What to do when a Interactive Brokers account holder dies
Contact Interactive Brokers's Estate Processing — 6-step process, 7 required documents, and ibkr does not publish a claim timeline. it states only that estate processing commences on receipt of a certified death certificate and that "the process varies based upon account type, jurisdiction and other factors," with instructions issued to verified estate administrators, heirs, or beneficiaries. ibkr also warns that message center response times can be substantially extended during periods of high volume.
Client Services (ticket-based, via Client Portal Message Center)
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Processing
Fax(312) 984-1017
Mailing Address
Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Processing
Fax(312) 984-1017
Mailing Address
Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770 (overnight/courier: 209 South LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604)
Canadian accounts (email)
Hong Kong, Australia, or Singapore accounts (email)
TOD Beneficiary Distribution Form submissions (email)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
What happens to Interactive Brokers investment accounts after the account holder dies depends on how each account was titled. Beneficiary-designated and trust-owned accounts transfer directly. Accounts in the deceased's name alone go through the estate, and the executor or administrator works with Interactive Brokers's Estate Processing to claim the funds.
Interactive Brokers provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Interactive Brokers:
Filing a claim
1
Email the right Estate Processing mailbox — IBKR routes by the region the account was opened in, and there is no estate phone line:
- US and European accounts: estateprocessing@interactivebrokers.com
- Canadian accounts: estateprocessingca@interactivebrokers.com
- Hong Kong, Australia, or Singapore accounts: estateprocessingapac@interactivebrokers.com
- Put the account number and "Estate Processing" in the subject line
2
Send a certified copy of the death certificate. IBKR states it commences estate processing on receipt of the certified death certificate, then determines the appropriate distribution of assets — the process varies by account type and jurisdiction, and IBKR issues processing instructions only to verified estate administrators, heirs, or beneficiaries
3
If the account carried a TOD registration, the beneficiary submits:
- A certified copy of the death certificate
- A copy of their own government-issued ID (driver's license or passport)
- The Non-Probated Estate Action Form, with instructions for delivery of the assets (obtained from Estate Processing)
- The NOTARIZED Transfer On Death - Beneficiary Distribution Form — https://ndcdyn.interactivebrokers.com/Universal/servlet/Registration.formSampleView?file=TODBeneficiaryDistribution.jsp
4
Open an IBKR account if you do not already have one. The TOD distribution form is explicit that assets are transferred INTO the beneficiary's own Interactive Brokers account, so a beneficiary with no IBKR account must complete an IB Account Application as part of the claim
5
Submit the completed, notarized distribution form by any of the three channels printed on the form:
- Email help@interactivebrokers.com with your account number and "Estate Processing" in the subject line — only .gif, .tiff, .tif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, .bmp, and .pdf attachments are accepted
- Fax (312) 984-1017 with the account number in the subject line
- Postal mail: Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770
- Overnight or courier: Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, 209 South LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604
6
If the account had NO TOD registration and no surviving joint owner, the estate representative must be appointed by the probate court and provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration before IBKR will release the assets
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Copy of the claiming beneficiary's government-issued ID (driver's license or passport)
- Non-Probated Estate Action Form with delivery instructions (TOD accounts — obtained from Estate Processing)
- Notarized Transfer On Death - Beneficiary Distribution Form (TOD accounts)
- IB Account Application, if the beneficiary does not already have an Interactive Brokers account to receive the assets
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (accounts with no TOD registration)
- Trust document (if a trust is the named beneficiary)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
IBKR has no branches and no estate phone line — every estate matter runs through email, fax, mail, or a Client Portal Message Center ticket. Three IBKR-specific points matter to a beneficiary. First, the Transfer On Death - Beneficiary Distribution Form must be NOTARIZED; IBKR itself will not notarize it, and separately IBKR does not offer a Medallion Signature Guarantee stamp for the transfer of securities, so a claimant needing either must go to their own bank or a notary. Second, IBKR transfers TOD assets into the beneficiary's own IBKR account, so a beneficiary who is not already a client must open one as part of the claim rather than simply receiving a check. Third, a TOD revocation is only effective if IBKR received and approved it before the account holder died — an unapproved revocation sitting in the queue at the time of death does not defeat the registered beneficiary. On incapacity rather than death, IBKR asks the holder of the power of attorney to contact it directly; the agent's rights depend on what the POA document grants, and IBKR gives the agent account access only once the POA is formally established.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Interactive Brokers requires.
