How to Close an AOL Account After Someone Dies (AOL Help Process + Paid Services)

After a death, families are asked to do two hard things at the same time: grieve someone they love and manage a modern life that runs on logins. An email account can feel like “just paperwork,” until you realize it may be tied to billing, password resets, and subscriptions that keep renewing as if nothing happened.

If an AOL account owner passes away, this guide explains AOL’s official bereavement options, what documents you may need, and the practical steps that help you move forward—whether your goal is to close AOL account after death, to suspend AOL billing after death, or to untangle connected services without having to guess your way through it.

What AOL’s bereavement process covers (and what it won’t do)

AOL does have an official AOL bereavement process for deceased users. According to AOL Help, families can submit a request to close a deceased user’s AOL account, submit a request to suspend or cancel billing and premium services, submit a request for access to or transfer of ownership in very limited circumstances, and submit a request for content from the account (which requires a court order).

There is also a clear boundary: AOL states it cannot provide passwords or other login details. So even if you are an executor, the plan usually is not “get the password from AOL.” The plan is to choose the request type that matches what you need: closure, billing cancellation, access/transfer (rare), or content (court order).

One time-saving note from AOL: this deceased-user process applies to U.S. accounts only. AOL says requests submitted for non-U.S. accounts will not be accepted and will not receive a response.

Gather the paperwork first

Most delays happen because families start with the form and only then realize a key document is missing. If you can, create one simple “AOL folder” and gather what AOL commonly requires.

• A U.S.-issued death certificate for the account holder (required for closure and for billing suspension/cancellation).
• If you are requesting access/transfer or content: a government-issued photo ID for the requester.
• If you are requesting access/transfer: proof of authority over the deceased person’s digital assets (such as will language, executor/administration documentation, or a court order).
• If you are requesting content: a court order (AOL notes it will provide required language after you submit a request, if applicable).

If you are in the first days after a death and trying to prioritize paperwork, Funeral.com’s What to Do When Someone Dies (First 48 Hours) guide can help you sequence the steps that tend to unlock everything else.

How to close a deceased person’s AOL account

If what you want is to shut down the mailbox—what many people mean when they search aol close deceased account or delete aol email deceased—use AOL’s closure request form: Submit a request to close a deceased user’s AOL account.

The form asks for the deceased user’s identifying details and your contact information, and it requires you to upload the death certificate. After you submit, save a copy of what you sent (screenshot or PDF) and note the date. If you later need to follow up, your record makes that easier.

AOL also lists a mail-in option through the address provided on its deceased-account help page: Concierge Executive Escalations, AOL, 11955 Democracy Dr, Reston, VA 20190-5662. (See AOL Help for details.)

How to suspend billing and cancel paid AOL services

Closing the inbox and stopping charges are related but separate. If you have recurring charges—or you suspect a paid plan exists—use AOL’s billing form to cancel AOL paid service after death: Submit a request to suspend or cancel billing and premium services of a deceased user’s AOL account.

The billing form requires a death certificate. If a death certificate is not yet available, the form instructs families to contact AOL Customer Service at 800-827-6364. While you wait, monitor the payment method for continued charges and keep a short log of dates and amounts.

If you need emails inside: access, transfer, or content

If you suspect important records are in the inbox—tax forms, purchase confirmations, business correspondence, or attachments tied to a dispute—consider the “inside the inbox” options before you submit a closure request.

For executor AOL email access, AOL describes a process to request access to or transfer of ownership in limited circumstances. The official request path is: Submit a request for access to or transfer of ownership of a deceased user’s AOL account. According to AOL Help, this requires the death certificate, the requester’s government-issued ID, and documentation showing authority over the deceased person’s digital assets.

If you do not need ongoing access but do need specific messages or attachments, AOL outlines a separate content request that requires a court order. The official path is: Submit a request for content from a deceased user’s AOL account. AOL notes it will provide required court-order language after you submit a request, if applicable.

When the AOL email is tied to other subscriptions

It can be frightening to realize the AOL inbox is the recovery email for other accounts. If you cannot access the inbox, you can still protect the estate by working outward from the accounts that carry the highest risk.

Start with banking, credit cards, insurance, utilities, and the mobile carrier. Many providers can update the email address on file, switch to paper statements, or close accounts based on proof of death and proof of authority—without requiring you to log into the deceased person’s AOL email.

Then use billing statements to unwind subscriptions. Even if you can’t see renewal emails, the bank or credit card statement usually shows what is still charging. For a broader framework, Funeral.com’s Digital Accounts After a Death checklist can help you track what was closed, canceled, transferred, or still pending.

How this fits into funeral planning and memorial choices

These tasks can feel purely administrative, but they create room for decisions that are truly about memory. On Funeral.com, we often talk about this as part of funeral planning: protecting the estate while also shaping a plan that honors the person.

Memorial decisions are increasingly shaped by cremation. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025, and NFDA reports a 2023 national median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with cremation. The Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024.

If cremation is part of your plan, you may also be weighing what to do with ashes, whether keeping ashes at home feels right for now, or whether a water burial ceremony is being considered. Funeral.com’s guides Keeping Ashes at Home, Water Burial Planning, and how much does cremation cost can help you plan without rushing.

When you are ready to choose a memorial item, many families start with cremation urns and cremation urns for ashes, then add sharing options like small cremation urns and keepsake urns. For companions, pet urns, pet urns for ashes, and pet cremation urns can be paired with pet keepsake cremation urns or pet figurine cremation urns. And for wearable remembrance, cremation jewelry—including cremation necklaces—can hold a very small portion close; Cremation Jewelry 101: How It Works covers the basics.

Frequently asked questions