Small estate limits by state, with the statute

When someone dies with a modest estate, most states let the family collect the property without a full probate case, up to a dollar limit set in state law. Those limits change, and the date of death decides which one applies. We record each state's limit, waiting period and official forms, with the statute and the date we checked.

What we record

• The dollar limit for each state's small estate procedure, and which dates of death it applies to.
• What is left out of the limit when the statute says so, such as a homestead or vehicles.
• The waiting period after the death before the procedure can be used.
• Whether real estate can pass this way, and the separate procedure when it cannot.
• The official court forms, and the statute section behind every figure.

How we work

We read each state's statutes on the legislature's official site, or the state court's self-help pages and forms when the statute site cannot be read. Every figure carries the section number and the date we checked it. When a figure is adjusted for inflation, we say who publishes it and when it next changes.

Every page carries the date it was last checked, so you can judge how current it is. Read more about our approach on the about page.