How Do I Open an Estate Account at Chase?
Chase opens estate accounts for a court-appointed executor or administrator. The account is opened in a branch by appointment. The documents it asks for, what the account costs, and the steps it lists are below.
Opening an estate account at Chase
Where to open it
In a branch by appointment
How it opens
- In a branch
- Available
- Online
- Not available
- By phone
- Not available
- By mail
- Not available
- Appointment
- Required
Documents to bring
- Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate
- 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, and contact the local branch for any additional ID requirements.
- U.S. citizens: a driver's license, state ID or U.S. passport, plus a credit or debit card, bank statement, or recent pay stub or utility bill in your name
- Noncitizens: a photo passport, U.S. employment authorization card or matricula consular card, plus a driver's license, bank statement, pay stub or utility bill
- 4Schedule an in-person meeting with a banker at a Chase branch; JPMorgan Private Client customers contact their Relationship Manager or Senior Private Client Banker instead.
- 5Attend the meeting: all executors and administrators may need to be present, and more than one branch visit may be required.
What it costs
- Other waivers
- New and converted accounts will not be charged a Monthly Service Fee for at least the first two statement periods
- Schedule that applies
- "Additional Banking Services and Fees for Personal Accounts" (part of the Chase Deposit Account Agreement), Effective 6/14/2026
What to know at Chase
Chase does not let an agent under a power of attorney open an estate account. Chase says its requirements may vary by state. Chase accepts death notifications online through its Estate Services page.
Not in Chase's published guidance
- Whether every co-executor must sign or appear
- Whether the deceased must have banked there
- Whether an out-of-state executor can open one
- Whether the death certificate must be a certified copy
- What proof of the EIN it accepts
- Whether the account comes with online banking, checks, a debit card, or mobile deposit
- How the deceased's balances reach the estate account
General information about each bank's published estate-account requirements, not legal or banking advice. Requirements vary by state and account type. Consult the institution for its current requirements. Data verified Sep 16, 2026
No. Chase states an estate account cannot be opened online. It states the account can be opened in a branch by appointment.
Chase asks for: Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate; 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.
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 (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
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Forms for Settling an Estate
Free forms for settling an estate: the probate petition, small estate affidavit, notice to creditors, inventory, and closing forms.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Open probate and ask the court to appoint you and issue Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Notify estate creditors and start the claim period — the published notice plus mailed copies for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor named in a will — the writing filed with the court before anyone is appointed.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Collect a small estate's property without probate — the sworn affidavit presented to banks and other holders, with a presentation letter for each.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
Tools for Settling an Estate
Free tools for settling an estate: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor can charge for administering an estate.
Can I Self-File Probate?
Whether your state lets you open probate yourself, and what it costs with a lawyer and without one.
How Do I Get Appointed as Executor?
See the court, petition, bond, and documents needed to be appointed and receive your Letters.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
Find creditor claim deadlines, notice requirements, and payment priority order for your state.
What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?
See the order your state pays an insolvent estate's debts and which claims go unpaid.
What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?
Estimate the fair market value of household items for probate and see how it affects fees.
