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Washington, DC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Washington, DC information |
|---|---|
| Probate forum | The Probate Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The filing office is the Office of the Register of Wills, an office inside the Probate Division (D.C. Code § 11-2101). |
| Courthouse address | Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. Room 314 is on the third floor and is both the filing counter and the Probate Division file room. |
| Mailing address | For a records search: Attention: Probate Clerk's Office, Office of the Register of Wills, Probate Division, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. For a file held in storage: Attention: Probate Systems Office, Probate Division, 515 5th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. |
| Phone | (202) 879-9460, the Probate Division line. |
| Contact routes | The Probate Division does not publish a general public email address. The published routes are the phone line, the Live Chat on dccourts.gov, the DC Courts contact form, whose Division or Office selector includes a Superior Court option covering Probate, and mail to Court Building A, Room 314. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. The Probate Division publishes no lunch closure and no filing cutoff earlier than 5:00 p.m. The Courts publish a live operating-status banner on every page. |
| Filing fee | Court costs are assessed on the value of the estate excluding real property under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a), effective August 22, 2022, under the delegation in D.C. Code § 15-707: no charge at $500.00 or less, $15.00 over $500 to $2,500, $50.00 over $2,500 to $15,000, $100.00 over $15,000 to $25,000, $150.00 over $25,000 to $50,000, $250.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, $350.00 over $75,000 to $100,000, $575.00 over $100,000 to $500,000, and rising in published brackets from there. A further $25.00 is assessed once for all real property in the District. The cost is due when the petition for probate (D.C. Code § 20-304) is filed, under Rule 108(a)(5)(A), payable to Register of Wills by check, money order or cash. Publication is a separate cost paid in advance to the newspaper at its own rates, and an e-filing vendor may charge its own fee on top. |
| Local forms | One court-wide set, published free by the Probate Division. Large estate forms come in two parallel sets split by the decedent's date of death, so check the date range printed in the form's own heading. Form 26 and Form 27 are the only numbered probate forms and both must be filed in paper. |
| E-filing | eFileDC, since October 31, 2022. Parties represented by counsel must eFile; a self-represented filer may but is not required to. The initial pleading that opens a new Probate Division case may not be eFiled and must be filed in paper with the clerk, along with wills and codicils, bonds, Form 26, Form 27, fee waivers and Estate Deposit Account payments. |
| Case search | Free public search in the Superior Court's Portal at portal-dc.tylertech.cloud/Portal, which the Court's own case-search page lists as covering the Probate Division. Search by case number or party name; most case information is viewable without registering. The Portal shows docket information for most cases and document images in some. The Division will also run a formal records search for $10.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(d), effective August 22, 2022, and case jackets and wills for open cases, and for cases closed within the last ten years, can be read in the Room 314 file room in Court Building A during business hours. |
| Remote appearance | Hearings can be in person, remote, hybrid or virtual off-site, and the hearing notice says which. Remote hearings run on WebEx. In the Probate Division, changing how you attend requires a motion filed at least 10 calendar days before the hearing, in either direction. A court remote-hearing site with staff support can be reserved at least 2 business days ahead on (202) 879-1900 or at [email protected]. Recording, photographing or rebroadcasting a remote hearing is not allowed. |
| Self-help | Probate Self-Help Center, Court Building A, Room 318, (202) 508-1681. Probate Legal Assistance Network clinic, Court Building A, Room 319, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Court Navigator Program, Court Building B, 510 Fourth Street NW, Room 115, 202-508-1672. |
| Hearings | Mostly the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, with some in Court Building A or Court Building B, where the courtroom number carries the building letter. |
| Website | dccourts.gov/superior-court/superior-court-divisions/probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a packet, know the assets and debts. In the District, the asset list is not just preparation: a small-estate petitioner must bring a written list of everything the decedent owned or co-owned, current statements for accounts and investments, values for real estate, uncashed checks payable to the decedent, and a letter from the District of Columbia Unclaimed Property Unit at 202-442-8181. If the packet is incomplete, the Probate Division returns it with a list of what is missing.
