How Do I Open an Estate Account at Bank of Hawaii?

Opening channels

In a branch

Available

Online

Not stated

By phone

Not stated

By mail

Not stated

Appointment

Not stated

Co-executors

All must be present

Documents to bring

• Death certificate
• Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a probate court

Steps at Bank of Hawaii

1. 1
   Report the death and ask about opening the estate account by calling 808-643-3888 in Hawaii or 1-888-643-3888 from the U.S. Mainland and Canada, or book a banker appointment at [boh.com/bank-by-appointment](https://www.boh.com/bank-by-appointment) — the survivor guide (AD-790_E) says to "Make an appointment via BOH.com to visit a Bank of Hawai'i branch for specialized care"
2. 2
   Bring the documents the guide lists for deposit-account matters:

   • Death certificate
   • Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issued by a probate court
3. 3
   Obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN) for the estate from the IRS — the guide lists this as an estate-settlement step for filing the estate's income tax returns; it does not state whether the EIN must be in hand before the account is opened, so ask the banker
4. 4
   If the court appointed more than one personal representative, plan for every co-fiduciary to be named on the account: under DDA-721 (Section D.1) a Fiduciary Account with more than one fiduciary must be opened under the names of all fiduciaries, though only one signature is required for transactions regardless of what the governing document says
5. 5
   The banker opens the account as a "Fiduciary Account" — account ownership is determined by the signature card, and the banker will also discuss related arrangements such as loans, cards, direct deposits, and estate settlement and trustee services
6. 6
   Do not expect the estate account to join a Bankohana relationship. The Bankohana Levels I, II, and III Addendum (effective July 27, 2026) states that a Bankohana Account "may not be opened ... by a personal representative of an estate," and Bankohana Premier is limited to an individual or trust owner — so the estate account will be a plain deposit account (Convenience Checking or Personal Money Management Checking on the current lineup), and its balance will not count toward the family's Bankohana Combined Balance Requirement.
7. 7
   When administration is complete, close the account — the guide's settlement checklist ends with "Close the estate checking account"

What to know at Bank of Hawaii

Bank of Hawaii publishes no estate-account product page, no estate-account opening checklist, and no stated minimum deposit, Letters recency window, or opening timeline. The account exists as the "Fiduciary Account" ownership type in the Consumer Deposit Account Agreement (DDA-721, Section D.1), which names the executor and administrator among its fiduciaries; the bank's "Steps After Losing a Loved One" article tells survivors an estate account is needed, and its "When a Loved One Passes" guide (AD-790_E) handles all deposit-account estate matters through a branch banker appointment. NEW ON 2026-09-10 and the one affirmative rule the bank does publish about estate accounts: the Bankohana Levels I, II, and III Addendum effective July 27, 2026 excludes a personal representative of an estate from opening a Bankohana Account, and the Bankohana Premier Addendum (DDA-770_E Rev. 07/2026) limits Premier ownership to an individual (sole or joint) or a trust. So the estate account cannot be any of the relationship-tier products — it is a plain Convenience Checking or Personal Money Management Checking account with Fiduciary ownership. Note the asymmetry with trusts, which CAN own a Premier account. The online account-opening flow enumerates only personal checking and savings products (Convenience, EASE, Bankohana Level I, Bankohana Premier, Regular Savings, Bonus Rate Savings, Bankohana Bonus Rate Savings, Bankohana Bonus Rate Savings Plus) with no fiduciary option, and the business account checklists cover only corporations, LLCs, partnerships, sole proprietorships, and unincorporated organizations — no estate variant. The multiple-signature limitation (DDA-721, Section C.3) means the bank acts on any one authorized signature even if co-personal-representatives want two-signature control.