Small-estate limits by state
Most states let a small enough estate skip full probate through a small-estate affidavit or a simplified administration — but the dollar threshold, what counts toward it, and the instrument all vary by state. This table holds the verified affidavit limit for each state, the summary-administration tier where one exists, and the statute behind each figure. Thresholds change over time; figures shown are the currently effective ones.
Data last verified August 2, 2026
How this table is maintained
Every figure comes from a versioned, dated data store in which each value carries the statute citation and official source it was verified against, and values resolve by effective-date window (thresholds change over time — several states re-index annually). Where we could not verify a value against an authoritative source, the table says varies — confirm locally rather than showing a number. A scheduled sweep flags entries whose verification is older than about a year for re-review.
This is a state-by-state reference: each figure applies only in the named state, and there is no national default — the same rules the rest of this site follows.
| Row link | State | Small-estate limit | Summary administration | Instrument | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| § | Alabama | $47,000 | — | Summary Distribution (Ala. Code §43-2-692; §43-2-696.02) | Act 2025-431 / Ala. Code §43-2-696.02 (homestead + exempt + family allowances = $47,000; personal property only) |
| § | Alaska | $50,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (AS 13.16.680) — vehicles ≤$100k, other personalty ≤$50k | AS 13.16.680 (personalty ≤$50k; vehicles ≤$100k; real property disqualifies) |
| § | Arizona | $200,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (A.R.S. §14-3971) — $200k personalty; separate $300k real-property affidavit | A.R.S. §14-3971 (HB2116, eff. 9/26/2025: personalty $200k, real property $300k) |
| § | Arkansas | $100,000 | — | Collection of small estate by distributee (Ark. Code §28-41-101) | Ark. Code §28-41-101 ($100k less encumbrances, excl. homestead & statutory allowances) |
| § | California | $208,850 | — | Small Estate Affidavit (Prob. Code §13100) — personal property; separate real-property petition | Cal. Prob. Code §13100 et seq. (inflation-adjusted, DOD on/after 2025-04-01) |
| § | Colorado | $88,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (C.R.S. 15-12-1201) | C.R.S. 15-12-1201 (inflation-adjusted; $88,000 for 2026 deaths; personalty only) |
| § | Connecticut | $40,000 | — | Settlement of small estates without probate (C.G.S. §45a-273) | C.G.S. §45a-273 ($40k solely-owned personalty; real property disqualifies) |
| § | Delaware | $50,000 | — | Affidavit for distribution without grant of letters (12 Del. C. §2306) | 12 Del. C. §2306, as amended by HB 333 (85 Del. Laws c.281; $30k→$50k eff. 2026-06-11) |
| § | District of Columbia | $80,000 | — | Small Estate proceeding (D.C. Code §20-351 et seq.) | D.C. Code §20-351 ($80k; raised from $40k eff. 2025-03-21, D.C. Law 25-302) |
| § | Florida | $150,000 | — | Summary Administration (Fla. Stat. §735.201) | Fla. Stat. §735.201, as amended by CS/HB 1337 ($75k → $150k eff. 2026-07-01) |
| § | Georgia | Varies — confirm locally | — | No-administration / Year’s support; no fixed dollar small-estate affidavit | O.C.G.A. §53-2-40 et seq. (no flat small-estate cap — varies) |
| § | Hawaii | $100,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (HRS 560:3-1201) | HRS 560:3-1201 ($100k gross HI estate; personalty only) |
| § | Idaho | $100,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Code §15-3-1201) | Idaho Code §15-3-1201 ($100k FMV less liens; personalty only) |
| § | Illinois | $150,000 | — | Small Estate Affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1) | 755 ILCS 5/25-1 ($150k personalty; raised from $100k by P.A. 104-346, eff. 8/15/2025) |
| § | Indiana | $100,000 | — | Disposition without administration / small-estate affidavit (IC 29-1-8-1) | IC 29-1-8-1 ($100k gross probate estate; P.L.151-2022, deaths after 6/30/2022) |
