A bank statement request letter is a short written request asking your bank to send specific past statements. It names the account holder, the account, the exact months and the format you want, preferably PDF. Use one when the months are too old for online banking, the account is closed, or the bank wants the request in writing.
When do you need a bank statement request letter?
A bank statement request letter is needed when you cannot download the statements yourself. That usually means the months are older than online banking keeps, the account is closed and its online access has ended, or you are acting for someone else. For any month still online, downloading is faster and free.
Online access after closing does not last long. Wells Fargo, for example, says in its statement FAQs that statements for a closed account may stay available online for about 90 days after closure, and after that it points customers to customer service for copies. If you are planning to close an account, downloading statements before you close it saves you writing this letter at all.
Some banks take copy requests by phone or at a branch without a letter. A letter still helps, because it gives the bank one clear list of what you want, and it gives you a dated record of what you asked for.
What to include in a bank statement request letter
A bank statement request letter should include everything the bank needs to find the records and confirm you may have them: your full name as it appears on the account, the account number or its last four digits, the exact months, the delivery format, and how to reach you. Missing details are the usual reason for a call back.
Use this checklist before you send it:
- Name on the account, spelled as the bank has it, plus any joint owner.
- Account type and number. The last four digits are often enough, but ask the bank what it needs.
- Exact statement months, such as "January 2023 through June 2023", not "last year".
- Whether the account is open or closed, and the closing date if you know it.
- Format: PDF by secure message or email if the bank offers it, or paper by mail.
- Check images, only if you need them.
- A request to quote any fee before processing.
- Your phone, email and mailing address.
- Your signature and the date.
Fee policies vary. The Bank of America Personal Schedule of Fees, effective August 7, 2026, lists statement copies at no fee and says they are available on request through a financial center or the contact center. Other banks charge per statement, which is why the line asking for a quote matters.
A bank statement request letter template to copy
The bank statement request letter below is a template. Replace every bracketed part with your own details. The names, numbers and dates in brackets are examples only.
[Your full name] [Your street address, city, state, ZIP] [Your phone] | [Your email]
[Date, for example October 16, 2026]
[Bank name] [Branch or records department address]
Re: Request for copies of account statements
Dear [Bank name] Customer Service,
I am the [owner / joint owner] of [checking / savings] account ending in [1234], held in the name of [name as on the account]. The account is [open / closed as of March 31, 2025].
Please send copies of the monthly statements for [January 2023 through June 2023]. I would prefer them as PDF files sent by secure message or to the email address above. If that is not possible, please mail paper copies to the address above. I do not need check images.
If there is a fee for these copies, please tell me the amount before processing the request.
Thank you,
[Signature] [Printed name]
Keep the letter to one page. A bank employee reads many of these, and a short letter with the months on their own line gets handled faster than a long explanation of why you need them.
Where to send a bank statement request letter?
Send a bank statement request letter through the channel your bank uses for records requests. The fastest is usually a secure message inside online banking, if the account is still open. For a closed account, a branch visit or a call to customer service will tell you whether to mail it, hand it in, or upload it.
Each route has a trade-off:
- Secure message in online banking. Quick, and leaves a record, but only works while you still have a login.
- A branch. A banker can check your ID on the spot, which helps when the account is closed or you are acting for someone else.
- Mail to a records department. Slowest. Ask the bank for the correct address rather than using the branch address.
Bank-by-bank steps differ. If you bank with Chase, for example, downloading Chase bank statements shows how far back its online archive reaches before a request becomes necessary.
When the copies arrive, check that every month you asked for is there. Then read through them for anything you came looking for. People often order old statements to trace a charge, and finding subscriptions on a bank statement shows how to spot the recurring ones.
Request letter edge case: statements for a closed or deceased person's account
A request letter for someone else's account, or a closed account you no longer control, needs proof that you have the right to the records. The bank will ask before it sends anything. For a person who has died, that usually means the executor or administrator writes the letter and encloses the documents the bank asks for.
Before you write, call the bank and ask:
- Which documents it needs, such as a death certificate or court papers naming you as the representative.
- Whether it has a dedicated team for estate or closed-account requests, and its address.
- Whether copies are charged, and whether it can send PDFs.
Then adjust the template. Replace "I am the owner" with your role, such as "I am the executor of the estate of [name]", and list the enclosed documents at the bottom of the letter. Keep copies of everything you send.
If the statements arrive as PDFs and you need the transactions in a spreadsheet for an estate inventory, CheapBankConvert can turn each statement into a CSV or Excel file and charges per document, so a short stack does not need a subscription.