What to do when a Zions Bank account holder dies
Contact Zions Bank's Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services — 3-step process, 5 required documents, and pod beneficiaries can typically access funds within a few business days of presenting death certificate and valid id. probate-dependent claims may take several weeks or longer.
Zions Bank Customer Service
Phone1-888-307-3411
Mailing Address
One South Main Street, 12th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84133-1109
Credit Card / Debit Card Services
Security Concerns
Home Loans
Home Equity
Corporate Trust Department
Corporate Trust Toll-Free
WebsiteLearn more→
Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services
Phone1-888-673-3380
Mailing Address
One South Main Street, 12th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84133-1109
Corporate Trust Department
Corporate Trust Toll-Free
WebsiteLearn more→
Zions Bank Customer Service / Estate Claims
Phone1-888-307-3411
Fax(801) 524-2189
Mailing Address
Zions Bank, P.O. Box 30709, Salt Lake City, UT 84130
Home Loans
Home Equity
Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services
Verified Jul 2026
What happens to Zions Bank 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 Zions Bank's Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services (1-888-307-3411) to claim the funds.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Zions Bank. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Zions Bank requires:
Filing a claim
1
Notify Zions Bank of the death and provide account details
- Contact Zions Bank customer service at 1-888-307-3411 or visit a branch location
- Provide deceased account holder information including full legal name and account numbers
- Submit a certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Under the Zions Bank Deposit Account Agreement, the Bank must be notified promptly of an owner's death; it will continue to honor checks, debit card transactions, and ACH withdrawals authorized by the owner until it has had an opportunity to act on that notice, so give written notice quickly to stop payments and reverse post-death direct deposits
2
Submit documentation based on account type
- For POD accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued ID and certified death certificate to claim funds
- For trust-owned accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation, trustee identification, and death certificate
- For accounts without POD or trust: executor or administrator provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court
- For joint accounts with right of survivorship: surviving owner provides death certificate to remove deceased from account
3
Await review and distribution of funds
- Bank reviews documentation and processes distribution per beneficiary designation, trust instructions, or court order
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate (original or certified copy)
- Government-issued photo ID for claimant
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required)
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if trust-owned account)
- Utah Small Estate Affidavit for collection of personal property by affidavit -- available where the entire estate subject to administration (wherever located, less liens and encumbrances) is $100,000 or less and at least 30 days have passed since death (Utah Code 75-3-1201); the affidavit is notarized and presented directly to the Bank, not filed with a court. Accounts at out-of-state Zions Bancorporation divisions use that division state's small-estate procedure
What to know at this institution
Zions Wealth fiduciary services team offers trust administration and estate settlement services for trust-owned accounts. Contact Zions Wealth at 1-888-673-3380 for estate administration assistance. Corporate Trust Department: 801-844-7545 or 888-416-5176, One South Main Street, 12th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84133-1109. Utah small estates: where the entire estate subject to administration is $100,000 or less and 30 days have elapsed since death, the successor can present a notarized Small Estate Affidavit (Utah Code 75-3-1201) directly to the Bank to collect deposit funds without opening probate. Because Zions Bank operates in Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, accounts opened in ID or WY follow those states' small-estate thresholds; accounts at the other Zions Bancorporation, N.A. divisions (Amegy Bank in TX, California Bank & Trust in CA, National Bank of Arizona in AZ, Nevada State Bank in NV, Vectra Bank Colorado in CO/NM, The Commerce Bank of Washington/Oregon in WA/OR) settle under those states' procedures even though all share the single national charter. Under the Zions Bank Deposit Account Agreement, after an owner's death the Bank may set off against a Payable-on-Death or joint account any debts the deceased owed the Bank, up to the full account balance at the time of death, before releasing funds to beneficiaries.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
1
Notify Zions Bank of the borrower's death and provide account details
- Call 1-800-727-8893 (Home Loans) or 1-888-307-3411 (general customer service)
- Provide the deceased borrower's full legal name, Social Security number, and loan number
- Submit a certified copy of the death certificate
2
Request and complete Successor in Interest documentation
- Request Successor in Interest documentation from Zions Bank's mortgage servicing department
- Complete and return the Successor in Interest form
- Include documentation proving your ownership interest in the property (e.g., probated will, court order, deed, or trust document)
3
Await review and discuss resolution options
- Zions Bank will review your documentation and confirm your status as a Successor in Interest
- Once confirmed, you will have access to loan information and can discuss options: continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
- Continue making monthly mortgage payments during the review process to avoid default
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest form
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property (one or more of the following): probated will naming you as heir, court order of succession, recorded deed transferring ownership, trust document showing you as successor trustee or beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Zions Bank cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules and are entitled to account information, loss mitigation options, and assumption rights. General customer service: 1-888-307-3411.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Zions Bank
Zions Bank accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Zions Bank's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Zions Bank: POD beneficiaries can typically access funds within a few business days of presenting death certificate and valid ID. Probate-dependent claims may take several weeks or longer. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Documentation required by Zions Bank includes Certified death certificate (original or certified copy), Government-issued photo ID for claimant, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if probate required), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Zions Bank offers Payable on Death (POD) beneficiary designations on checking, savings, money market, and CD accounts. Visit a branch with government-issued photo ID and request a POD Beneficiary Designation Form, or call 1-888-307-3411 to have the form mailed to you. You will need each beneficiary's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address. Trusts can be named as POD beneficiaries. POD designations are not available through online banking.
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Zions Bank cannot accelerate the loan when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. The heir should contact Zions Bank Home Loans at 1-800-727-8893 to report the death and request Successor in Interest documentation. Once confirmed as a Successor in Interest, the heir can continue making payments, apply for loss mitigation, assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance.
Contact Zions Bank customer service at 1-888-307-3411 or visit a branch. For POD accounts, beneficiaries need a certified death certificate and government-issued photo ID to claim funds, typically within a few business days. For trust-owned accounts, the successor trustee provides trust documentation and the death certificate. For accounts without POD or trust designations, the executor must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court. For trust administration assistance, contact Zions Wealth at 1-888-673-3380.
Zions Bank's Zions Bank Customer Service / Estate Claims can be reached by phone at 1-888-307-3411 and fax at (801) 524-2189 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Zions Bank accounts, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Zions Bank primary sources (25 pages reviewed). How we research.
Zions Bank Customer Service
Phone1-888-307-3411
Mailing Address
One South Main Street, 12th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84133-1109
Credit Card / Debit Card Services
Security Concerns
Home Loans
Home Equity
Corporate Trust Department
Corporate Trust Toll-Free
WebsiteLearn more→
Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services
Phone1-888-673-3380
Mailing Address
One South Main Street, 12th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84133-1109
Corporate Trust Department
Corporate Trust Toll-Free
WebsiteLearn more→
Zions Bank Customer Service / Estate Claims
Phone1-888-307-3411
Fax(801) 524-2189
Mailing Address
Zions Bank, P.O. Box 30709, Salt Lake City, UT 84130
Home Loans
Home Equity
Zions Wealth / Fiduciary Services
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Zions Bank accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
