How Do I Open an Estate Account at Regions?
Regions's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.
Opening an estate account at Regions
Account type: estate checking account
Opening channels
- In a branch
- Not stated
- Online
- Not stated
- By phone
- Not stated
- By mail
- Not stated
- Appointment
- Not stated
- Co-executors
- Not stated
Documents to bring
- Tax ID number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration -- Regions states that if the estate goes through probate court, the executor needs letters testamentary proving legal authority to handle the affairs of the estate
What to know at Regions
Regions does not publish an estate-account opening procedure: no opening channel, no appointment rule, no minimum deposit, no Letters recency window, no co-fiduciary presence rule, and no estimated opening time appear anywhere on regions.com (sweep verified 2026-07-16). Its published estate-account facts are limited to the executor-can-open sentence plus the EIN requirement in its death guidance, and the Deposit Agreement's Section 30 (Fiduciary Accounts), which lists estate accounts among the fiduciary accounts it holds, disclaims any duty to supervise or monitor their transactions, and makes the depositor indemnify the bank against beneficiary claims. The same death guidance advises gathering the will, account statements, and related papers and to "check with your bank before meeting with a banker" -- suggestive of in-person handling, but Regions never states the opening channel. To reach a banker: Green Line 1-800-734-4667 or a branch appointment via regions.com/help/make-an-appointment ("Open a new account" -- phone or in-person).
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
Regions's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
Regions asks for: Tax ID number (EIN) from the IRS for the estate; Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration -- Regions states that if the estate goes through probate court, the executor needs letters testamentary proving legal authority to handle the affairs of the estate.
Yes. Regions 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.
Regions's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with Regions 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 Regions primary sources (4 pages reviewed). How we research.
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