To remove someone from a bank account, both account holders normally sign a bank ownership-change form together, either at a branch or through the bank’s secure portal, and the bank issues a revised signature card in the remaining owner’s name. If the other person will not sign, or if your bank’s policy does not allow ownership edits on an existing account, the standard alternative is to close the joint account and open a new one in your name alone. Which route applies to you depends on your deposit agreement, whether the co-owner cooperates, and the ownership type on the signature card.
Start With Your Deposit Agreement
Every joint account is governed by the deposit account agreement and the signature card you signed when the account was opened. Pull a copy through online banking or ask for one at a branch, and look for two things. First, does the bank allow a co-owner to be removed by amendment, meaning a new signature card is issued for the same account number? Second, if not, does the bank require the account to be closed and a new one opened? Some banks permit removal with both signatures. Others will not change ownership on an existing account at all. The agreement may also spell out a short waiting period before the change takes effect.
The ownership type on the signature card matters here because it shapes what the bank will accept. Joint tenants with right of survivorship and tenancy by the entirety both generally require the departing owner’s signature to make a change while they are alive. Tenants in common works similarly for a living co-owner. Survivorship becomes relevant only if the co-owner has died, which is covered further down.
Removing a Co-Owner Who Agrees
When both people are on board, the process is short. Bring the following:
- Valid government-issued photo ID for both the person staying and the person leaving.
- The joint account number, plus the numbers of any linked savings, money market, or overdraft accounts that need the same update.
- Social Security numbers for both parties, used for identity verification and tax reporting.
- The bank’s ownership change or removal-of-signer form. Some banks post these online; others hand them out only in person.1Bank of America. Account Ownership Changes
Traditional banks generally want both account holders present at the branch together, so a representative can witness the signatures and check IDs in person. Online-only banks often accept scanned or digitally signed forms uploaded through a secure portal. Either way, the bank needs the departing owner’s signature confirming they agree to be removed. Processing usually takes three to five business days after submission.2Fidelity Investments. Change of Account Registration
You will receive a revised signature card or a written confirmation. Check the next statement to make sure only your name appears.
One boundary worth naming: converting a joint account to an individual account changes how deposit insurance is calculated at that bank, because each co-owner’s share of qualifying joint accounts is insured up to $250,000 separately from any individual accounts.3eCFR. 12 CFR 330.9 – Joint Ownership Accounts If your balances are near coverage limits, confirm your deposits are still fully insured after the switch.
When the Other Person Won’t Sign
You generally cannot strip a living co-owner from a joint account on your own. State law and the account agreement usually block unilateral removal.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can I Remove My Spouse From Our Joint Checking Account? What you can do is close the account. Under the Uniform Commercial Code, any person authorized to draw on the account can close it by notifying the bank with reasonable certainty and giving the bank a reasonable chance to act.5Legal Information Institute. Uniform Commercial Code 4-403 – Customer’s Right to Stop Payment; Burden of Proof of Loss One joint owner can generally initiate closure, though individual banks add their own requirements.
To close and restart:
- Withdraw or transfer the remaining balance to zero the account.
- Formally close it with the bank in writing.
- Open a new individual account, which will have a new account number and routing number, along with new debit cards and checks.
- Redirect every recurring deposit and payment to the new account (see below).
If you are worried the other person will empty the account first, know that either owner can typically withdraw the entire balance at any time, and the bank is not obligated to stop them.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A Joint Checking Account Owner Took All the Money Out and Then Closed the Account Without My Agreement. Can They Do That? Call the bank the same day you decide to act and ask what restrictions are available. Some banks will require both signatures on withdrawals if you request it, though this option is not always offered.
If the dispute is part of a divorce, your attorney can ask the court to order the account closed or to order your spouse to sign the removal paperwork. Many family courts address joint accounts in the temporary orders issued early in the case. When both parties claim the funds and the bank cannot tell who is entitled to what, the bank may freeze the account and file an interpleader action, which puts the dispute in front of a judge.
