--- title: "How to Recover an easyDNS Account After the Account Holder’s Death (and What to Expect)" type: "knowledge" post_id: "5913" slug: "how-to-recover-an-easydns-account-after-the-account-holders-death-and-what-to-expect" canonical: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-recover-an-easydns-account-after-the-account-holders-death-and-what-to-expect/" markdown_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-recover-an-easydns-account-after-the-account-holders-death-and-what-to-expect.md" json_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-recover-an-easydns-account-after-the-account-holders-death-and-what-to-expect.json" txt_url: "https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-recover-an-easydns-account-after-the-account-holders-death-and-what-to-expect.txt" published: "2026-09-08T19:37:19+00:00" modified: "2026-09-08T19:37:19+00:00" author: "Peter" categories: tags: site_name: "easyDNS Knowledge Base" publisher: "easyDNS Technologies Inc." language: "en-US" generator: "easyPress Markdown" generator_version: "1.0.6" --- ### Why This Is a Separate Process The standard account recovery process is for a living customer who has lost access. When the account holder has died, that process **does not apply**. Estate recovery exists so the **legal representative of the estate** can take control of the account, while we still block anyone else from walking off with the domains. We do not restore the deceased person’s existing password or treat “next of kin” as automatic authority. This process is deliberately careful and takes time. **[Domainsure](https://domainsure.com)** accounts are not subject to this process because they have no recovery mechanism at all. If you have lost access to **your own** account and the holder is living, use [How to Recover Access to Your easyDNS Account (and What to Expect)](https://kb.easydns.com/knowledge/how-to-recover-access-to-your-easydns-account-and-what-to-expect/) instead. ### Important Expectations Up Front - Estate recovery **cannot** be handled over the phone or chat. - You **must** initiate the request by email. - The process takes a **minimum of 7 business days** after we notify all contacts on file. - We will **never** discuss or reveal any account details until the requester has been fully verified. - We will **not** hand over the deceased person’s existing password or 2FA. - This applies to **whole-account recovery** only. - Being a family member is not enough. You must be the court-recognized or will-appointed **legal representative** (executor, estate trustee, administrator, or Québec liquidator). ### How to Request Estate Account Recovery 1. **Send an Email to ** Create a new email to **** with the subject line: **“Estate Account Recovery Request – \[Account Username if known\]”** In the email, state that the account holder has died and that you are the legal representative. *Phone calls will not be used to process recovery requests — you must email to begin the process.* 2. **Be Prepared to Provide the Following** - A **certified death certificate** for the account holder. - Proof you are the legal representative: **letters probate / letters testamentary / letters of administration**, or the will naming you executor plus proof of that appointment (Québec: liquidator documents). - A **high-resolution photo of your government-issued photo ID** (passport, driver’s license, or national ID) by itself. - A **clear photograph of yourself physically holding the same government-issued ID** (your face and the ID must both be clearly visible and legible). - A **signed and dated letter** requesting recovery of the entire account, including the deceased’s username or account email if you know it, a short description of your authority, and which option you want after approval (keep the existing account, or move services to a new account). - **If the account is under a company name:** corporate documents showing who controls the company after the death, and your authority to act for that company. Notarization (and possibly apostille or consular legalization) may be required for international documents. - Any additional proof you can provide (recent invoices, etc.). - The answers to the account’s 3 security questions, or security passphrase, if you have them. These help our review. They do **not** approve the request on their own. 3. **What Happens After You Email (Our Process)** - **Step 1: Triage** We log your request, record the requesting email domain, phone number (if provided), and name. We will **not** give out any account information at this stage. You will be informed that the process will take a **minimum of 7 business days** if approved. - **Step 2: Technical Emergency Check** If the domain(s) or email services are completely down or experiencing a critical outage, say so in your email. We will escalate the technical issue for immediate review. Full account recovery still follows the complete verification process. A down site is not a reason to unlock a domain or issue an authorization code. - **Step 3: Mandatory Notifications (7 Business Days)** We **always** contact **every** email address and phone number currently on file for the account. This includes both email notifications **and phone calls**. Contacts are told that an estate recovery has been requested. **We wait a full 7 business days** after these notifications before any approval decision. This gives other authorized contacts time to object. The deceased account holder will not reply; silence from that address is not treated as consent. - **Step 4: Document and Certificate Verification** We review the documents, recent account activity, and the requesting email domain. We verify the death certificate with the funeral home listed on it where possible. If the funeral home cannot or will not confirm the certificate (including for privacy reasons), we will ask you to provide a **notarized** death certificate. We cannot approve the request on an unverified, non-notarized certificate. An internal review is also run on the request to help identify inconsistencies. - **Step 5: Final Review & Approval** Once the 7-business-day waiting period has passed and all verifications are complete, senior team members perform a final review. If approved, we proceed with one of the two options below. 4. **After Approval — Two Options** You choose one. Both require you to agree to the current easyDNS Terms of Service. **Option 1 — Keep the existing account** We send you a DocuSign of our current Terms of Service. You must sign and return it before we grant control. We then replace the login credentials, recovery email, 2FA, and billing contact with yours. We keep the signed Terms on file with the account. We do not give you the deceased person’s old password. **Option 2 — Move everything to a new account** You create a new easyDNS account through the normal signup process and accept the Terms there. We then move the domains and associated services into that new account and disable the old login. Neither option includes unlocking domains or issuing authorization codes as part of the recovery itself. Changes to the domain’s registrant / Whois information, if needed, are a separate step after the account is under your control. ### What Will Cause Us to Stop We will pause or decline the request if: - Someone on file for the account disputes it - The death certificate cannot be verified and is not notarized - Documents do not show you as the legal representative - More than one person claims authority over the same estate - We are asked to unlock domains or provide auth codes before verification is finished ### How to Make This Easier for Your Family Later - Keep account contacts current. - Name an executor and tell them the account exists. - Enable 2FA, Domain Lock, and DNSSEC while the account holder is living. - For the highest-value names, consider **Domainsure** (no recovery mechanism exists). ### Questions? Reply directly to the support ticket created from your email to ****, or reply to any correspondence you receive from us. We know this is a difficult time. The extra steps exist to protect the domains and services while ownership is transferred to the estate. Thank you for your understanding and for choosing easyDNS.