NFCU 596 Voluntary Joint Owner Removal: Filing, Signatures, and Gift Tax

Navy Federal Form NFCU 596, the Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request, is the document a joint owner signs to permanently give up their rights to one or more Navy Federal deposit accounts. The joint owner leaving the account is the one who fills it out and signs it, not the primary account holder. Once Navy Federal processes the request, that person loses all access to the listed accounts, including any debit card, CUCARD, and online banking connection tied to them.1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

What the Form Covers

Form 596 applies to Navy Federal deposit accounts only. On the form you list the specific account numbers the joint owner wants off of, grouped under the correct category:

  • Savings accounts
  • Checking accounts
  • Certificate accounts
  • Money Market Savings Accounts (MMSA)
  • Jumbo MMSA accounts
  • Custodial accounts

Credit cards and loans are not handled on this form. To remove a joint party from a credit card or loan, you have to visit a branch or call Navy Federal at 1-888-842-6328.1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

Before You Start

Have these ready:

  • The primary account holder’s full name (the person who will remain on the account).
  • The joint owner’s full name (the person being removed). The form has room for up to two joint owners leaving the same set of accounts.
  • The complete account number for every account the joint owner wants off of. Partial numbers won’t work.

Two conditions can stop the request. Balances must be current — if any listed account is delinquent or overdrawn, resolve that first. And minors are required to have an adult joint owner, so Navy Federal will not process a removal that would leave a minor as the sole owner.1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

Filling It Out

The form is short, usually a single page. Enter the primary account holder’s name at the top. Enter the name of the joint owner requesting removal below that. If a second joint owner is leaving the same accounts, use the second name line.

Then list the full account numbers under the correct account type. Only list the accounts you want off of. If you are leaving a checking account but keeping a joint savings, leave the savings section blank.

The joint owner being removed signs at the bottom in wet ink. The form provides signature lines for up to two departing joint owners. No notarization is required, and there is no signature line for the primary account holder. The language above the signature makes the nature of the action explicit: the signer voluntarily requests removal and acknowledges giving up all rights to the accounts listed.1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

What the Removed Joint Owner Loses

Once the form is processed, the change is permanent. The removed joint owner:

  • Can no longer view balances, make deposits, write checks, or transact on the listed accounts.
  • Is removed as a trusted user on any Navy Federal Debit Card and CUCARD tied to those accounts.
  • Loses trusted user access to the primary account holder’s online banking profile — removal from even one account triggers this.1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

There is no temporary version of this. Adding the person back later means going through Navy Federal’s separate process for adding a joint owner.

How to Submit the Signed Form

Navy Federal accepts the completed form through four channels:1Navy Federal Credit Union. Voluntary Removal of Joint Owner Request

  • Online banking message. Sign in, open the Messages tab, and select “Send us a message.” Under “My Message is About” choose “General.” Under “Regarding” choose “Add Remove Joint Owner.” Use the subject line “Removal of Joint Owner Request” and attach the form.
  • Fax. Send to 703-206-4600, attention Membership Administration.
  • Mail. Navy Federal Credit Union, PO Box 3002, Merrifield, VA 22116-9887.
  • Branch. Bring the signed form to any Navy Federal branch. Locations are listed at navyfederal.org.

Submitting through online banking or in person moves the form into the queue faster than mail. The form itself does not commit to a processing timeline, so watch your secure messages for follow-up.

You can download the current PDF from the “Other” section of Navy Federal’s Forms and Brochures page.2Navy Federal Credit Union. Forms and Brochures

If the Other Party Won’t Sign

Because the departing joint owner is the one who signs, a primary account holder cannot use Form 596 to remove someone unilaterally. That matches the general rule that removing a joint account holder usually requires that person’s consent under the account terms or state law.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Can I Remove My Spouse From Our Joint Checking Account? If you are in a divorce or separation and the other party refuses to sign, Navy Federal branch staff or a call to 1-888-842-6328 can walk you through alternatives, which may involve closing the joint account and opening new individual ones.

Gift Tax on Larger Balances

When a joint owner leaves an account holding significant funds, the IRS may treat the transaction as a gift from the departing owner to the one who stays — especially if the departing owner contributed to the balance and walks away with nothing. For 2026, the annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient, or $38,000 for married couples who split gifts. Transfers below that threshold do not need to be reported.4Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions on Gift Taxes

For a modest joint checking balance this rarely matters. If the account holds six figures and you are the one leaving it behind, talk to a tax professional before you sign.