The route also turns on a number a family usually cannot compute on day one. Property subject to administration in the District worth $80,000 or less for a decedent who died on or after March 21, 2025 is a small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351); the earlier ceiling of $40,000 still governs a death before March 21, 2025, and $40,000 is separately the ceiling for the District's transfer by affidavit route for small assets (D.C. Code §§ 20-360, 20-361). Sunset's asset discovery searches 2,300 institutions so estate settlement starts with the right account picture before you go to Court Building A, Room 314.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One courthouse serves the entire District of Columbia. Every probate case for a District decedent, from every ward and neighborhood, is opened at the Probate Clerk's Office of the Office of the Register of Wills at Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. There are no counties, no branch counters and no alternative venue inside the District.
Venue turns on domicile and case type. A decedent domiciled in the District takes a large estate case or a small estate case (D.C. Code § 20-351) in the Probate Division. A decedent domiciled elsewhere who owned District property takes a foreign estate proceeding (D.C. Code § 20-341), in which no personal representative is appointed in the District and no letters of administration are issued under D.C. Code § 20-503. A will filed after death without an estate case receives a WIL case number.
Many District estates involve family members in Maryland or Virginia. The same counter serves out-of-town filers, but the opening petition is still a paper filing. The filing counter is Court Building A; hearings are mostly in the Moultrie Courthouse at 500 Indiana Avenue NW, with some in Court Building A or Court Building B.
The jurisdiction process
- Work out what the decedent owned and owed, and where they were domiciled at death. Domicile in the District means a District estate; domicile elsewhere with District property means a foreign estate proceeding (D.C. Code § 20-341). The value of the property subject to administration in the District decides whether the case is a small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351) or a large estate.
- Get the forms. The Probate Division publishes them free through the Courts' form search and through the per-case-type form tabs on its own pages. The Division also points filers to Probate Forms Help Online at probono.net/dccourts/probate, which prepares and prints a Petition for Probate or a Petition for the Administration of a Small Estate from a guided interview but does not file anything. For a large estate, check the date range printed in the form's own heading.
- Assemble the packet. A small estate needs the Petition for Administration of Small Estate, the will if any with a Certificate of Filing Will, photo identification of the petitioner with signature, the death certificate, funeral bill(s) and receipts for funeral or cremation, a written asset list including the Unclaimed Property Unit letter at 202-442-8181, names and addresses of heirs and legatees, court costs under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022, and publication costs if publication is required. A large estate needs a petition for probate (D.C. Code § 20-304), the death certificate, the original will if there is one, the Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs (D.C. Code § 20-704), Bond or Waivers of Bond or Some Combination (D.C. Code § 20-502), and Personal Identification Information, Form 26, which must be filed in paper.
- If you want the packet checked before you file, book a Legal and Small Estates appointment to review a new petition with the Legal Branch or the Small Estates Branch, through the Probate Division's Additional Probate Resources page. The Division also lets you reserve a public computer for court-related work.
- File on paper at the Probate Clerk's Office of the Office of the Register of Wills, Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The initial pleading that opens a new Probate Division case may not be eFiled.
- Pay the court cost at the counter with the petition. Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a)(5)(A), effective August 22, 2022, collects it when the petition for probate is filed, which is why the opening petition cannot go through an e-filing envelope: the amount varies with the value of the estate. Pay by check or money order payable to Register of Wills, or cash. If you cannot afford it, present an Application to Proceed without Prepayment of Costs, Fees, or Security, In Forma Pauperis, to the Legal Branch on the third floor of Court Building A; if it is acceptable for filing you are referred to the office of Judge-In-Chambers on the 4th Floor of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, for a decision on the merits (D.C. Code § 15-712).
- The Legal Branch reviews the filing. In a small estate, a small estate specialist reviews the petition and the documents at the counter and returns the packet with a list of the missing information if it is incomplete. In a large estate, the petition and its attachments, including a draft order, are transmitted to a judge.
