What Do I Do When Someone Dies in Washington?

A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with the state's rules, deadlines, fees, and official forms noted on the steps they apply to. Free PDF.

Settling an estate? Checklist, accounting, and forms in one plan.

State

Document Type

County (optional)

Assets In Estate

Real EstateBank/Investment AccountsBusiness InterestsVehicles/Personal Items

Estate Value

Helps check for small estate procedures

Your relationship (optional)

Deceased had minor children

Washington Executor Checklist

50 tasks to complete

0 of 50 completed0%

Notify immediate family members

Contact close family members who need to know. Coordinate funeral arrangements and gather contact information for extended family and friends.

Confirm who has authority over final arrangements

Washington: State law sets the order of who controls disposition of remains. Order: Person designated on decedent's U.S. Department of Defense record of emergency data; then Person designated in a written document signed by the decedent with a witness present; then Surviving spouse or state registered domestic partner; then others in statutory order. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls over this order.

Arrange burial, cremation, or other disposition

Work with a funeral home, crematory, or other provider to arrange disposition of the body. State rules govern cremation waiting periods, required authorizations, and burial or disposition permits. The funeral home typically provides certified death certificates and files the death certificate with vital records.

Washington: A burial or disposition permit is required, issued by Local registrar of vital statistics (RCW 70.58A.210). Permits issued to funeral directors, funeral establishments, or persons having the right to control disposition. Permit must be delivered to the facility in charge before interment. Completed permits must be returned to the local registrar within 10 days.. The death certificate must be filed within 5 days. Typical state costs: direct cremation ~$1,500, direct burial ~$3,000, traditional funeral ~$8,500.

How many death certificates do I need?

Obtain certified death certificates

Washington: Order from Washington State Department of Health - Center for Health Statistics. Fee: $25/copy. Available: online, phone, mail, in-person. Processing: 8-10 weeks by mail.

Unsure how many death certificates you need?

Secure the residence and valuables

Change locks if necessary, ensure the home is secured, and safeguard valuable items. Review who has keys and whether security measures are needed.

Washington: Homestead exemption up to $125,000.

Locate estate planning documents

Find the original will, trust documents, and any amendments. Check the home, safe deposit box, and contact any attorney the deceased worked with.

Determine if probate is necessary

Evaluate whether the estate qualifies for small estate procedures or if full probate is required based on asset values and types.

Washington: Small estate affidavit available for estates under $100,000. Independent administration reduces court oversight.

Do I need probate?Estimate probate costs in your state

Arrange mail forwarding or collection

Ensure mail is collected regularly to identify bills, accounts, and important correspondence. Forwarding mail to the executor/trustee is common practice.

USPS death notification procedures

Notify Social Security Administration

Report the death to Social Security. The funeral home often does this, but verify it was done. Surviving spouse may be eligible for benefits.

Federal: Timing: As soon as possible after death — payments for the month of death and later must be returned. The funeral home typically initiates the report. SSA: 1-800-772-1213.

SSA death notification procedures

Notify Medicare/Medicaid if applicable

Cancel Medicare coverage and return the Medicare card. If on Medicaid, notify the state agency to avoid benefit continuation.

Washington: Medicare: No Medicare notification deadline — coverage ends with the death and CMS is notified through SSA. Deadlines that do bind the estate: a Medicare Secondary Payer demand must be repaid within 60 calendar days or interest accrues (42 CFR 411.24(h)), and any claim for services furnished before death must be filed within 12 months of the date of service.. If the deceased received Medicaid, Washington's estate recovery program (DSHS Office of Financial Recovery (OFR) — Estate Recovery Unit) may file a claim against the estate for benefits paid. Exemptions and hardship waivers are state-specific.

Medicare/Medicaid death notification procedures Washington Medicaid estate recovery program

Notify Veterans Affairs if applicable

If the deceased was a veteran, notify the VA to stop benefits and inquire about burial benefits and survivor benefits.

Federal: Timing: No fixed deadline to report the death, but report right away to stop payments and avoid overpayment debt; accrued-benefits and substitution requests are due within 1 year of death, and non-service-connected burial allowance claims within 2 years of burial. VA: 1-800-827-1000 (select 5 to report a death); 1-800-535-1117 (national cemetery scheduling).

VA death notification and survivor benefits

Notify employer or former employer

Contact employer about final paycheck, accrued PTO, life insurance, retirement benefits, and COBRA options for survivors.

Employer benefits and pension after a death

Notify banks and financial institutions

Contact each bank and financial institution. They will freeze accounts until proper documentation is provided.

