Access to Digital Assets of Decedents

Overview

Terms of service agreements and privacy policies govern access to social media and email accounts, and most expire when a user dies and are not transferable. Surviving family members are unable to access social media accounts or valuable digital assets, since most state laws that govern the actions of personal representatives or executors were enacted before email and social media became widespread and do not account for digital property. 

However, at least 46 states since 2013 have enacted laws addressing access to email, social media accounts, microblogging or other website accounts, or other electronically stored assets, upon a person’s incapacity or death. Nevada law provides for the termination of decedents' social media accounts.

The Uniform Law Commission (ULC) in 2014 approved the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (UFADAA) and in July 2015, the ULC issued a revised version of UFADAA--the Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, Revised (2015). Forty-one states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have adopted the Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, Revised.

Statutes | Citations

STATE	YEAR ENACTED	CITATION
Alabama	2017	Code of Ala. § 9-1A-1 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Alaska	2017	Alaska Stat. § 13.63.010 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Arizona	2016	Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-13101 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Arkansas	2017	Ark. Code § 28-75-101 et seq.- Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
California	2016	Calif. Prob. Code §§ 870 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Colorado	2016	Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 15-1-1501 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Connecticut	2016	Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-334b et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Delaware	2014	Del. Code tit. 12 § 5001 to 5007 - Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets and Digital Accounts Act
Florida	2016	Fla. Stat. §§ 740.001 et seq. - Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets
Georgia	2018	Georgia Code 53-13-1 et seq. - Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Hawaii	2016	Hawaii Rev. Stat. §§ 556A-1 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Idaho	2011 2016	Idaho Code § 15-3-715(28) Transactions authorized for personal representatives Idaho Code §§ 15-14-101 et seq. - Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Iowa	2017	Iowa Code § 638.1 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Illinois	2015	755 ILCS 70/1 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Indiana	2016 2007	Ind. Code Ann. § 32-39-1-1 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act Ind. Code § 29-1-13-1.1 Right of personal representative to access decedent's electronic communications and other digital assets
Kansas	2017	Kan. Stat. § 58-4801 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Louisiana	2014	La. Code of Civ. Proc., Art. 3191 - General duties; appointment of agent
Maine	2018	18A M.R.S. 10-101 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Maryland	2016	Md. Estates & Trust Code §§ 15-601 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Michigan	2016	Mich. Comp. Laws  §§ 700.1001 et seq. - Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Minnesota	2016	Minn. Stat. §§ 521A.01 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Mississippi	2017	Miss. Code § 91-23-1 et seq.- Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Missouri	2018	Missouri Rev. Stat. § 472.400 et seq. - Missouri Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Montana	2017	Mont. Code Ann. § 72-31-401 et seq. - Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Nebraska	2016	Rev. Stat. Neb. §§ 30-501 to -518 - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Nevada	2013 2017	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 143.18 Power to direct termination of certain electronic or digital accounts or assets. Nev. Rev. Stat. § 722.010 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access To Digital Assets Act
New Jersey	2017	N.J. Stat. § 3B:14-61.1 - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
New Mexico	2017	N.M. Stat. § 46-13-1 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
New York	2016	N.Y. CLS EPTL §§ 13-A-1 et seq. - Administration of Digital Assets
North Carolina	2016	N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 36F-1 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
North Dakota	2017	N.D. Cent. Code § 47-36-1 et seq. - Revised Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Ohio	2017	Ohio Rev. Code §§ 2137.01 et seq. - Digital Assets Act
Oklahoma	2010	Okla. Stat. tit. 58 § 269 Executor of administrator—Powers.
Oregon	2016	Ore. Rev. Stat. § 119.006 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Rhode Island	2007	R.I. Gen Laws § 33-27-1 to -5 Access to Decedents' Electronic Mail Accounts Act
South Carolina	2016	S.C. Code Ann. §§ 62-2-1010 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
South Dakota	2017	S.D. Cod. Laws § 55-19-1 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Tennessee	2016	Tenn. Code §§ 35-8-101 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Texas	2017	Tex. Estates Code § 2001.001 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Utah	2017	Utah Code § 75-11-101 et seq.- Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Vermont	2017	14 Vt. Stat. § 3551 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Virginia	2017	Va. Code §§ 64.2-116 to -132 - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Washington	2016	Rev. Code Wash. §§ 11.120.010 et seq. - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
West Virginia	2018	W.Va. Code § 44-5B-1 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
Wisconsin	2016	Wisc. Stat. § 711.01 et seq. - Digital Property Act
Wyoming	2016	Wyo. Stat. § 2-3-1001 et seq. - Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act
U.S. Virgin Islands	2018	B. 32-0132, Act 8023

2019 Legislation

2019 Summary: Bills related to digital assets/electronic assets of decedents have been introduced in at least nine states and D.C. in 2019.

2018 Legislation

2018 Summary: Bills related to digital assets/electronic assets of decedents were introduced in at least 15 states and D.C. Legislation was enacted in at least four states in 2018: Georgia, Maine, Missouri, and West Virginia; and the Virgin Islands.

2017 Legislation

2017 Summary: Bills related to digital assets/electronic assets were introduced in at least 30 states. Legislation was enacted in at least 17 states in 2017: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. 

2015 Legislation

2015 Summary: Bills were introduced in at least 32 states. Legislation was enacted in Virginia.

 

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