13 official fee schedules
Probate court fees by state
What the court charges to open an estate, read from each state's fee statute or court fee table. Some states charge a flat fee, some scale it to the estate's value, and one charges a percentage of the inventory.
- 1Highest at $100k $591
- 2Lowest at $100k $25
- 3Median at $100k $225
- 4Schedules 13
| State | $50,000 | $250,000 | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $149 | $149 | A.R.S. § 12-284(A) |
| Florida | $395 | $395 | Fla. Stat. § 28.2401(1) |
| Iowa | $100 | $500 | Iowa Code § 633.31 |
| Maryland | $100 | $200 | Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2) |
| Massachusetts | $390 | $390 | Probate and Family Court fee table (mass.gov) |
| Michigan | $150 | $150 | MCL 600.880 |
| Nevada | $72 | $72 | NRS 19.013(1) |
| New York | $280 | $625 | N.Y. Surr. Ct. Proc. Act § 2402 |
| North Carolina | $306 | $1,106 | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307 |
| Ohio | Itemised | Itemised | Ohio Rev. Code § 2101.16 |
| Oregon | $591 | $591 | ORS 21.170(1) |
| Virginia | $20 | $30 | Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3) |
| Washington | $250 | $250 | RCW 36.18.020(2)(f) and (6) |
Four ways to set a fee
A flat fee is the same for every estate (Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington). Value brackets charge more as the estate grows (Maryland, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Virginia). A percentage of the inventory scales smoothly with value (Iowa), and a base fee plus so much per $100 does the same with a floor and a cap (North Carolina). Ohio itemises each court service instead of setting one opening fee.
The kind of schedule matters most at the edges. Under a flat fee a $20,000 estate pays as much to open as a $2 million one, which is one reason small-estate procedures exist. Under brackets, a value just over a boundary can cost noticeably more than one just under it, so the value stated in the petition is worth getting right. Each state page works the fee through six example values and lists the other charges in the same schedule.
States not listed
- Most states: the court fee schedule could not be located or read on the date checked (web search budget exhausted; guessed official URLs failed). Fee pages exist only for states listed here.
- Idaho § 31-3201A sets only a $25 distribution petition fee and leaves other probate fees to Supreme Court rule; Minnesota § 357.021 sets a general civil fee without naming probate; Missouri § 483.580 points to §§ 488.010-488.020. None of the three is used.
Fees cover the court's own charges. Publication of notice, certified copies, bonds and appraisals are separate. See probate court fees compared and the small estate limits, since a small-estate route often costs far less.
General information, not legal advice. Probate Clock does not refer anyone to lawyers.