(a) This section applies only to a safe deposit box in a financial institution held by the decedent in the decedent’s sole name, or held by the decedent and others where all are deceased. Nothing in this section affects the rights of a surviving coholder.
(b) A person who has a key to the safe deposit box may, before letters have been issued, obtain access to the safe deposit box only for the purposes specified in this section by providing the financial institution with both of the following:
(1) Proof of the decedent’s death. Proof shall be provided by a certified copy of the decedent’s death certificate or by a written statement of death from the coroner, treating physician, or hospital or institution where the decedent died.
(2) Reasonable proof of the identity of the person seeking access. Reasonable proof of identity is provided for the purpose of this paragraph if the requirements of Section 13104 are satisfied.
(c) The financial institution has no duty to inquire into the truth of any statement, declaration, certificate, affidavit, or document offered as proof of the decedent’s death or proof of identity of the person seeking access.
(d) If the person seeking access has satisfied the requirements of subdivision (b), the financial institution shall do all of the following:
(1) Keep a record of the identity of the person.
(2) Permit the person to open the safe deposit box under the supervision of an officer or employee of the financial institution, and to make an inventory of its contents.
(3) Make a photocopy of all wills and trust instruments removed from the safe deposit box, and keep the photocopy in the safe deposit box until the contents of the box are removed by the personal representative of the estate or other legally authorized person. The financial institution may charge the person given access a reasonable fee for photocopying.
(4) Permit the person given access to remove instructions for the disposition of the decedent’s remains, and, after a photocopy is made, to remove the wills and trust instruments.
(e) The person given access shall deliver all wills found in the safe deposit box to the clerk of the superior court and deliver a copy pursuant to Section 1215 to the person named in the will as executor or beneficiary as provided in Section 8200.
(f) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the person given access shall not remove any of the contents of the decedent’s safe deposit box.
(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 319, Sec. 6. (AB 976) Effective January 1, 2018.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018