This free program will help you create the affidavit that you will need to file in Surrogate's Court. 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.Obtain your letters of testamentary in New York with ease. Gov or faxed to (631) 854-9985. Whether a bank account must go through probate depends on how the account was held jointly or in the decedent's sole name. How do I add a beneficiary to my bank account? Death Certificates can be ordered online. Overview: Vital Records has death records (since 1881) for all of New York State except New York City. Have you named a beneficiary on your bank accounts? A New York estate planning attorney explains the pros and cons of payable on death designations.