To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. Notify Bank of America.We'll ask you for the deceased customer's full legal name and Social Security number to identify their accounts. In general, you can't. The bank will not allow you to close it unless you have a letter of authorization from the probate court. You would be named personal representative and given the letters that you require. This is a court supervised process. Online: Use our online form to notify us about a customer's death. You have to write an application to the bank. The process of claiming a bank account after death varies based on a number of factors.