Find your bank or credit union death claim process FDIC guidance on accounts after a death

Notify insurance companies

Contact life insurance companies to file claims. Also notify health, auto, and homeowner insurance to update or cancel policies.

Washington: Divorce automatically revokes beneficiary designations naming a former spouse on life insurance, retirement accounts, POD bank accounts, TOD investment accounts, annuities (RCW 11.07.010; RCW 11.12.051). Employer plans governed by federal law (ERISA) and federal benefits are not affected by the state rule. Confirm whether any designation predates a divorce before it is paid out.

Find your insurance company death claim process

Freeze credit at all three bureaus

Place a deceased alert or credit freeze with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to prevent identity theft. Over 2 million deceased identities are stolen annually.

FTC identity theft prevention for the deceased

Gather financial account statements

Collect recent statements for all bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and any other financial accounts.

What are my personal items worth for probate?

Gather real estate documents

Locate deeds, mortgage statements, property tax bills, and homeowner insurance policies for all real property. Check the county recorder for any recorded Transfer on Death deeds.

Washington: Homestead exemption up to $125,000. Washington allows Transfer on Death (TOD) deeds. Check the county recorder's office to see if a TOD deed was recorded -- if so, the property transfers outside probate.

What is a Transfer on Death deed?

Gather recent tax returns

Locate the last 3-5 years of federal and state income tax returns. These help identify income sources, assets, and deductions.

Do I have to file tax returns for someone who died?IRS procedures when someone dies

Obtain an EIN for the estate

Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. The estate needs its own tax ID to open bank accounts and file tax returns.

Apply for an estate EIN IRS procedures when someone dies

File petition for probate with the court

Submit the original will (if any) and petition to open probate. You will need to pay filing fees and may need to post a bond.

Washington: File with the Superior Court (probate jurisdiction). Counties may require additional local forms. Filing fee $290. Independent administration reduces court supervision. Typical duration: 5-24 months.

Can I self-file probate?

Obtain letters testamentary or administration

Once appointed by the court, obtain letters testamentary (with will) or letters of administration (without will). These prove your authority.

Washington: Letters Testamentary are issued by the Superior Court clerk, after the court enters an order admitting the will to probate / appointing the personal representative and the representative files the oath. The state's title for the role is Personal Representative (executor if testate, administrator if intestate). Typically filed with the petition: Death certificate — county clerk intake practice, NOT a statutory requirement, and not uniformly a certified copy. Nothing in Title 11 RCW or the Superior Court rules requires a death certificate to open probate or obtain Letters. Several counties ask for one anyway and word it differently: Thurston lists "Death Certificate (certified copy)"; Whatcom's official packets list only "Death Certificate". The largest counties do not list it at all — King, Pierce and Kitsap each publish a minimum-documents list that omits it. Confirm with the county Superior Court clerk before assuming a certified copy is needed; Original will and any codicils, delivered to the court on paper (RCW 11.20.010; not e-filable under GR 30(b)(2)); Petition for Letters Testamentary / of Administration, signed and verified by oath (RCW 11.28.110, as amended by 2026 c 204 s 1); Oath of Personal Representative, filed before letters issue (RCW 11.28.170); Proposed Order Admitting Will to Probate / Appointing Personal Representative and Granting Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.28.010, 11.68.011); Bond unless waived (RCW 11.28.185); INTESTATE, where the petitioner is not the surviving spouse or domestic partner: notice of the time and place of the hearing served on the surviving spouse at least 10 days before it, or the spouse's written waiver of notice filed in the cause (RCW 11.28.131); a non-spouse applying for letters on community property within 40 days of death must also give the spouse court-directed notice (RCW 11.28.030); Probate Case Cover Sheet (Superior Court).

Post surety bond if required

If the court requires a bond, obtain a surety bond from an insurance company. The bond protects beneficiaries from executor misconduct.

Washington: Bond required unless waived in will. Typical premium: 0.5% of estate value.

Open an estate bank account

Open a dedicated checking account for the estate using the EIN and letters testamentary. All estate income and expenses flow through this account.

Consider hiring a probate attorney

For complex estates or if unfamiliar with probate, hiring an attorney is common. Many states allow statutory attorney fees.

Washington: Attorney fees typically 2.2-3.5% of estate.

Find a probate attorney in your state Can I self-file probate instead?

Publish notice to creditors

Publish a notice in a local newspaper to alert potential creditors. This starts the creditor claim period running.

