules noted where they apply.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax, and inheritance tax for an estate.
