Skip to main content

Use This District Probate Reference Before You File

This page is built for the detailed county-level checks that generic probate guides usually miss: local filing fees, Superior Court Probate Division contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for District of Columbia.

Local Fee Schedule

Review district-specific probate filing charges before you estimate total case cost.

Court Rules and Orders

Check the local rules, judge procedures, and administrative orders that can change how a case moves.

Clerk and Filing Logistics

Confirm where to file, whether e-filing is allowed, and how hearings or notices are handled locally.

Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Probate Division Guide

Settled Estate records a 90-day deadline to deposit the will and a 6-month creditor claim period for the Probate Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, read from 24 linked sources and last verified October 5, 2026.

By Settled Estate Editorial Team

Superior Court of the District of Columbia · Superior Court Probate Division information · Updated October 2026

Viewing the professional reference · Switch to the family guide

Superior Court of the District of Columbia|
Jump to:FeesDocumentsFilingDeadlines

Filing & Fees

Fee Schedule Signals

Probate Filing Fees

Small-estate court costs are tiered by asset value (see small_estates), per the court's Small Estates (SEB) page as captured 2025-10-16; the $500-$2,500 tier ($15) matches the statutory cap in D.C. Code § 15-707(b). No court cost is recorded for a large (ADM) estate: the court's fee schedule for those is not on any page we could read. Two statutory rules also apply: a District court must grant a full fee waiver to a litigant who receives listed public benefits, has income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, or is represented free by a legal-services organization or law-school clinic (D.C. Code § 15-712(a)(1)); and the Probate Division 'shall not require the payment of court costs on behalf of a decedent's estate' while a fee-waived litigant serves as personal representative, or after the estate is closed (§ 15-712(i), added by D.C. Law 25-302). Confirm current fees with the Probate Division.

Required Documents

  • Certified Death Certificate

    From the DC Health Vital Records Division, $18 per certified copy.

  • Original Will

    A will is ineffective to transfer property or nominate a personal representative unless admitted to probate (§ 20-302(a)).

  • Petition for Probate

    Must state the decedent's domicile and date of death, the petitioner's details, the character, location and estimated value of the property, estimated debts and funeral expenses, and the names and addresses of all interested persons (§ 20-304(a)).

  • Inventory

    Within 3 months after appointment (§§ 20-711, 20-713.01).

  • Certification of published notice and mailed notices

    Certify the published notice to the Register, and certify the mailed notices within 90 days after appointment (§ 20-704(a), (b-2)).

  • Verified petition for administration of a small estate

    For property subject to administration in D.C. of $80,000 or less (§§ 20-351, 20-352).

E-Filing & Filing Methods

Filing Methods: Petition filed with the Probate Division of the Superior Court (D.C. Code §§ 20 311, 20-321)

Timelines & Proceedings

Deadlines & Creditor Claims

Key Deadlines

Will Deposit
90 days
Creditor Claims
6 months

Creditor Claims

Period Starts
date of first publication of notice of the personal representative's appointment
Statute
D.C. Code § 20-903(a)

Publication Requirements

Notice to Creditors

Duration
Once a week for 2 successive weeks, starting within 20 days after appointment
Statute
D.C. Code § 20-704(a)

Current text of § 20-704(a), as amended by D.C. Law 26-164, a temporary act effective until March 27, 2027, allows a legal periodical OR newspaper; the permanent text names a legal periodical only. The personal representative files a certification of the published notice with the Register. Newspapers the Court accepts are not recorded (court site blocked).

Related Proceedings

Property Recording

Source ↗

Sources for this page (24)

The facts above come from these official sources. Verify current details with the office before filing.