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Kansas

Small-estate-affidavit threshold and procedure under § K.S.A. § 59-1507b.

Verified 2026-05-04
Personal property
$75,000
statutory cap
No mandatory wait

Raised from $40K eff Jul 1 2023 (HB 2130). Affidavit presented to property holder, not court-filed.

01

Who is eligible to file

  • Surviving spouse or registered domestic partner
  • Adult children, equally if more than one
  • Parents of the decedent, if no spouse or descendants
  • The named executor under the will, if one exists
  • An heir at law under Kansas's intestate-succession statute, in the absence of the above
02

What counts toward the threshold

The threshold counts only assets that pass through probate. The following do not count against the cap:

Joint tenancy property
Passes by right of survivorship.
Community property w/ ROS
Vests in surviving spouse.
Beneficiary-designated
Life insurance, IRAs, 401(k)s.
TOD / POD accounts
Bank, brokerage, vehicle titles.
Living trust assets
Distributed by the trust, not the will.
Wages owed to surviving spouse
Often a separate path.

State note: Raised from $40K eff Jul 1 2023 (HB 2130). Affidavit presented to property holder, not court-filed.

Real property
Excluded — personal property only

The small-estate-affidavit pathway in this state excludes real property. Real-property transfers require a different procedure (often regular probate).

03

Where to file

File with the District Court in the county where the decedent resided at death.

We do not maintain a county-by-county directory. The Kansas judicial system operates an authoritative court locator.

Find your county’s District Court via the Kansas judicial council website. Search for “Kansas District Court county locator” or visit the state government court directory.

Note: in Kansas, the small-estate affidavit is generally presented to the property holder (bank, brokerage, registrar) rather than filed with the court. The court named above is the venue for related probate matters and any contested questions.

04

Form & statute

Form
Statute
§ K.S.A. § 59-1507b
https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch59/059_015_0007b.html
small-estate affidavit