Washington: Washington requires publication for 3 consecutive weeks. Typical cost: $150. The executor places the notice with the newspaper directly. Creditors have 4 months from first publication to file claims. Direct notice to a known creditor is optional and does not shorten their deadline — they get the later of the claim period or 30 days from the mailing. Proof of publication must be filed with the court.

What are the creditor claim deadlines?Find a legal newspaper (state press association)

Inventory digital accounts and assets

Identify email accounts, social media, online banking, cryptocurrency, and other digital assets. Note any password managers used.

Washington: Washington has adopted digital asset access laws (2016). User authorization or court order may be required to access accounts. Online tool authorizations (like Google Inactive Account Manager) are valid.

Digital assets guide

Search for unclaimed property and lost assets

Search the state unclaimed property database for forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance proceeds, and refunds owed to the deceased. Estates frequently recover assets the deceased never tracked.

Washington: Search Washington Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property (UCP) for forgotten accounts, refunds, and uncashed checks owed to the deceased.

Washington Department of Revenue — Unclaimed Property (UCP) unclaimed property search

Manage real estate

Maintain property, continue paying mortgage and taxes, arrange for property management if needed, and prepare for sale or transfer.

Washington: Washington is a community property state. Real property acquired during marriage belongs to both spouses equally. Community property receives a full step-up in basis. File appropriate affidavits with the county recorder to establish surviving spouse ownership.

Estimate probate costs for real estate

Review and manage investments

Review investment accounts, decide whether to maintain or liquidate positions, and manage accounts prudently during administration.

Find your brokerage death claim process SEC guidance on accounts after a death

Handle retirement accounts

Contact retirement account custodians about beneficiary claims. IRAs and 401(k)s typically pass by beneficiary designation, not through the estate.

Find your retirement provider death claim process Are my beneficiary designations protected?

Identify and list all debts

Create a comprehensive list of all debts including credit cards, loans, mortgages, and any other obligations.

What are the creditor claim deadlines?CFPB guidance on debts after a death

Cancel subscriptions and memberships

Cancel recurring charges for subscriptions, memberships, and services no longer needed.

Managing digital accounts after a death

File inventory with the court

Prepare and file an inventory of all estate assets with their values. The filing deadline runs from your appointment as personal representative and is set by state law.

Washington: Inventory due within 90 days of appointment — you may either file it with the court or send it to interested persons who request it. You set the fair-market values yourself; no independent appraiser is required. Supplemental inventory required for assets discovered after the initial filing.

What are my personal items worth for probate?

Review and respond to creditor claims

Review claims submitted by creditors. Reject invalid claims and pay valid debts from estate/trust assets.

Washington: Creditors file claims on a statutory claim form. After a claim is rejected, the creditor has 30 days to sue on it. If the estate cannot pay every claim, payment order: Administration expenses; then Funeral expenses (reasonable amount); then Last sickness expenses (reasonable amount); then remaining claims in statutory order.

What are the creditor claim deadlines?

Wait for creditor claim period to expire

Do not make final distributions until the creditor claim period has expired. This protects you from personal liability.

Washington: Creditor claim period is 4 months from first publication. All claims are barred 2 years after death regardless of notice.

What are the creditor claim deadlines?

Transfer vehicle titles

Transfer ownership of vehicles to beneficiaries or the estate. Contact the state DMV with a death certificate and title documents.

Washington: Washington does not offer transfer-on-death vehicle title designations. Vehicles pass through the estate or under other title rules.

What are my personal items worth for probate?

File final personal income tax return

File a final IRS Form 1040 for the deceased covering January 1 through date of death. Write "DECEASED," the decedent's name, and the date of death across the top of the return. If filing jointly with a surviving spouse, include both incomes. Attach Form 1310 to claim a refund, unless you are the surviving spouse filing a joint return or a court-appointed personal representative attaching a copy of the court certificate to the original return.

Washington: No state income tax. Only federal Form 1040 required.

Do I have to file tax returns for someone who died?IRS procedures when someone dies IRS Form 1040 (Federal)IRS Free File

File estate/trust income tax return

If the estate or trust earns income during administration ($600 in gross income), file IRS Form 1041. Required if estate gross income is $600 or more, or if any beneficiary is a nonresident alien. The estate can choose a fiscal year. Use Form 7004 for an automatic 5.5-month extension of time to file.

Washington: No state income tax. Only federal Form 1041 required if estate earns income.

