The Estate Desk

Last verified 2026-11-01; facts checked against the primary sources below

How do you tell the credit bureaus that someone died?

Adam Nathan

Reviewed by Adam Nathan, founder of The Estate Desk

Facts checked against the official sources on this page on November 1, 2026. Not legal advice.

Last verified: November 1, 2026

The short answer: To tell the credit bureaus that someone died, the spouse or the executor sends one bureau (Equifax, Experian or TransUnion) a copy of the death certificate with the person's legal name, Social Security number, date of birth and date of death. That bureau adds a deceased notice to the person's credit file and passes it to the other two, so you only need to contact one (Equifax; Experian; TransUnion). Experian takes the death certificate online; Equifax and TransUnion take it by mail.

How do you report the death to each bureau?

Pick one row. Each bureau says it notifies the other two once it has marked the file.

Bureau How to send it Address or link Who may report Source
Equifax Mail Equifax Information Services LLC, P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139 The spouse, or a representative legally authorized to act for the person. A non-spouse also sends court documents authorizing them Equifax
Experian Online upload, or mail Upload at experian.com/upload, or mail to Experian's Consumer Assistance Center, P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013 A surviving spouse, or someone with legal authority such as an executor or administrator. A non-spouse needs court documentation of that authority Experian
TransUnion Mail TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 The spouse or a third party such as an executor TransUnion

What do you need to send?

Item What the bureaus ask for Source
Death certificate A copy. Experian asks for a certified copy and says never to send the original Equifax; Experian
About the person who died Legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death All three bureaus' pages above
About you Your name, a mailing address for the confirmation, and a copy of a government ID such as a driver's license Equifax
Proof of authority, if you are not the spouse Court documents authorizing you to act for the person, such as letters testamentary Equifax; Experian

What happens after a bureau gets it?

TransUnion says it marks the person as deceased on its credit report within five business days of receiving the letter, notifies the other two bureaus, and then sends a letter to the spouse or third party saying the request was processed (TransUnion).

Once the file carries a deceased alert, a lender that pulls the report when someone applies for credit in the person's name sees the alert and can stop the application (Experian). Equifax says the notice "may help prevent" identity theft. It does not promise that it stops all fraud (Equifax).

Doesn't Social Security tell the credit bureaus?

Social Security's own page does not say that it reports deaths to the credit bureaus. It says funeral homes generally tell Social Security about a death, and that the family should call if no funeral home reports it (SSA). See how to report a death to Social Security.

The bureaus describe it from their side. TransUnion says the bureaus periodically receive notices from Social Security, but that notifying a bureau yourself can be faster (TransUnion). Experian says the bureaus are usually notified by Social Security or the person's creditors, and that this can take time (Experian).

How do you get the person's credit report?

The spouse or executor asks each bureau by mail. One bureau's report does not include the other two, so write to all three if you want every report (Equifax; TransUnion).

Send Details Source
About the person Legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, last known address Equifax
Proof A copy of the death certificate or letters testamentary Equifax
About you Your full name and the address for the reply. An executor includes the court order or other document naming them. TransUnion asks a non-spouse for a copy of their ID and of the will, executor agreement or power of attorney Equifax; TransUnion
Equifax P.O. Box 105139, Atlanta, GA 30348-5139 Equifax
Experian P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, as listed on Equifax's page Equifax
TransUnion P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016 TransUnion

The report lists the person's open accounts and the lender's contact details for each, which is a practical way to find cards and loans you did not know about. TransUnion suggests telling each of those lenders about the death (TransUnion). For the cards themselves, see how to close a deceased person's credit cards, and for everything else, the accounts after death directory.

This is general consumer information, not legal advice.

The Estate Desk helps families settle estates. theestatedesk.com

Primary sources