To close a bank account on behalf of someone who has passed away, you must have legal authority to manage the account. This procedure allows someone legally entitled to inherit a decedent's personal property to get that property without going through probate.File with the Court a report of your administration and distribution, bringing the estate and your administration of it to a close. The bank will not allow you to close it unless you have a letter of authorization from the probate court. A Small Estate Affidavit, along with a copy of a certified death certificate, should be taken to the bank that holds the account. For joint accounts "with the right of survivorship" the survivor owns all of the money in the account, but you still must notify the bank of the death. Often you can get them from the local Department of Health office in the county where the death occurred, or from the Washington State Department of. Health. In this video, we discuss an important aspect of estate planning: how to prevent your bank accounts from being frozen at the time of your death. To use this Small Estate Affidavit procedure, you will need: The Affidavit plus; A copy of Decedent's Death Certificate. Cancel benefits payments and close or transfer accounts.