Do I have to file tax returns for someone who died?IRS procedures when someone dies IRS Form 1041 (Federal)

Determine if estate tax return is required

For estates exceeding the federal exemption ($15,000,000), IRS Form 706 is required. Some states have lower thresholds. File Form 4768 for an automatic 6-month extension of time to file. The estate and GST tax is still due within 9 months of death; an extension of time to pay must be requested separately on the same form. Form 706 may also be filed to elect portability of the unused exemption to a surviving spouse.

Washington: Has STATE ESTATE TAX with $3,000,000 exemption. File Form 85-0050 (Washington State Estate and Transfer Tax Return), due 9 months after date of death (RCW 83.100.050(2), 83.100.060(1) — the Washington return is due when the federal return is or would be due, and the tax is due on that same date without extensions); WA DOR: "One of the following is due nine months after the decedent's date of death".

How much are estate and inheritance taxes?IRS procedures when someone dies IRS Form 706 (Federal)Form 4768 (Extension)Form 85-0050 (Washington State Estate and Transfer Tax Return) (Washington)

Obtain tax clearance if required

Some states require tax clearance or closing letters before final distribution. Distributing without clearance can create personal liability for the executor or trustee.

Washington: Tax clearance IS REQUIRED before final distribution. Unpaid Washington estate tax is a lien on the property subject to the tax for ten years from the date of the transfer (RCW 83.100.110(1)). A personal representative who distributes property without first paying, securing payment of, or furnishing security for the tax is PERSONALLY liable for it (RCW 83.100.120(1)(a)). Once the tax is paid, the Department of Revenue issues a release: "The department shall issue a release when the tax due under this chapter has been paid. Upon issuance of a release, all property subject to the tax shall be free of any claim for the tax by the state" (RCW 83.100.080). Estates under the filing threshold owe no tax and file no return. Contact the estate tax unit at estates@dor.wa.gov or 360-704-5906.

Do I have to file tax returns for someone who died?Washington Tax Clearance

Determine your executor commission

An executor or personal representative is entitled to compensation for administering the estate. Some states set commissions by statute; others allow reasonable compensation. Decide whether to take a commission and document the basis before final distribution.

Washington: Executor compensation must be reasonable (no fixed statutory schedule). States that do set a schedule pay 2.2%–3.8% of an estate this size. Commissions are taxable income to the executor and are usually waived when the executor is also the main beneficiary.

How much can an executor charge?

Prepare distribution plan

Create a detailed plan for distributing assets according to the trust terms, will provisions, or intestate succession laws.

Who inherits without a will?

Notify beneficiaries of proposed distribution

Provide beneficiaries with a proposed distribution and accounting before making distributions.

I'm inheriting - what do I need to know?

Handle specific bequests

Distribute specific items (jewelry, heirlooms, etc.) to named beneficiaries as specified in the will or trust.

What are my personal items worth for probate?

Obtain receipts and releases from beneficiaries

Have beneficiaries sign receipts acknowledging distributions. Releases from liability are also commonly obtained.

Distribute assets to beneficiaries

Transfer assets to beneficiaries according to the distribution plan. Keep detailed records of all distributions.

Prepare final accounting

Create a detailed accounting showing all assets, income, expenses, and distributions. This may be required by the court or beneficiaries.

File final accounting with the court

Submit the final accounting to the probate court for approval. This is required before the estate can be formally closed.

Can I self-file probate?

Petition to close the estate

File a petition with the court to formally close the estate once all duties are complete.

Estate closing forms

Retain records for required period

Keep copies of all documents, accountings, receipts, and tax returns. Most professionals recommend keeping records for 7-10 years.

I understand this is general guidance only and requirements vary by state. I will verify all requirements with my state's probate court.I understand this checklist is not legal advice; a licensed attorney handles legal questions.Send me helpful estate planning resources and updates

First name *

Last name *

Email address *

Your PDF is generated in your browser. We do not store your checklist selections.

Spare your own heirs from this process.

Create a Revocable Trust in 15 minutes

This checklist provides general guidance for estate settlement. Requirements vary by state and circumstance. Consult a licensed attorney for legal advice.Data verified 2026-09-15

Frequently Asked Questions

Request 10-15 certified copies from the funeral home or state vital records office. You will need these for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and other institutions. Each institution typically requires an original certified copy. Order from Washington State Department of Health - Center for Health Statistics. Fee: $25/copy. Available: online, phone, mail, in-person. Processing: 8-10 weeks by mail.

State law sets the order of who has the legal right to decide burial, cremation, or other disposition. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls. Confirm who holds this authority before arrangements are made. State law sets the order of who controls disposition of remains. Order: Person designated on decedent's U.S. Department of Defense record of emergency data; then Person designated in a written document signed by the decedent with a witness present; then Surviving spouse or state registered domestic partner; then others in statutory order. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls over this order.

