Creditor Claim Periods in Probate by State
The creditor claim period is the fixed wait that sets the minimum length of most probates. On this site it runs from 122 days at the median, counted from different events in different states.
Every period
| State | Period | Counted from | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 4 months | first publication of the notice to creditors | AS 13.16.450 |
| Arizona | 4 months | first publication of the notice to creditors | A.R.S. § 14-3801(A) |
| Arkansas | 6 months | first publication of notice to creditors | Ark. Code Ann. § 28-50-101(a)(1) |
| California | 4 months | the date letters are first issued to a general personal representative | Cal. Prob. Code § 9100(a) |
| Colorado | 4 months | first publication of the notice (the date in the notice may not be earlier) | C.R.S. § 15-12-801(1) |
| Delaware | 8 months | the decedent's death | 12 Del. C. § 2102(a) |
| District of Columbia | 6 months | first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative | D.C. Code § 20-903(a) |
| Florida | 3 months | first publication of the notice to creditors | Fla. Stat. § 733.702(1) |
| Georgia | 3 months | publication of the personal representative's last notice | O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41 |
| Idaho | 4 months | first publication of the notice | Idaho Code § 15-3-801(a) |
| Illinois | 6 months | first publication of the notice to creditors | 755 ILCS 5/18-3(a) |
| Indiana | 3 months | first published notice to creditors | Ind. Code § 29-1-14-1 |
| Iowa | 4 months | the second publication of the notice to creditors | Iowa Code § 633.410(1) |
| Kansas | 4 months | first publication of notice | K.S.A. 59-2239 |
| Maine | 4 months | first publication of the notice | 18-C M.R.S. § 3-801(1) |
| Maryland | 6 months | the decedent's death | Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a) |
| Massachusetts | 12 months | the decedent's death | M.G.L. c. 190B, § 3-803(a) |
| Michigan | 4 months | publication of notice to creditors | MCL 700.3803(1) |
| Minnesota | 4 months | the court administrator's notice | Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801 |
| Mississippi | 90 days | first publication of notice to creditors | Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151 |
| Missouri | 6 months | first published notice of letters | RSMo § 473.360.1 |
| Montana | 4 months | first publication of the notice | Mont. Code Ann. § 72-3-801(1) |
| Nebraska | 2 months | first publication of notice to creditors | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 30-2485(a)(1) |
| Nevada | 90 days | first publication of the notice to creditors | NRS 147.040(1) |
| New Hampshire | 6 months | the original grant of administration | RSA 556:3 |
| New Jersey | 9 months | the decedent's death | N.J.S.A. 3B:22-4 |
| New Mexico | 4 months | first publication of the notice | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 45-3-801(A) |
| New York | 7 months | the issue of letters | N.Y. Surr. Ct. Proc. Act § 1802 |
| North Carolina | 3 months | first publication or posting of the notice | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-14-1(a) |
| North Dakota | 3 months | first publication or mailing of the notice | N.D. Cent. Code § 30.1-19-01 |
| Ohio | 6 months | the decedent's death | Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B) |
| Oregon | 4 months | publication of notice to interested persons | ORS 115.005(2)(a) |
| Pennsylvania | 12 months | the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters | 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a) |
| Rhode Island | 6 months | first publication | R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-11-5(a) |
| South Carolina | 8 months | first publication of the notice to creditors | S.C. Code § 62-3-801(a) |
| South Dakota | 4 months | first publication of the notice | SDCL 29A-3-801(a) |
| Tennessee | 12 months | the decedent's death (outer limit; the published notice sets the shorter period) | Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d) |
| Texas | No fixed bar | no fixed bar for unsecured claims: a claim may be presented any time before the estate is closed | Tex. Est. Code § 355.001 |
| Washington | 4 months | first publication of notice | RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i) |
Clocks that start at death
- Delaware: 8 months (12 Del. C. § 2102(a)).
- Maryland: 6 months (Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a)).
- Massachusetts: 12 months (M.G.L. c. 190B, § 3-803(a)).
- New Jersey: 9 months (N.J.S.A. 3B:22-4).
- Ohio: 6 months (Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B)).
- Tennessee: 12 months (Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d)).
In these states the date is fixed the day the person dies. Everywhere else the period starts with a court event, so a slow start means a later finish.
Outer limits
- Arizona: 24 months after death (A.R.S. § 14-3803(A)(1)).
- Colorado: 12 months after death (C.R.S. § 15-12-801(1)).
- Florida: 24 months after death (Fla. Stat. § 733.710(1)).
- Idaho: 36 months after death (Idaho Code § 15-3-803(a)).
- Illinois: 24 months after death (755 ILCS 5/18-12(b)).
- Indiana: 9 months after death (Ind. Code § 29-1-14-1).
- Maine: 9 months after death (18-C M.R.S. § 3-803(1)(A)).
- Michigan: 36 months after death (MCL 700.3803(1)).
- Minnesota: 12 months after death (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-803(a)(3)).
- North Dakota: 36 months after death (N.D. Cent. Code § 30.1-19-03(1)(b)).
- South Carolina: 12 months after death (S.C. Code § 62-3-803(a)(1)).
- Washington: 24 months after death (RCW 11.40.051(1)(c)).
Worked example
For a death on January 15, 2026 with letters issued 45 days later, New York's 7 months period (N.Y. Surr. Ct. Proc. Act § 1802) and Florida's 3 months period from first publication (Fla. Stat. § 733.702(1)) end months apart; each state's timeline page shows the exact dates. Florida also bars claims 2 years after the death of a person (Fla. Stat. § 733.710(1)).
Sources
Each period links to its statute on the state pages, checked 2026-10-20. See the methodology and the small estate limits.
Questions
How long do creditors have to make a claim against an estate?
It depends on the state and on what starts the clock: publication of notice, the issue of letters or the death itself. The table on this page gives each period with its statute.
What happens to a claim filed late?
In most states a claim presented after the period is barred, with exceptions for creditors who should have received mailed notice and did not.