- A judge signs the order. In a large estate the order admits the will to probate if there is one, appoints the personal representative, states the administration type under D.C. Code § 20-401, approves or waives bond and orders the allowances the law provides; a copy is mailed to the personal representative and any attorney with letters of administration (D.C. Code § 20-503) and a Schedule of Mandatory Filings. Twelve copies of the letters come with the appointment at no charge and extra copies are $1.00 each under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(d), effective August 22, 2022. In a small estate the order may be preliminary, directing publication or a Verification of Assets, or final, naming who receives what.
- Notice runs. The Probate Division sends the Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs to the publication or publications the personal representative selects, and the filer prepays the newspaper at its own rates. In a small estate the notice is published once and gives creditors and unknown heirs 30 days to file a claim or object (D.C. Code § 20-353). In a large estate the claim window is 6 months from the first publication (D.C. Code § 20-903), and the personal representative also mails notice to interested persons and known creditors.
- Administer and close. Once the case is open, later filings can go through eFileDC, which is mandatory for parties represented by counsel and optional for a self-represented filer, but wills and codicils, bonds, Form 26, Form 27, fee waivers and Estate Deposit Account payments still have to be filed in paper. A large estate files the verification and certificate of notice with the proofs of publication within 90 days after appointment (D.C. Code § 20-704). A small estate ends on a final order, and the Division's own target is no more than 120 days from filing to that order (D.C. Code § 20-351). If the case becomes contested it is referred to mediation at the Initial Scheduling Conference and attendance is required; if a hearing is set, the notice says whether it is in person, remote, hybrid or virtual off-site, and a motion filed at least 10 calendar days before the hearing is how you ask to change that.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Washington, DC
The Probate Division maintains one court-wide probate form set for Washington, DC. There is no separate local form layer because the District has one court, one Office of the Register of Wills and one form set. Start with the Courts' form search, the per-case-type form tabs on the Probate Division pages, or Probate Forms Help Online at probono.net/dccourts/probate.
The most important form warning is the date-of-death split. Large estate forms come in parallel sets for deaths from July 1, 1995 to present and for deaths from January 1, 1981 through June 30, 1995. If the death was before January 1, 1981, the Division says there are no pre-printed forms. Check the date range printed in the form's own heading before you print or sign anything.
The Court's large estate form set is split into two case-initiation blocks, Abbreviated Probate (D.C. Code § 20-311) and Standard Probate; the Code renamed standard probate to formal probate on March 21, 2025 (D.C. Code § 20-321), so Standard Probate and Formal Probate name the same route and a filer will meet both words. The current large estate packet can include a Petition for Probate (D.C. Code § 20-304), an order, the Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs (D.C. Code § 20-704), Bond or Waivers of Bond or Some Combination (D.C. Code § 20-502), the will if any with a Certificate of Filing Will, and Personal Identification Information, Form 26, filed in paper.
The small estate packet (D.C. Code § 20-351) includes the Petition for Administration of Small Estate, Verification of Assets, Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs (D.C. Code § 20-704), and Certificate of Filing Will. The foreign estate proceeding packet (D.C. Code § 20-341) includes a Petition for Probate of Foreign Estate, Appointment of Agent to Accept Service of Process, and Notice of Appointment of Foreign Personal Representative and Notice to Creditors.
The District numbers only two probate forms: Form 26, Personal Identification Information, and Form 27, Financial Account Information. Everything else is named, not numbered. Form 26 and Form 27 must be filed in paper and may not be eFiled. Probate Forms Help Online prepares forms from guided interviews, including the petition and the Verification and Certificate of Notice, or VCNO, due within 90 days after appointment (D.C. Code § 20-704); it does not file them.
The Division also publishes After Death, A Guide to Probate in the District of Columbia, but that guide is dated January 2010 and predates eFileDC, the current Probate Division rules and the 2025 statutory changes. Use the live forms and current court pages for filing.
