The chain
Every heir claim in every state climbs the same ladder. The names of the forms change; the logic doesn't: prove the death, prove who you are, prove the relationship, prove your authority, sign. This guide explains each rung — what it is, where it comes from, and the mistake that makes states bounce it.
The certified death certificate is the foundation document: it establishes that the owner died, when, and where — the facts every later rung keys off. Certified copies only; states refuse photocopies, and several offices in the chain will each want one. Order five to ten at the first ordering — the marginal cost per copy is small, and a second ordering doubles the wait. Claiming through someone who also died adds their certificate at this rung.
Your government photo ID and proof of your Social Security number identify the claimant. The deceased's Social Security number identifies the account — it's the state's matching key. Families most often find it in old tax returns, the funeral home's file, military or union records. If it truly isn't in the family's papers, it can be requested from the Social Security Administration; for older deaths the Social Security Death Index often carries it. Start this rung early — it's the slowest.
Kinship is proven with the civil record of each link: a child claims through their birth certificate naming the deceased; a spouse through the marriage certificate; a grandchild through two birth certificates and, if the middle generation died, a second death certificate. Every name change along the way (marriage, divorce, court order) needs its bridge paper. The rule of thumb: the state should be able to walk from the deceased to you without once taking your word for a step.
The authority paper says the state may pay you: a small-estate affidavit under your state's cap (Texas tiers it, California dates it, Florida conditions it on all beneficiaries), a Table of Heirs where the state works from one, or the court's letters / probate order over the cap. This is the rung the checker computes — it's the one that changes by state, amount, and date of death.
Last: the state's claim form, signed by everyone the heirs plan names — notarized where the state requires it (California: claims of $1,000+, securities, safe-deposit property). For own-name claims the final rung is different: proof tying you to the address of record. Keep a copy of the entire packet, exactly as filed; the deficiency letter, if it comes, will reference it.
Run your own claim. The free checker takes your state, your relationship, and your amount — and returns the probate-skip verdict, your document chain in order, the signatures you'll need, and the finder fee you'd avoid. Run the checker →
The pages above are the map. The kit is the paperwork: the per-state checklists, the Table of Heirs worksheet, the letters that line up every heir's signature, and the chapter for the state's reply.
One payment, yours to keep. We never file for you and never touch your money — you file everything yourself, with the state. See everything inside the kit →