Someone has died. What do I need to do now?
You do not have to solve everything today. Start with the immediate situation, then work through the next few days in a sensible order.
If the death was unexpected or the circumstances are unclear, call 911 or local emergency services. If the person was under hospice care or died in a hospital or care facility, follow the instructions of the hospice or facility staff. Once the death has been formally handled, the next practical priorities are choosing a funeral provider if needed, arranging certified death certificates, securing the person's home and pets, and identifying who will handle the estate.
First, which situation are you in?
The correct first call depends on where and how the death occurred. Choose the closest situation for a short starting plan.
At a hospital or care facility
- Ask staff who will handle the medical certification and when the funeral home or cremation provider can be contacted.
- Take the time you need before leaving, within the facility's policies.
- Choose or contact a funeral home, cremation provider or other authorized provider when you are ready.
- Ask what personal belongings need to be collected and who can collect them.
At home under hospice care
- Call the hospice number you were given and follow their instructions.
- Hospice normally helps with pronouncement and coordinates the next steps with the funeral provider.
- Contact the chosen funeral home or cremation provider if hospice has not already done so.
- If anything about the situation is different from what the hospice team prepared you for, call them and ask rather than guessing.
Unexpected death
- Call 911 or local emergency services and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
- Do not move the person or disturb the scene unless emergency services tell you to.
- Police, emergency medical personnel, the medical examiner or coroner may need to determine what happens next.
- Do not worry about calling a funeral home until the appropriate authority tells you the person can be released.
The immediate situation is handled
- Choose who will be the main family contact so information is not being repeated to everyone.
- Locate any will, advance wishes, funeral plan, cemetery paperwork or pre-paid arrangements.
- Contact a funeral home, cremation provider or other chosen provider and ask for their General Price List before agreeing to optional goods or services.
- Ask where to find the official death-certificate process for your state, then check with each organization what documentation it actually requires.
A practical timeline
Stabilize the essentials
- Immediate care of the person
- Tell close family
- Secure home, pets and valuables
- Find the will or written wishes
- Choose the main contact person
Make the arrangements
- Funeral / cremation decisions
- Service, obituary and gathering
- Certified death certificates
- Notify employer and close institutions
- Identify who is legally authorized to handle estate matters, using the will, court process or professional advice where needed
Administration can follow
- Use official government guidance for notifications and benefits
- Bank, insurance and account changes
- Estate / probate questions, using the appropriate court or professional source
- Tax questions, using IRS guidance or a qualified tax professional
- Subscriptions and digital accounts
Who needs to be notified in the United States?
Start with organizations that affect income, identity, property or ongoing payments. USAGov maintains a federal overview of agencies and programs to notify after a death. Social Security says funeral homes generally report a death to SSA, but families should confirm this. SSA can also explain possible survivor benefits.
- Social Security / Medicare: confirm the death has been reported and ask about survivor benefits if relevant.
- Employer or pension provider: ask about final pay, life insurance, retirement benefits and employer property.
- Banks, insurers and lenders: the person authorized to handle the estate should ask each institution what documents it requires before closing or transferring anything.
- State motor vehicles agency: driver's license, state ID and vehicle titles may require action.
- IRS and tax matters: a final individual return may be required, and an estate can have separate tax responsibilities.
Social Security: What to do when someone dies
IRS: Deceased person
FTC Funeral Rule
Open the complete funeral checklist Plan the funeral or memorial
How do I tell people?
Simple wording for family, work and wider announcements.
Who needs to be notified?
A more detailed US administration checklist.
Write the obituary
Build a respectful first draft from the facts and memories you choose.
Keep control of funeral costs
Enter quotes against a real spending ceiling.
Two areas that become important quickly.
The next layer, when you are ready.
Death certificate tracker
Plan certified copies and track institutions and accounts.
Open tracker →Build My Plan
Get your next three priorities without opening everything at once.
Build plan →Self-care while grieving
Basic needs, decision fatigue, visitors and support.
Open self-care →Some after-death procedures vary by state.
Use the national planning guides here, then verify vital records, estate and local requirements through official state sources.
Find official state sources