| § | Iowa | $200,000 | — | Administration of small estates (Iowa Code ch. 635) | Iowa Code §635.1 ($200k gross probate assets; deaths on/after 7/1/2020) |
| § | Kansas | $75,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (K.S.A. 59-1507b) | K.S.A. 59-1507b ($75k personalty; raised from $40k eff. 7/1/2023) |
| § | Kentucky | $30,000 | — | Dispensing with administration / surviving-spouse exemption (KRS 391.030, 395.455) | KRS 391.030 ($30k exempt personalty); KRS 395.455 (dispense with administration) |
| § | Louisiana | $125,000 | — | Small succession affidavit (La. C.C.P. art. 3421, 3431–3434) | La. C.C.P. art. 3421 ($125k gross; or any value if death ≥20 yrs prior) |
| § | Maine | $52,500 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (18-C M.R.S. §3-1201) | 18-C M.R.S. §3-1201 ($40k base, §1-108 CPI-adjusted to $52,500 for 2026; personalty only) |
| § | Maryland | $50,000 | — | Small Estate administration (Md. Est. & Trusts §5-601) — $100k if surviving spouse sole heir | Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §5-601 ($50k; $100k surviving-spouse-sole-heir; FMV less secured debt) |
| § | Massachusetts | $25,000 | — | Voluntary Administration (MGL c.190B §3-1201) — plus one motor vehicle | MGL c.190B §3-1201 ($25k + one vehicle; estate must be entirely personalty) |
| § | Michigan | $53,000 | — | Petition and Order for Assignment (PC 556) / Affidavit of Decedent’s Successor (PC 598) | MCL 700.3982, 700.3983 (2026 COLA-adjusted, 2023 factor 1.057; §3982(5) lien cap $264,000) — MI Treasury EPIC notice, Table B |
| § | Minnesota | $75,000 | $150,000 — Summary assignment / administration (Minn. Stat. §524.3-1203) | Affidavit for collection of personal property (Minn. Stat. §524.3-1201) | Minn. Stat. §524.3-1201 ($75k net of liens; personalty); §524.3-1203 subd.5 (summary ≤$150k excl. homestead) |
| § | Mississippi | $75,000 | — | Small estate affidavit / affidavit of successor (Miss. Code §91-7-322) | Miss. Code §91-7-322 ($75k; available only if no real property; eff. 7/1/2020) |
| § | Missouri | $40,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) | RSMo 473.097 ($40k net of liens/debt/encumbrances; real or personal property) |
| § | Montana | $100,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (MCA 72-3-1101) | MCA 72-3-1101 ($100k probate estate less liens; personalty only) |
| § | Nebraska | $100,000 | — | Affidavit (personalty) / real-property affidavit (Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-24,125, §30-24,129) | Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-24,125/§30-24,129 ($100k each; real-property affidavit raised $50k→$100k eff. 7/19/2024) |
| § | Nevada | $150,000 (surviving spouse) · $25,000 (any other claimant) | — | Affidavit of entitlement (NRS 146.080) | NRS 146.080 ($25k general / $150k surviving spouse, personal property only; real property disqualifies) |
| § | New Hampshire | Varies — confirm locally | — | Waiver of full administration (RSA 553:32) — gated by sole-heir relationship, not estate size | RSA 553:32/553:33 (no dollar threshold; available to sole heir/beneficiary/spouse) |
| § | New Jersey | $50,000 (surviving spouse or domestic partner) · $20,000 (any other heir (no surviving spouse)) | — | Affidavit in lieu of administration (N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 / 3B:10-4) | N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 ($50k surviving spouse) / 3B:10-4 ($20k other heir) |
| § | New Mexico | $50,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (NMSA §45-3-1201) | NMSA 1978 §45-3-1201 ($50k less liens; may not perfect title to real estate) |
| § | New York | $50,000 | — | Voluntary/Small Estate Administration (SCPA Article 13) | N.Y. SCPA §1301 ($50k personal property, excl. real property) |
| § | North Carolina | $20,000 | — | Collection by affidavit (N.C.G.S. §28A-25-1) — $20k, or $30k to surviving spouse | N.C.G.S. §28A-25-1 ($20k personal property; $30k surviving spouse) |
| § | North Dakota | $100,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (NDCC §30.1-23-01) | NDCC §30.1-23-01 ($100k less liens, personalty only; raised from $50k via HB1224, 2025/69th Assembly) |
