A valid governmentissued ID. The death certificate of the account holder. The account owner's social security number.To designate a POD Beneficiary or Beneficiaries on your account, please complete the information below. This designation applies only to the account. In California, an account holder should complete a Totten trust document. A Totten Trust is a payable-on-death account with a named beneficiary. The following provides detailed information on what documentation is needed in order for us to verify your ownership of the property. The Transfer on Death Letter of Authorization enables distribution of a decedent's account holdings upon death. You have to write an application to the bank. To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account.