William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Bank of America offers medallion signatures to account holders with no fee. However, medallion stamps are only available for some document types, and with restrictions. You will need to prove your identity and provide any supporting documents requested by Bank of America in order to get a medallion signature guarantee.
A medallion signature guarantee certifies the identity of an individual who is executing documents. It also provides extra protection against liability for agents who facilitate transactions.
Medallion signature guarantees are different from notarization. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, only those who are members of an accepted Medallion Signature Guarantee Program can properly certify signatures so that they will be recognized by members of the securities industry.
Most of the 7,000 locations that participate in medallion signature guarantee programs only provide the service to account holders — and some charge a fee. To learn more about medallion signature guarantees, see our article on convenient places to get a medallion signature guarantee.
Does Bank of America Offer Medallion Signature Guarantee Services?
Bank of America offers free medallion signature guarantees for members at its Financial Centers.
Signers must meet specific requirements and must provide appropriate identification and documentation.
We detail these restrictions, as well as Bank of America’s medallion signature guarantee availability and request process, below.
Requirements
Account Requirements
In order to get a medallion signature guarantee, each signer must have an account with Bank of America or Merrill Edge, and that account must be at least six months old.
Documentation
Approval of medallion signature guarantee requests is at the discretion of the bank. A specialist may deny your request based on the type of document, supporting documents, or your account status.
However, Bank of America typically considers the following transactions as eligible for a medallion stamp request:
- Account maintenance requests
- 401(k) or 403(b) rollovers
- Gifted securities
- IRA transfers from a different institution to Bank of America
- Ownership change from single to joint
- Retirement plan withdrawals and distributions
- Stock power forms to deposit securities
- Transfers of securities with a deceased owner
- Transfers of securities without title or ownership changes
- Trust transfers for the original account owner(s) who are also the grantor and trustee
In addition to providing the document(s) for which you are seeking a medallion signature guarantee, you may need to provide additional documentation for Bank of America to approve your request.
See the Bank of America Medallion Signature Guarantee Document(s) Checklist for the specific requirements related to your request; additional documents vary depending on your circumstances but may include a death certificate, court appointment documents, or an account statement from a receiving institution.
Identification
You will need to present a valid, government-issued ID along with the documents that require a medallion stamp and the supporting documentation.
Medallion Signature Guarantee Availability
We called Bank of America locations in Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas to confirm the availability of medallion signature guarantees, and all of the locations we called said that they do offer the service.
Still, it’s best to call your local branch before visiting; a bank associate can set an appointment for you and tell you what documentation you’ll need to bring based on your case.
Medallion Signature Guarantee Process
While Bank of America does not charge a fee for medallion signature guarantee services, the process does require time. You are not likely to receive your medallion signature guarantee on the spot.
Receiving your medallion stamp requires visiting a local branch and giving your various documents to a specialist. Bank of America can only process medallion signature requests on-site at select locations; it is more likely that the bank will mail your documents to a processor, a Bank of America branch associate said.
If on-site stamps are available and you have all of the necessary documentation, you may receive a medallion stamp in as little as 30 minutes to one hour. Otherwise, a specialist will mail your document(s), follow up with you via email, and overnight the stamped document(s) to you at a later date.
Most Bank of America medallion signature guarantee requests are processed within 48 hours, although some may require as long as five business days.
