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ORS 115.005(2)(a) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Oregon
The longest fixed wait in a Oregon probate is usually the creditor claim period: 4 months from publication of notice to interested persons under ORS 115.005(2)(a). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 4 months
- 2Counted from Notice / letters
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute ORS 115.005(2)(a)
The statute
“Four months after the date of publication of notice to interested persons”
Source: ORS 115.005(2)(a) (read from the Public.Law copy). Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Earliest small estate affidavit filed with the probate court (30 days, ORS 114.510 and 114.515) | February 14, 2026 |
| Trigger: publication of notice to interested persons | March 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (4 months, ORS 115.005(2)(a)) | July 1, 2026 |
Oregon starts the clock at publication of notice to interested persons, so the end date moves with the court. The example assumes that event comes 45 days after the death (March 1, 2026); a later filing pushes July 1, 2026 back day for day. By comparison the small-estate route — when the estate fits — opens on February 14, 2026.
15 jurisdictions on this site give creditors longer and 8 give them less; the median is 122 days.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. Nothing runs until publication of notice to interested persons; the time between the death and the petition is outside the statutory period.
- 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 Oregon (ORS 21.170(1)).
Nearby Pacific timelines
Alaska: 4 months; California: 4 months; Washington: 4 months.
Related: Oregon 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 Oregon probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.