How Do I Open an Estate Account at Chase?
Chase's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.
Opening an estate account at Chase
Account type: estate bank account
Opening channels
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available
- By phone
- Not available
- By mail
- Not available
- Appointment
- Required
- Co-executors
- Not stated
Documents to bring
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate (the decedent's Social Security Number cannot be used)
- Letter of testamentary or letter of administration from the probate court
- Death certificate (if applicable)
- Court order (if applicable)
- Primary and secondary IDs confirming a current U.S. residential address, for all executors or administrators
Steps at Chase
- 1Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate -- the account cannot be opened with the decedent's Social Security Number
- 2Gather the required court documents:
- Letter of testamentary or letter of administration
- Death certificate and court order, if applicable
- 3Gather primary and secondary IDs confirming a current U.S. residential address for all executors or administrators (ID requirements are subject to change based on account or customer information; contact the local branch for additional ID requirements)
- 4Schedule an in-person meeting with a banker at a Chase branch to open the account (JPMorgan Private Client customers instead contact their Relationship Manager or Senior Private Client Banker)
- 5Attend the meeting -- all executors and administrators may need to be present, and more than one branch visit may be required
What to know at Chase
An agent with a power of attorney cannot open an estate account. Requirements may vary by state. JPMorgan Private Client customers open estate bank accounts through their Relationship Manager or Senior Private Client Banker rather than by scheduling a branch meeting. Chase does not state a minimum opening deposit, a recency window for Letters, or an estimated opening time for estate accounts on this page.
This guide summarizes each bank's published estate-account requirements and is not legal or banking advice. Requirements may vary by state and account type.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Chase states an estate account cannot be opened online. Opening is done in person at a branch, by appointment.
Chase asks for: Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate (the decedent's Social Security Number cannot be used); Letter of testamentary or letter of administration from the probate court; Death certificate (if applicable); Court order (if applicable); Primary and secondary IDs confirming a current U.S. residential address, for all executors or administrators.
Yes. Chase opens the account under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS — the deceased's Social Security Number cannot be used. Getting the EIN is the first step.
Chase's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with Chase whether all must attend.
An estate account is a bank account titled to the estate itself — not to the person who died and not to the executor personally. The court-appointed executor or administrator opens it to deposit money owed to the estate (final paychecks, refunds, proceeds from closed accounts), pay the estate's debts and expenses, and distribute what remains. Checks made out to "the Estate of" can only be deposited into an account titled this way.
The estate is its own taxpayer, separate from the person who died. Banks open estate accounts under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, not the deceased's Social Security Number. The free EIN application prepares IRS Form SS-4 for the estate.
Sources
Data sourced from Chase primary sources (1 pages reviewed). How we research.
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