If submitting online, you must provide your Social Security number for verification. To Open a Safe Deposit Box After Death in NYC, you must Petition the Surrogate's Court in the County where the Decedent died for permission.The Decedent's distributees (heirs who are entitled to a share of the deceased person's property) must also be listed in the probate petition. Naming the beneficiaries of an estate is an important aspect of estate planning. It includes, for example, both real and personal property held in the decedent's name alone or payable to the decedent or his or her estate. Just as you need your SSN to open an individual bank account or an EIN to open a business account, you need an EIN to open an estate bank account. You should also make a list of what the Decedent owned at the time of death (such as bank accounts, house, stocks, etc.). At a minimum, you must provide a completed Beneficiary Statement along with an original certified death certificate showing cause and manner of death. Obtain your letters of testamentary in New York with ease. Notify Bank of America.