Fees
Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, the Court's court cost and filing fee rule, effective August 22, 2022, is the operative fee schedule. D.C. Code § 15-707 lets the Register of Wills demand and receive in advance the fees the Court sets, and it caps the bottom two brackets. Rule 108 supplies the full schedule.
| Value of estate, excluding real property | Court cost |
|---|---|
| $500.00 or less | No charge under D.C. Code § 15-707 and Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $500 to $2,500 | $15.00 under D.C. Code § 15-707 and Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $2,500 to $15,000 | $50.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $15,000 to $25,000 | $100.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $25,000 to $50,000 | $150.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $50,000 to $75,000 | $250.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $75,000 to $100,000 | $350.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $100,000 to $500,000 | $575.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $500,000 to $750,000 | $825.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $750,000 to $1,000,000 | $1,275.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $1,000,000 to $2,500,000 | $1,800.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $2,500,000 to $5,000,000 | $2,300.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $5,000,000 to $50,000,000 | $2,300.00 plus 0.02% of the amount over $5,000,000 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
| Over $50,000,000 | $11,300.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022 |
Rule 108(a)(2), effective August 22, 2022, adds $25.00 once for all real property in the District of Columbia. That charge is in addition to the value schedule, which excludes real property from the valuation. Court costs under Rule 108 are assessed and collected when the petition for probate (D.C. Code § 20-304) is filed, and the Probate Division accepts a check or money order payable to Register of Wills, or cash.
There is one schedule for all decedents' estates. A small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351) simply falls into the lower brackets because it is smaller. Publication is separate from court costs: the filer pays the newspaper directly, in advance, at the newspaper's own rates. A foreign estate proceeding (D.C. Code § 20-341) pays $45.00 to open a new court file under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(b), effective August 22, 2022, and the Division's Foreign Estates page separately prices a preliminary certificate at $10.00.
Twelve copies of the letters of administration come with the appointment at no charge, and extra copies are $1.00 each under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(d), effective August 22, 2022 (D.C. Code § 20-503). A records search is $10.00 under Rule 108(d), effective August 22, 2022. Copies are $.50 per page, a copy requiring the court seal is $5.00, certification is $10.00 and a triple seal is $45.00, all under Rule 108(d), effective August 22, 2022.
A fee waiver is available under D.C. Code § 15-712. Present the Application to Proceed without Prepayment of Costs, Fees, or Security, In Forma Pauperis, and the filing to the Legal Branch of the Office of the Register of Wills at Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, 3rd Floor. If the papers are acceptable for filing, you are referred to the office of Judge-In-Chambers on the 4th Floor of the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Fee waiver papers are on the list of documents that must be filed in paper.
Timeline
- Before filing, collect the asset documents the counter requires. For a small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351), that includes current statements, real estate values, uncashed checks and the District of Columbia Unclaimed Property Unit letter at 202-442-8181.
- File the opening packet in paper at Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314. eFileDC has carried Probate Division filings since October 31, 2022, but the initial pleading that opens the case must be filed in paper.
- For a small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351), the Division's own target is no more than 120 days from filing the Petition for Administration of Small Estate to the final order.
- If small estate publication is required, the notice is published once and gives creditors and unknown heirs 30 days to file a claim or object (D.C. Code § 20-353). The Small Estates page last updated February 6, 2026 says publication is needed if assets exceed $1,500.00, unless the heir is a spouse or minor child, or the heir is an adult child and the estate assets are under $11,500.00.
- For a large estate, the verification and certificate of notice, with proofs of publication, is filed within 90 days after appointment (D.C. Code § 20-704).
- For a large estate, claims are barred unless presented within 6 months after the first publication of the notice of appointment (D.C. Code § 20-903).
- The Probate Division asks that a will be filed within 90 days after the death, with a Certificate of Filing Will. Wills and codicils must be filed in paper at Court Building A, Room 314.
- If a probate hearing is set, the hearing notice says whether it is in person, remote, hybrid or virtual off-site. Remote hearings run on WebEx, and a motion to change how you attend must be filed at least 10 calendar days before the hearing.