Removing a Deceased Account Holder
When a co-owner dies, the ownership type on the signature card controls what happens next. For accounts held as joint tenants with right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety, the surviving owner automatically becomes the sole owner. Those funds do not pass through probate.
To update the account, bring a certified copy of the death certificate to the bank, along with your own photo ID. Some banks accept a legible photocopy; others insist on a certified original, so call ahead.7Bank of America. How to Claim or Close a Bank of America Account for the Deceased A short affidavit may also be required.
For accounts held as tenants in common, the deceased owner’s share does not pass to you automatically. It becomes part of their estate and is distributed under their will or the state’s intestacy rules. The executor or administrator handles the release of those funds with the bank.
Removing a Signer From a Business Account
A business account is different because the bank’s contract is with the business, not with the individual signers. Removing a signer takes an updated authorization document from the business itself: a board resolution for a corporation, a member or manager resolution for an LLC, or an amendment to the partnership agreement for a partnership.
The resolution should identify the signer being removed, the effective date, and who keeps signing authority. Take it to the bank with ID for the remaining authorized signers. The bank updates the signature card to match. You do not need the departing signer’s consent; the business entity decides who has access.
When the Other Owner Is Incapacitated
If the co-owner cannot consent because of dementia, a medical emergency, or another form of incapacity, the process gets harder. A power of attorney does not automatically let you remove them. A POA holder can act on the incapacitated person’s behalf, such as paying their bills, but is not an account owner and generally cannot change the account’s ownership structure.
Banks also have their own POA rules. Many require the POA to be on the bank’s own form, signed while the account holder still had capacity. If the bank will not honor the POA you have, the remaining option is to petition a court for guardianship or conservatorship over the incapacitated person’s finances. A court-appointed guardian can then authorize the change. Because that means court proceedings, an elder law or estate planning attorney is worth consulting early.
Watch for Tax, Creditor, and Payment Fallout
A few issues can turn a routine removal into an expensive one if you don’t check them first.
Gift tax. Adding or removing a joint owner does not by itself create a taxable gift. A gift happens under IRS rules only when one person withdraws funds from a joint account beyond what they originally contributed.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 709 If you deposited all the money and the co-owner withdrew $30,000 for their own use before being removed, the IRS treats that $30,000 as a gift from you. For 2026, the annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, and gifts above that require you to file Form 709. Transfers between U.S. citizen spouses are generally unlimited and exempt; for a non-citizen spouse, the 2026 annual exclusion is $194,000.9Internal Revenue Service. IRS Releases Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2026, Including Amendments From the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Keep records of who contributed what in case the IRS asks.
Creditors and garnishment. If the person you want to remove has outstanding debts, their creditors may be able to garnish the joint account even for a debt that has nothing to do with you. Courts generally presume equal rights to the funds, and creditors are not usually required to investigate who deposited what. You may be able to protect your share by tracing deposits to your own income, or by showing the account was a convenience account with only your money in it. Federal benefits such as Social Security, disability, unemployment, veterans’ benefits, and child support generally keep their exempt status when deposited into a joint account, and federal rules require banks to protect at least two months’ worth of recently deposited federal benefit payments from garnishment. Timing also matters: moving funds specifically to keep them away from a co-owner’s creditors, especially after collection has started, can be reversed as a voidable transfer. If creditors are already involved, talk to an attorney before touching the account.
Deposits and autopay. Whether you amend the account or close and reopen, every automated transaction needs to point at the right place. Before you switch, pull at least three months of statements and list every incoming deposit and outgoing automatic payment. Then update:
- Payroll and direct deposits with your employer, allowing one to two pay cycles for the change.
- Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and tax refunds through each agency directly.
- Autopay for utilities, insurance, loans, and subscriptions.
- Linked accounts used for overdraft protection or automatic transfers.
Returned-payment fees typically run about $25 to $35 per occurrence, and one missed loan or insurance payment can chain into more. If you closed the joint account, keep watching it for at least 60 days in case a biller still tries the old number.