This page tells you what to do with paper savings bonds after the owner dies. To open an estate bank account, the voluntary administrator must obtain an "EIN Employer Identification Number" from the IRS.You'll have to go into the bank and speak to the branch manager. They can sort it out for you. Banks freeze access to deceased accounts pending direction from an authorized court. To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. A deceased person's bank account is inaccessible unless you're a joint owner, a beneficiary of the account or the estate executor. We'll need a photocopy of the death certificate to verify the identity and legal residence of your loved one as well as confirm date of death. Some else already answered this, but if you are the beneficiary of the account, all you'll need as an ID and your father's death certificate. What Happens to a Bank Account When Someone Dies Without a Will?