- A court remote-hearing site can be reserved at least 2 business days before the remote hearing by calling (202) 879-1900 or emailing [email protected].
- Case jackets and wills for older closed cases are retrieved from storage, and the Probate Division generally holds the document for a minimum of two weeks before returning it to storage.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| October 31, 2022 | Probate Division cases moved to DC Superior Court eFileDC. Parties represented by counsel must eFile; parties without attorneys may eFile but are not required to. The filing that opens the estate still must be filed in paper. |
| August 22, 2022 | The current Superior Court Rules of the Probate Division took effect. Court costs and filing fees are now in Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, and the Court publishes the earlier rule set separately for cases begun before that date. |
| October 25, 2013 | Paper documents filed in the Probate Division are returned to the filer after the filing is docketed and imaged, except wills, codicils, bonds and sealed documents, which the Office of the Register of Wills keeps in the case file. The filer must keep the original and be able to produce it on demand. |
| March 2026 | The Probate Legal Assistance Network flyer in circulation at the courthouse sets the clinic at Court Building A, third floor, Room 319, by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the appointment book outside Room 319 and walk-ins accommodated where possible. |
| September 2026 | The Probate Division's landing page describes a small estate as assets valued at $80,000 or less, while the Division's Estates page and Small Estates page still print the superseded $40,000 figure. D.C. Code § 20-351 sets $80,000 for a decedent who died on or after March 21, 2025, and the earlier $40,000 ceiling governs a death before that date. Note that $40,000 is separately the ceiling for the District's transfer by affidavit route at D.C. Code § 20-361. |
Page last reviewed: September 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | A home held jointly with right of survivorship passes to the survivor outside the estate, so what decides the route is what the decedent owned in their own name. A surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner is high in the District's appointment order, so the petition is usually theirs to file. If the property subject to administration in the District is $80,000 or less for a death on or after March 21, 2025, the route is the small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351) and the packet goes to Court Building A, Room 314 with the required items, including the Unclaimed Property Unit letter at 202-442-8181. If District property stood in the decedent's sole name, it is a large estate: the court cost is computed on the value of the estate excluding real property, plus $25.00 once for all real property in the District, under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022, and it is due with the petition. | Sunset finds accounts and policies in the decedent's sole name, separates survivorship assets from probate assets, and helps assemble the written asset list and account statements the counter requires. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the parent was domiciled in the District, the case is filed in Washington, DC even though the family is not. The opening petition cannot be eFiled, so the packet is delivered or mailed to the Probate Clerk's Office at Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314. The small estate specialist reviews it and returns it with a list of what is missing if the asset documentation is incomplete. Under the Division's 2026 small-estate instructions, publication is needed if the estate's assets exceed $1,500.00, unless the heir is the decedent's spouse or a minor child, or the heir is the decedent's adult child and the estate's assets are under $11,500.00. The notice runs once and gives 30 days to file a claim or object (D.C. Code § 20-353), and the Division's own target is no more than 120 days from filing to final order (D.C. Code § 20-351). If the parent was domiciled elsewhere and owned District property, this is instead a foreign estate proceeding (D.C. Code § 20-341), where no personal representative is appointed in the District and no letters of administration are issued under D.C. Code § 20-503. | Sunset assembles account statements, uncashed checks and the unclaimed property picture from a distance, so a family that cannot walk into Court Building A, Room 314 twice can focus on getting the estate settlement packet accepted the first time. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | District real property means a large estate. The court cost under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a), effective August 22, 2022, is assessed on the value of the estate excluding real property, with a further $25.00 assessed once for all real property in the District, and it is collected when the petition for probate is filed (D.C. Code § 20-304). If the sale of the house or the collection of further assets pushes the estate into a higher cost bracket, the higher cost becomes due with credit for what was already paid. Priority to serve matters under D.C. Code § 20-303. Twelve copies of the letters of administration (D.C. Code § 20-503) come free under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(d), effective August 22, 2022, and a title company, a lender and each bank may want one. If a relative objects, the case is referred to mediation at the Initial Scheduling Conference and attendance is required; hearings are mostly in the Moultrie Courthouse at 500 Indiana Avenue NW. | Sunset documents accounts and debts before the petition is filed, so the court cost is calculated on the right bracket, sale proceeds are anticipated, and estate settlement paperwork keeps pace with a sale that will not wait. