How to Fill Out and Submit the MetLife Trust Certification Form

If a trust owns or is named as beneficiary on your MetLife policy, you will need to complete a MetLife trust certification form so the company can verify the trust’s name, trustees, and their authority without reading the entire trust agreement. You can request the form through MetLife’s online forms library, the trust/entity claim kit, the annuity self-service portal, or by calling customer service.

When MetLife Asks for This Form

Three situations trigger the request. The first is a life insurance claim where the beneficiary is a trust; MetLife sends a trust/entity claim kit with the certification included.¹ The second is transferring ownership of a policy or annuity into a living trust. The third is naming a trust as beneficiary on a new or existing policy. MetLife’s beneficiary designation form notes that the trustee “will be held fully responsible for the application for and disposition of the insurance proceeds,” so the company wants confirmation the trust exists and that the signer has authority before recording the change.²

The certification exists so you do not have to hand over the full trust instrument, which can run dozens of pages and spell out private distribution terms.

How to Get the Form

Which version you need depends on the product and the transaction.

For a life insurance claim with a trust beneficiary, start with the trust/entity claim kit on MetLife’s claims page.¹
For an existing annuity, MetLife provides a separate Trustee-Entity Certification through its annuity self-service portal.³
For other transactions, the general forms library has downloadable versions.⁴
If you cannot find the right version online, call MetLife customer service or email INDLifeRequest@metlife.com to have it mailed.

What to Gather Before You Fill It Out

Pull these items from your trust agreement and tax records first. Missing one is a common cause of resubmission.

The full legal name of the trust, copied exactly as it appears in the opening paragraph of the trust instrument. “The Smith Family Trust” and “Smith Family Trust” are not the same for MetLife’s purposes.
The execution date of the trust instrument.¹
The tax identification number: the trust’s EIN, or, for a revocable grantor trust, the grantor’s Social Security number. MetLife uses this for federal tax reporting.¹
Names and addresses of every currently serving trustee. If a successor has stepped in, list the successor, not the original.²
For claims, documentation proving you are the authorized representative of the trust.¹
The policy number. MetLife offers a policy finder tool at metlife.com/policyfinder/ if you do not have it.

Depending on the version, the form may also ask whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable, whether co-trustees act independently or must act together, the names of the original settlors, and a description of the trustee’s powers.⁵ Read every field on the version you received before writing anything in.

Filling Out the Form

Trust Identity and Trustees

Enter the trust’s legal name directly from the trust instrument. Do not paraphrase or abbreviate. Fill in the execution date and the tax identification number. List every trustee who currently has authority to act. If the trust has co-trustees, the form may ask whether they can act independently or whether all signatures are required. Report what your trust agreement actually says.

Trust Type and Trustee Powers

Some versions ask whether the trust is revocable or irrevocable. A revocable trust can be changed or dissolved by the grantor; an irrevocable trust generally cannot. If you are unsure, check the opening sections of the trust instrument or ask the drafting attorney. The form may also ask for the specific trustee powers authorizing the transaction, such as the power to receive insurance proceeds, manage investments, or transfer assets.

Signature and Notary

The trustee signs and dates the form. If multiple signatures are required under your trust, all co-trustees sign. Financial institutions routinely require that a certification of trust be notarized, so sign in front of a notary public. If the form includes a notary block, use it. An unsigned or unnotarized certification is one of the most common reasons MetLife returns the paperwork.

Where to Send It

MetLife routes trust certifications to different offices by product. Sending to the wrong address adds weeks.

Life Insurance Claims

For individual life claims under $100,000, or when an original death certificate is already on file from another beneficiary, you can submit by:

Email: INDlifeclaims@metlife.com
Fax: 1-908-655-9586
MetLife’s digital claim submission portal
Mail to the address printed in your claim kit

For group life claims, mail to MetLife Group Life Claims, P.O. Box 6100, Scranton, PA 18505-6100, or fax to 1-570-558-8645.⁶

Annuities and Other Products

For annuity trust certifications and other non-claims forms, mail to P.O. Box 10356, Des Moines, IA 50306-0356, or fax to 1-877-549-5834.⁴ For an ownership transfer into a living trust, confirm the correct address with customer service, since ownership-change paperwork can route differently than beneficiary designations.

After You Submit

MetLife reviews claim submissions within five business days of receipt. If something is missing, the company responds within ten business days asking for the specific items it needs.⁷ Ownership changes are processed within five business days of receipt of complete paperwork.⁸

Keep a copy of the completed form along with your proof of delivery: certified mail receipts, fax confirmations, or email delivery receipts. If MetLife sends a deficiency notice, read it closely, correct only what is flagged, and resubmit promptly so the review clock does not reset further than necessary.

When to Submit an Updated Certification

A certification is a snapshot of the trust on the day it is signed. File a new one when any of the following happens:

A trustee dies, resigns, or is removed and a successor takes over. The old certification no longer reflects who can act.
The trust is amended in a way that affects its name, tax status, trustee powers, or revocability.
The trust becomes irrevocable, which commonly happens on the grantor’s death. The tax identification number and the trustees in office may change at that point.

Under the Uniform Trust Code, the trustee must state in the certification that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any way that would make the certification inaccurate.⁹ Signing a certification you know to be outdated exposes the trustee to personal liability for resulting losses.

Mistakes That Cause Delays

Trust name mismatch. The name on the certification must match the policy and the trust instrument exactly. Adding “the,” dropping a middle initial, or shortening “Living Trust” to “LT” forces MetLife to request clarification.
Wrong trustee listed. If a successor has taken over but the certification still names the original trustee, MetLife cannot verify authority. Always list the currently acting trustees.
Missing notarization. If the form has a notary block and you return it without a seal and signature, expect it back.
Missing supporting documents. Claims need a death certificate alongside the certification. Ownership changes for Massachusetts residents require a witness signature from a disinterested party.⁸
Sending to the wrong address. An annuity certification mailed to the Scranton life claims office will not reach the right department.

One side effect to plan for: when ownership changes to a living trust, MetLife removes the existing beneficiary designation. The default becomes the new trust owner, or the insured’s estate if the trust is also the insured. To name a different beneficiary, file a separate beneficiary designation form after the ownership change is processed.⁸

1
MetLife. Life Insurance Claims Process and Requirements
2
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Beneficiary Designation
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MetLife. Self-Service
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MetLife. Forms Library
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Vermont General Assembly. 1013 – Certification of Trust
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MetLife. Claims Information
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MetLife. Frequently Asked Questions
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MetLife. Changing the Owner of Your Policy
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Montana State Legislature. Certification of Trust