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Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Maryland
The longest fixed wait in a Maryland probate is usually the creditor claim period: 6 months from the decedent's death under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a), or 2 months after the personal representative mails or delivers notice to the creditor, whichever is earlier. An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 6 months
- 2Counted from Date of death
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a)
The statute
“6 months after the date of the decedent's death”
Source: Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a). Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (6 months, Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103(a)) | July 15, 2026 |
Because Maryland counts the claim period from the death itself, the date is fixed the day the person dies: July 15, 2026 in this example, whatever happens in court.
7 jurisdictions on this site give creditors longer and 23 give them less; the median is 122 days.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. The claim clock in Maryland is already running from the death, so a late petition shortens the time left to deal with claims rather than extending it.
- Notice. Published notice and notice mailed to known creditors start or shorten the claim period; a creditor who should have been mailed notice may get extra time — here, or 2 months after the personal representative mails or delivers notice to the creditor, whichever is earlier.
- Real estate. Selling or transferring a house adds deeds, appraisals and sometimes a court order to the timeline.
- Accounting and closing. The final account, receipts from heirs and any tax filings come after the claim period ends.
Opening the estate costs money too: see probate court fees in Maryland (Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2)).
Nearby South Atlantic timelines
Delaware: 8 months from death; District of Columbia: 6 months; Florida: 3 months; Georgia: 3 months; North Carolina: 3 months; South Carolina: 8 months.
Related: Maryland small estate limit · creditor claim periods compared · executor timeline.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Dates are worked examples of the statutory periods, not deadlines for any real estate. The Maryland probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.