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Probate Self-Help Center | Assistance with wills, small and large estates, guardian of minor's estates and adult guardianship. Users can fill out forms online, print them and file them with the Probate Division. The center gives legal information, not legal advice. | Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 318, Washington, DC 20001. (202) 508-1681. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Probate Legal Assistance Network | Brief, same-day probate advice from a volunteer attorney. Probate Legal Assistance Network attorneys are not available for same-day hearing representation, cannot assist with guardianship or conservatorship, and do not ordinarily file documents for you. | Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, third floor, Room 319. By appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; the appointment book is outside Room 319. Court-published phone numbers: Legal Counsel for the Elderly, 202-434-2120 for age 60 and over; DC Affordable Law Firm, 202-844-5430; DC Bar Pro Bono Center, 202-780-2767 and [email protected]. |
| Court Navigator Program | Process and service navigation for Civil Actions, Small Claims, Probate, and Landlord and Tenant matters. Navigators can explain what to expect, help you understand forms and help you log in to a remote hearing site. They are not your lawyer and cannot give legal advice. | Court Building B, 510 Fourth Street NW, Room 115, Washington, DC 20001. 202-508-1672. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Probate Forms Help Online | Guided interviews that prepare a Petition for Probate, a Petition for the Administration of a Small Estate, a Verification and Certificate of Notice, a Statement of Account and the Confidential Information form. It prepares and prints forms; it does not file them. | probono.net/dccourts/probate |
| DC Bar Pro Bono Center probate program | The Bar's future planning and probate help for individuals. | dcbar.org/pro-bono/free-legal-help/help-for-individuals/future-planning-probate-program, 202-780-2767, [email protected]. |
| Superior Court Portal | Free public case search covering the Probate Division, by case number or party name, with most case information viewable without registering. | portal-dc.tylertech.cloud/Portal |
| Petition review appointments and public computers | A booked meeting to review a new petition with the Legal Branch or Small Estates Branch, and free computer time inside the Probate Division for court-related work. | Use the Probate Division's Additional Probate Resources page. Do not rely on an old saved booking link. |
| Remote hearing sites and language access | Court-provided computers, internet and staff support for joining a remote hearing. Remote hearings run on WebEx. Probate Division pages also offer English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese (Traditional), French, Korean and Vietnamese language options, and interpreters can be requested. | Reserve a remote-hearing site at least 2 business days ahead by calling (202) 879-1900 or emailing [email protected]. |
When to hire an attorney
The District says a lawyer is not required, and also says the Court cannot give legal advice. Counsel is most useful when the will has an irregularity, the petitioner may not have priority to serve under D.C. Code § 20-303, the estate includes District real property that must be sold, court costs move into the higher brackets of Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108, effective August 22, 2022, or an objection sends the case to mediation at the Initial Scheduling Conference. If counsel appears, eFileDC becomes mandatory for later filings, although the opening petition and the required paper documents still go to Court Building A. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify accounts, insurance, investments and other assets that can decide whether the District route is a small estate (D.C. Code § 20-351), a large estate or a foreign estate proceeding (D.C. Code § 20-341). That matters in Washington, DC because Room 314 intake expects account statements, a written asset list and, for a small estate, the Unclaimed Property Unit letter at 202-442-8181.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information you need for the petition, notice, asset schedule and supporting documents, then helps turn it into an estate settlement packet you can review before filing at Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314. Probate Forms Help Online may prepare court forms, but it does not file them, and the opening petition must be filed in paper.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate has a dispute, a home sale, a priority issue, or a question that court staff cannot answer, Sunset can connect you with a District of Columbia probate attorney who understands the Probate Division, eFileDC and the Office of the Register of Wills.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to move through estate settlement, organize the information and understand which courthouse steps come next, without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate case in Washington, DC?
