Documents for download.

The paperwork, grouped by when it's due

After a death in Texas, the paperwork arrives in waves. Most families do not need to memorize any of it — Vargas-London prepares, files, or submits the majority of these forms on your behalf, and we sit with you through the ones that need your signature. What follows is the practical checklist, grouped by urgency, so you know what's coming and who handles what.

Urgent — within the first 48 hours

These documents cannot be delayed. They govern how and when your loved one can be transferred, prepared, and (if applicable) cremated. Texas Health & Safety Code § 716.054 imposes a mandatory 48-hour waiting period between death and cremation, so these signatures set the clock in motion.

• Authorization to Transfer & Take Into Care — signed by the legal next of kin authorizing Vargas-London to bring your loved one into our care from the place of death. We prepare; you sign.
• Cremation Authorization Form — required by Texas Health & Safety Code § 716.052. Names the authorizing agent, confirms identification, and acknowledges the irreversibility of cremation. Must be signed in the presence of our funeral director, in person or by verified electronic signature. We prepare; you sign.
• Disposition Authorization — the written direction for final disposition (burial, cremation, entombment). Under Texas Health & Safety Code § 711.002, the right to control disposition follows a statutory order of priority. We prepare; you sign.
• Medical Examiner release (only if applicable) — required in the counties where a case falls under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.25. We coordinate with the ME's office; the family does not file this.

First week

These are the documents that get the death certificate issued and the immediate financial and legal wheels turning.

• Death Certificate Worksheet (informant information) — Vargas-London collects the decedent's parents' names, birthplace, education, occupation, and Social Security number, then submits electronically through the Texas Electronic Registrar (TER) per 25 TAC § 181.28. You provide the information; we file.
• Certified Copy Request (Form VS-142) — used to order additional certified copies from Texas DSHS. Order enough: banks, life insurers, retirement accounts, and the county clerk each want an original. Texas DSHS Vital Statistics. We order the first set; additional copies can be requested by the family or through us.
• Burial Transit Permit — required if the body will cross state lines or be transported by common carrier. Issued through TER. We handle.
• Social Security notification (Form SSA-721 / SSA-8) — the funeral home reports the death to the Social Security Administration; the surviving spouse or eligible child files Form SSA-8 to claim the $255 lump-sum death benefit. SSA-8 (PDF). We notify SSA; the family files SSA-8 to claim the benefit.
• VA Burial Benefits (Form 21P-530EZ) — for eligible veterans. Covers a portion of burial and plot costs, and may include a headstone or flag. VA.gov: Form 21P-530EZ. We file at no charge for every veteran family.
• Release of Remains — signed by the family to receive the cremated remains or transfer them to another party. We prepare; you sign at release.

First 30 days

These are the settlement-and-notification items. None are on the same clock as the first two groups, but leaving them undone creates work later for the executor or surviving spouse.

• Life insurance claim forms — each carrier has its own. A certified death certificate is required. Family submits; we can provide additional certified copies.
• Employer / pension / 401(k) beneficiary claims — HR departments and plan administrators each have their own forms. Family submits.
• Bank and brokerage account transitions — payable-on-death designations, joint-account conversions, safe deposit box access. Family submits with certified copies.
• County clerk filings — for probate, if there is a will, or for a Small Estate Affidavit under Texas Estates Code Chapter 205 where the estate qualifies. Handled by the family, an attorney, or an executor.
• Vehicle title transfer (Form 130-U) — filed with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Family submits.
• Notifications — the three credit bureaus, the IRS (final tax return), state tax authorities, and any recurring subscriptions or utilities. Family handles; we can provide a printable checklist on request.

Who signs, who files

Short version: Vargas-London prepares and files everything that touches the funeral home license — the cremation authorization, the disposition authorization, the death certificate, the burial transit permit, the SSA death notification, and the VA burial benefits application. You sign the forms that require your legal authority as next of kin. Everything downstream — insurance, banks, DMV, probate — is on the family or the estate's executor, but we will hand you a written checklist so nothing is forgotten. If you would like these forms in advance for review, call (214) 550-7369 and we will email them the same day.