Find your state’s small-estate threshold and the procedure to skip probate.
Most U.S. states let heirs settle a modest estate with a sworn affidavit instead of full probate. We document the threshold, the form, and the court for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
51 jurisdictions documented. Sources last verified 2026-05-04.
- Statute-cited
- No account required
- No email capture
What this site is
Reference, not adviceFree. No account, no email capture, no upsell.
Cited. Each state page links the governing statute.
Reviewed. Pending editorial review by a licensed probate attorney.
Honest. A page on when this path doesn't fit.
Browse by state
Your state's small-estate threshold, at a glance
Search or filter all 50 states and the District of Columbia by threshold band, then open a state for the form, the court, the wait period, and the statute.
- ALMid
Alabama
$37,075
- AKMid
Alaska
$50,000
- AZHigh
Arizona
$200,000
- ARHigh
Arkansas
$100,000
- CAHigh
California
$208,850
- COMid
Colorado
$86,000
- CTMid
Connecticut
$40,000
- DEMid
Delaware
$30,000
- DCMid
District of Columbia
$80,000
- FLMid
Florida
$75,000
- GAStructural
Georgia
Structural test
- HIHigh
Hawaii
$100,000
- IDHigh
Idaho
$100,000
- ILHigh
Illinois
$150,000
- INHigh
Indiana
$100,000
- IAMid
Iowa
$50,000
- KSMid
Kansas
$75,000
- KYMid
Kentucky
$30,000
- LAHigh
Louisiana
$125,000
- MEMid
Maine
$51,100
- MDMid
Maryland
$50,000
- MAMid
Massachusetts
$25,000
- MIMid
Michigan
$51,000
- MNMid
Minnesota
$75,000
- MSMid
Mississippi
$75,000
- MOMid
Missouri
$40,000
- MTHigh
Montana
$100,000
- NEHigh
Nebraska
$100,000
- NVMid
Nevada
$25,000
- NHStructural
New Hampshire
Structural test
- NJLow
New Jersey
$20,000
- NMMid
New Mexico
$50,000
- NYMid
New York
$50,000
- NCLow
North Carolina
$20,000
- NDHigh
North Dakota
$100,000
- OHMid
Ohio
$35,000
- OKMid
Oklahoma
$50,000
- ORMid
Oregon
$75,000
- PAMid
Pennsylvania
$50,000
- RILow
Rhode Island
$15,000
- SCMid
South Carolina
$25,000
- SDHigh
South Dakota
$100,000
- TNMid
Tennessee
$50,000
- TXMid
Texas
$75,000
- UTHigh
Utah
$100,000
- VTMid
Vermont
$45,000
- VAMid
Virginia
$75,000
- WAHigh
Washington
$100,000
- WVMid
West Virginia
$50,000
- WIMid
Wisconsin
$50,000
- WYHigh
Wyoming
$400,000
Color is by threshold tightness — not by “good” or “bad.” A low threshold simply means a different procedure.
Before you file
Four things that decide whether the affidavit fits
What enters the probate estate, what does not, who is allowed to file, and when a different procedure is the right one.
Jointly held vs solely owned
Property held with rights of survivorship usually passes outside probate — and outside the threshold count.
Beneficiary-designated assets
TOD/POD accounts, retirement, and life insurance bypass probate entirely and never touch the cap.
Intestate succession
Who inherits if there is no will — your state's default ordering, and who is allowed to file.
When full probate is unavoidable
The honest page about what this site can't resolve for you — and what to do instead.
How it works
From estate total to filed affidavit
A small-estate affidavit follows the same four steps in every state. The figures and forms differ; the shape does not.
Find your state
Open your state page for its small-estate threshold, the wait period, how real property is treated, and the governing statute.
Total the probate estate
Count only assets that pass through probate. Jointly held, beneficiary-designated, and trust assets are excluded.
Confirm the path fits
If the qualifying total is at or under the cap and any waiting period has passed, the affidavit path is likely available.
File the form
Use the named affidavit or petition with the court of filing. Each state page links the official form where one is published.
Common questions
What people ask before they file
General answers to the questions that come up most. The state-specific figure always lives, cited, on the state page.
Start with your state
See your state's threshold and procedure
Open the threshold finder, or jump straight to the side-by-side comparison of all 51 jurisdictions.
SmallEstateMap is a reference, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice.
- 50 states + DC documented
- Governing statute on every page
- No account, no email capture
- Verified against primary sources
- A page on when probate is unavoidable