Open the case at the Probate Clerk's Office of the Office of the Register of Wills, Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. The Office of the Register of Wills is inside the Probate Division (D.C. Code § 11-2101). One counter serves the whole District. The phone number is (202) 879-9460, and the posted hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Can I file my probate case online in the District of Columbia?
Not the filing that opens the estate. eFileDC has carried Probate Division filings since October 31, 2022 and is mandatory for parties represented by counsel and optional for self-represented filers, but initial pleadings that open a new Probate Division case, wills and codicils, bonds, Form 26, Form 27, fee waivers and Estate Deposit Account payments must be filed in paper with the clerk.
What does it cost to open an estate in Washington, DC?
Court costs are assessed on the value of the estate excluding real property under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a), effective August 22, 2022, from no charge at $500.00 or less through the published brackets, plus $25.00 once for all real property in the District. The cost is due when the petition for probate (D.C. Code § 20-304) is filed, payable to Register of Wills by check, money order or cash. Publication is separate and paid to the newspaper in advance. A fee waiver is available under D.C. Code § 15-712.
How do I look up a District of Columbia probate case?
Use the Superior Court's Portal at portal-dc.tylertech.cloud/Portal, which the Court lists as covering the Probate Division. You can search by case number or party name and view most case information without registering. The Division's own pages still call this route Remote Public Access. If the Portal does not answer your question, the Division runs a formal records search for $10.00 under Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(d), effective August 22, 2022, and the Court Building A, Room 314 file room holds jackets and wills for open cases and for cases closed within the last ten years.
Are there local probate forms for Washington, DC?
The Probate Division publishes one court-wide set free. Large estate forms come in two parallel sets split by the decedent's date of death, so check the date range printed in the form's own heading. The Court's form blocks include Abbreviated Probate (D.C. Code § 20-311) and Standard Probate; the Code renamed standard probate to formal probate on March 21, 2025 (D.C. Code § 20-321), so Standard Probate and Formal Probate name the same route. Form 26 and Form 27 are the only numbered probate forms and both are filed in paper.
Will I have to go to a hearing, and can I attend remotely?
An uncontested opening has no hearing; the petition is reviewed at the counter and a judge signs the order. If a hearing is set, the notice says whether it is in person, remote, hybrid or virtual off-site. Remote hearings run on WebEx, and in the Probate Division you change how you attend by filing a motion at least 10 calendar days before the hearing, in either direction. A remote-hearing site with staff support can be reserved at least 2 business days ahead.
Does the Probate Division have an email address?
The Probate Division does not publish a general public email address. The published routes are the phone line at (202) 879-9460, Live Chat on dccourts.gov, the DC Courts contact form, which offers a Superior Court option covering Probate, and mail to the Probate Clerk's Office at Court Building A, Room 314.
Where do I file the will after someone dies in the District of Columbia?
File the will at the Probate Clerk's Office, Court Building A, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, with a Certificate of Filing Will. The Probate Division charges nothing to file a will, does not accept wills before death, and asks that a will be filed within 90 days after the death.
How long does a small estate take in the District of Columbia?
The Division's own target is no more than 120 days from filing the Petition for Administration of Small Estate to the final order (D.C. Code § 20-351). If publication is required, the notice runs once and gives a 30-day claim and objection window (D.C. Code § 20-353).
Can someone help me fill out the forms in Washington, DC?
Yes. The Probate Self-Help Center is in Court Building A, Room 318, (202) 508-1681. The Probate Legal Assistance Network clinic is in Court Building A, Room 319, by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Court Navigator Program is in Court Building B, Room 115. Probate Forms Help Online prepares and prints forms. None of these services files for you, and court staff cannot give legal advice.
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