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Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Ohio
The longest fixed wait in a Ohio probate is usually the creditor claim period: 6 months from the decedent's death under Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 6 months
- 2Counted from Date of death
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B)
The statute
“all claims shall be presented within six months after the death of the decedent”
Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B). 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, Ohio Rev. Code § 2117.06(B)) | July 15, 2026 |
Because Ohio 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 Ohio 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.
- 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 Ohio (Ohio Rev. Code § 2101.16).
Nearby East North Central timelines
Illinois: 6 months; Indiana: 3 months; Michigan: 4 months.
Related: Ohio 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 Ohio probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.