Build your letter of instructionProcessing timelines at Interactive Brokers: IBKR does not publish a claim timeline. It states only that estate processing commences on receipt of a certified death certificate and that "the process varies based upon account type, jurisdiction and other factors," with instructions issued to verified estate administrators, heirs, or beneficiaries. IBKR also warns that Message Center response times can be substantially extended during periods of high volume. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Interactive Brokers requires several documents to process a claim, including Certified copy of the death certificate, Copy of the claiming beneficiary's government-issued ID (driver's license or passport), and Non-Probated Estate Action Form with delivery instructions (TOD accounts — obtained from Estate Processing), and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
IBKR will not provide one: its Client Services FAQ states plainly that "IBKR does not offer a Medallion Signature Guarantee stamp for the transfer of securities." It does ACCEPT one as an alternative to notarization on the IRA side — the IRA Beneficiary Designation instructions say IBKR "requires a notary notarized signature or medallion signature guarantee for both the Account Owner and the Spouse," and the Spousal Consent Form can be signed the same way. On the brokerage side, notarization is the requirement: both the Transfer on Death Agreement you sign to create the TOD and the Transfer On Death - Beneficiary Distribution Form a beneficiary files after death must be notarized. Because IBKR has no branches and no notary of its own, plan to visit a bank, credit union, or notary for any of these.
No. The online registration is only the first half. After you enter beneficiaries under User menu > Settings > Account Configuration > Account Inheritance, IBKR generates a pre-populated Transfer on Death Agreement that you must print, sign, and have NOTARIZED before returning it. The TOD is not complete until IBKR receives and approves that signed agreement — at which point your account title is amended to show the designation (for example "Jane Doe, TOD") and your statements reflect it. The same trap applies to changes: you must send a NEW signed agreement every time you modify or remove a TOD beneficiary. And a revocation only counts if IBKR received and approved it before you died — a revocation still sitting unapproved at your death does not defeat the registered beneficiary.
IBKR limits TOD registration to US-based Individual accounts, Joint accounts registered as Tenants with Rights of Survivorship or Tenants by Entirety, and individual IRA account users. A Tenants in Common joint account is NOT eligible — when one tenant in common dies, that share has to go through probate. Corporate accounts, UGMA/UTMA custodial accounts, and Trust accounts are also outside the TOD path; on a trust account, beneficiaries are registered through the Account Inheritance page's IRA-and-Trust flow and the assets ultimately pass under the trust's own terms. IBKR also cautions that some US states do not allow beneficiary registration or impose restrictions, and it puts the burden of figuring that out on you.
Everything is remote and document-driven. Email the Estate Processing team — estateprocessing@interactivebrokers.com for US and European accounts, estateprocessingca@ for Canadian accounts, estateprocessingapac@ for Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore accounts — with the account number and "Estate Processing" in the subject. IBKR opens estate processing on receipt of a certified death certificate and then issues account-specific instructions to verified heirs, because the process varies by account type and jurisdiction. A TOD beneficiary submits the certified death certificate, a copy of their driver's license or passport, the Non-Probated Estate Action Form, and the notarized Transfer On Death - Beneficiary Distribution Form by email to help@interactivebrokers.com, by fax to (312) 984-1017, or by mail to Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770. One thing catches most people: IBKR moves the assets into the beneficiary's OWN Interactive Brokers account, so if you are not already a client you have to open an IBKR account as part of the claim. If there was no TOD registration and no surviving joint owner, the executor must produce Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
Interactive Brokers's Estate Processing can be reached by email at estateprocessing@interactivebrokers.com and fax at (312) 984-1017 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Interactive Brokers investment accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Estate Processing can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Interactive Brokers primary sources (15 pages reviewed). How we research.
Client Services (ticket-based, via Client Portal Message Center)
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Processing
Fax(312) 984-1017
Mailing Address
Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770
WebsiteLearn more→
Estate Processing
Fax(312) 984-1017
Mailing Address
Interactive Brokers LLC, Estate Processing, P.O. Box A3770, Chicago, IL 60690-3770 (overnight/courier: 209 South LaSalle Street, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604)
Canadian accounts (email)
Hong Kong, Australia, or Singapore accounts (email)
TOD Beneficiary Distribution Form submissions (email)
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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