What to do when a LinkedIn account holder dies
LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft) has a formal process for transferring accounts after an account holder dies
OverviewWhen someone dies
LinkedIn Help Center
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LinkedIn Help Center
Timeline
No published processing timeline. Upon memorialization, access is locked immediately, sessions expire, and Premium subscriptions are cancelled. Account data is deleted within 30 days of closure approval.
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(General customer service)
Verified Apr 2026
LinkedIn offers two pathways: memorialization (preserves profile as memorial, locks all access) or closure (permanent deletion within 30 days). Anyone can request memorialization with supporting documentation. Only authorized representatives with court-issued legal documents can request closure. LinkedIn will NOT disclose usernames or passwords to anyone, including family members, under any circumstances. When memorialized, a memorial badge appears on the profile, all LinkedIn products are cancelled, all sessions expire, and third-party connections are terminated. Users can still view posts and content but cannot interact with the profile.
How to request a transfer
Follow these steps to initiate a transfer of LinkedIn accounts after the account holder's death:
1
Choose between memorialization and closure:
- •Memorialization: preserves profile as memorial, locks all access. Anyone can request with supporting documentation.
- •Closure: permanently deletes all data within 30 days. Requires authorized representative with court-issued legal documents.
2
For memorialization, provide:
- •Member's full name and LinkedIn profile URL
- •Your relationship to the deceased
- •Their email address and date of passing
- •Link to obituary or relevant news article
3
For closure, provide everything above plus one of these court-issued documents:
- •Letters of Administration
- •Letters Testamentary
- •Letters of Representation
- •Court order appointing authorized estate representative
4
Unacceptable documents for closure include: wills, trusts, power of attorney, birth certificates, driver's licenses, or screenshots.
5
Premium/Sales Navigator subscriptions are automatically cancelled upon memorialization. Exception: subscriptions purchased through Apple must be cancelled separately through Apple.
6
For orphaned Company Pages (deceased was sole admin): a current employee must add the company as their current employer on their profile, verify their work email, then follow the steps at linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569092. If no active admins exist, LinkedIn may grant access automatically; otherwise the requester can contact LinkedIn support through the same help article.
7
Data export is not available to estates. LinkedIn does not provide a mechanism for family members or executors to download a deceased person's account data. Data can only be exported by logged-in account holders.
Required Documents
- Death certificate (for closure requests)
- Court-issued letters testamentary, letters of administration, letters of representation, or court order (for closure)
- Obituary or news article link (for memorialization)
Timeline
No published processing timeline. Upon memorialization, access is locked immediately, sessions expire, and Premium subscriptions are cancelled. Account data is deleted within 30 days of closure approval.
Frequently asked questions
Family members or authorized representatives can request memorialization (preserves profile as memorial, locks access) or closure (permanent deletion within 30 days). LinkedIn will not grant account access or share passwords under any circumstances. Premium subscriptions are automatically cancelled upon memorialization.
No. LinkedIn accounts are non-transferable. The User Agreement states members may not "share or transfer your account or any part of it." The only options after death are memorialization or closure. There is no account succession, delegate access, or transfer mechanism.
If the deceased was one of multiple admins, remaining admins retain access. If the deceased was the sole admin, the page becomes orphaned. A current employee with a company email can request admin access through LinkedIn support (linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569092).
No. LinkedIn does not provide a mechanism for estates to export account data. The User Agreement states LinkedIn has "no obligation to store, maintain or provide you a copy of any content." Data download is only available to logged-in account holders. Without login credentials, the data is effectively inaccessible.
LinkedIn requires a death certificate plus one court-issued document: letters of administration, letters testamentary, letters of representation, or a court order appointing the requestor as authorized representative. Wills, trusts, power of attorney, birth certificates, screenshots, unsigned documents, and other informal documents are not accepted.
Memorialization preserves the profile with a memorial badge, locks all access, cancels LinkedIn products, and terminates sessions. Anyone can request memorialization with basic information. Closure permanently deletes all account data within 30 days and requires an authorized representative with court-issued legal documents.
According to the User Agreement, "your account belongs to you" as between you and others (including your employer). However, accounts are non-transferable and LinkedIn is not a storage service. The account cannot be bequeathed or inherited despite belonging to the member.
Premium, Sales Navigator, and other LinkedIn subscriptions are automatically cancelled upon memorialization. The exception is subscriptions purchased through Apple, which continue billing until cancelled separately through Apple. Within 48 hours of memorialization, notifications stop and the deceased member is removed from recommendation features.
After the transfer is complete, the recipient can use the accounts according to the program's standard terms. Document the deceased account holder's details to make this process easier for your executor or family.
LinkedIn Help Center
WebsiteVisit website→
LinkedIn Help Center
Timeline
No published processing timeline. Upon memorialization, access is locked immediately, sessions expire, and Premium subscriptions are cancelled. Account data is deleted within 30 days of closure approval.
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
(General customer service)
Verified Apr 2026