| § | Ohio | $35,000 | — | Release from administration (R.C. §2113.03) — up to $35k, or $100k to surviving spouse | Ohio R.C. §2113.03 ($35k general; $100k where surviving spouse inherits all) |
| § | Oklahoma | $50,000 | $200,000 — Summary administration (58 O.S. §245) | Small estate affidavit (58 O.S. §393) — personalty | 58 O.S. §393 ($50k personalty net of liens); §245 (summary admin ≤$200k incl. realty) |
| § | Oregon | $75,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (ORS 114.515) — $75k personalty + separate $200k real-property cap | ORS 114.510/114.515 ($75k personal property; $200k real property — separate caps; amd. 2023 c.17) |
| § | Pennsylvania | $50,000 | — | Settlement of small estate on petition (20 Pa.C.S. §3102) | 20 Pa.C.S. §3102 ($50k excl. real estate, certain payments off the top) |
| § | Rhode Island | $15,000 | — | Voluntary informal administration of small estates (R.I. Gen. Laws §33-24-1) | R.I. Gen. Laws §33-24-1 ($15k personalty; funeral/last-sickness off the top) |
| § | South Carolina | $45,000 | — | Collection by affidavit / summary administration (S.C. Code §62-3-1201) | S.C. Code §62-3-1201/§62-3-1203 ($45k; exempt property/funeral/admin excluded; Act 26 of 2025) |
| § | South Dakota | $100,000 | — | Affidavit for collection of personal property (SDCL 29A-3-1201) | SDCL 29A-3-1201 ($100k entire estate less liens; personalty only) |
| § | Tennessee | $50,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (T.C.A. §30-4-101 et seq.) | T.C.A. §30-4-102/§30-4-103 ($50k probate personalty; no real property) |
| § | Texas | $75,000 | — | Small Estate Affidavit (Estates Code ch. 205) | Tex. Est. Code §205.001 ($75k excl. homestead & exempt property) |
| § | Utah | $100,000 | — | Collection of personal property by affidavit (Utah Code 75-3-1201) | Utah Code 75-3-1201 ($100k less liens; personalty only; up to 4 vehicles) |
| § | Vermont | $45,000 | — | Small estate administration (14 V.S.A. §§1901–1903) | 14 V.S.A. §1901 ($45k FMV; personalty only; raised from $10k by 2019 Act 36) |
| § | Virginia | $75,000 | — | Small estate affidavit (Va. Code §64.2-601) | Va. Code §64.2-601 ($75k personal probate estate; no real property) |
| § | Washington | $100,000 | — | Affidavit of successor (RCW 11.62.010) | RCW 11.62.010 ($100k net of liens, excl. spousal community interest; personalty only) |
| § | West Virginia | $50,000 | — | Small Estate Act affidavit (W. Va. Code §44-1A-2) — $50k personalty only; any probate real property disqualifies | W. Va. Code §44-1A-2 (HB 2867, eff. 7/9/2025: $50k personalty; real property disqualifies) |
| § | Wisconsin | $50,000 | — | Transfer by affidavit (Wis. Stat. §867.03) | Wis. Stat. §867.03 ($50k gross WI estate; 2017 Wis. Act 90) |
| § | Wyoming | $400,000 | — | Affidavit / summary distribution (Wyo. Stat. §2-1-201, §2-1-205) | Wyo. Stat. §2-1-201/§2-1-205 ($400k; raised from $200k eff. 7/1/2025, SF0104) |
Where a state shows more than one figure, the applicable cap depends on the condition in parentheses (for example, the heir's relationship to the person who died). “Varies — confirm locally” means we don't hold a value verified against an authoritative source, so we don't show one. What counts toward a limit (real property, the homestead, funeral expenses) is set by each state's law — the calculator applies those inclusion rules where we hold them.
Settling a specific estate? The free “Do I need probate?” checker resolves the threshold for your state and the date of death— several states' limits changed in recent years — and applies what counts toward it.
Cite or link this page
You're welcome to cite or link this table — it's free, un-gated, and we keep it at this URL. Each state's row has a stable anchor (the section link on the row), so you can link a single state directly. A suggested citation:
“Small-Estate Limits by State.” Kindeed, meetkindeed.com/reference/small-estate-limits-by-state. Data last verified August 2, 2026.
Questions about a figure, or something that changed in your state? Tell us — corrections ship with a citation, like everything else here.
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