Evaluate whether the estate qualifies for small estate procedures or if full probate is required based on asset values and types. Small estate affidavit available for estates under $100,000. Independent administration reduces court oversight.

Submit the original will (if any) and petition to open probate. You will need to pay filing fees and may need to post a bond. File with the Superior Court (probate jurisdiction). Counties may require additional local forms. Filing fee $290. Independent administration reduces court supervision. Typical duration: 5-24 months.

Once appointed by the court, obtain letters testamentary (with will) or letters of administration (without will). These prove your authority. Letters Testamentary are issued by the Superior Court clerk, after the court enters an order admitting the will to probate / appointing the personal representative and the representative files the oath. The state's title for the role is Personal Representative (executor if testate, administrator if intestate). Typically filed with the petition: Death certificate — county clerk intake practice, NOT a statutory requirement, and not uniformly a certified copy. Nothing in Title 11 RCW or the Superior Court rules requires a death certificate to open probate or obtain Letters. Several counties ask for one anyway and word it differently: Thurston lists "Death Certificate (certified copy)"; Whatcom's official packets list only "Death Certificate". The largest counties do not list it at all — King, Pierce and Kitsap each publish a minimum-documents list that omits it. Confirm with the county Superior Court clerk before assuming a certified copy is needed; Original will and any codicils, delivered to the court on paper (RCW 11.20.010; not e-filable under GR 30(b)(2)); Petition for Letters Testamentary / of Administration, signed and verified by oath (RCW 11.28.110, as amended by 2026 c 204 s 1); Oath of Personal Representative, filed before letters issue (RCW 11.28.170); Proposed Order Admitting Will to Probate / Appointing Personal Representative and Granting Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.28.010, 11.68.011); Bond unless waived (RCW 11.28.185); INTESTATE, where the petitioner is not the surviving spouse or domestic partner: notice of the time and place of the hearing served on the surviving spouse at least 10 days before it, or the spouse's written waiver of notice filed in the cause (RCW 11.28.131); a non-spouse applying for letters on community property within 40 days of death must also give the spouse court-directed notice (RCW 11.28.030); Probate Case Cover Sheet (Superior Court).

After a Death in Washington

The first step in settling an estate in Washington is evaluating the estate's size and how assets are titled. Estates under $100,000 may bypass formal probate entirely. Trust-held assets transfer outside probate regardless of value.

Creditors in Washington have 4 months to file claims after notice is published. This claim period sets a minimum timeline for estate settlement. State procedure sets a practical floor of about 5 months before an estate can close (RCW 11.76.030(2)). Simple estates typically close in 4 months to 6 months, while contested or complex estates take longer.

The executor or personal representative in Washington manages all estate affairs during the settlement period. Washington requires an executor bond by default. A bond waiver in the will eliminates this expense. Washington provides a family allowance for eligible survivors during administration (RCW 11.54.010; RCW 11.54.020). The Washington executor fee calculator covers what that work can charge.

Total settlement costs depend on estate size, complexity, and whether disputes arise. Attorney fees, executor compensation, court filing fees, and publication costs total about $27,599 on a $500,000 estate. A revocable living trust bypasses this entire process — assets transfer privately without court involvement.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated September 9, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Washington statutes and official state code. How we research.

Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

Death of a Parent

A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.

Learn more

Loss of a Spouse

What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.

Learn more

Named as Executor

What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.

Learn more

Named as Trustee

Being named trustee means managing trust assets and carrying out the grantor's wishes. Your duties, timeline, compensation, and how to get started.

Learn more

More tools for handling this estate

Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.

Free

Petition for Probate and Letters

Prepare the application to open probate and request Letters Testamentary or of Administration.

Get Started

Free

Notice to Creditors

Prepare the creditor notice for an estate — the official state form or a notice typeset to statute, plus mailed notices for known creditors.

Get Started

Free

Renunciation of Executor

Decline an appointment as executor — the writing filed with the court, drafted to your state's rule, with its deadline and filing office.

Get Started

Free

Affidavit of Heirship

Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, composed to your state's statute with its recording instructions.

Get Started

Free

Small Estate Affidavit

Prepare the affidavit that collects a small estate's property without probate — the official state form or an affidavit drafted to statute, plus a presentation letter for each holder.

Get Started

Free

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.

Get Started

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.

Use Calculator

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.

Use Calculator