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North Kingstown Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | North Kingstown details |
|---|---|
| Court | North Kingstown Probate Court, the probate court for the town of North Kingstown (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). |
| Where to file | Municipal Offices, 100 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852, with the town clerk of North Kingstown, who by statute is the clerk of the probate court (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6). |
| Where hearings are held | Conference Room, also called the Municipal Offices Court/Meeting Room, 100 Fairway Drive. |
| Phone | (401) 268-1552 is listed for probate. The town's own rules also give 401-294-3331 extension 120, so call the switchboard if the direct line does not connect. |
| Fax | (401) 583-4140, as printed in the town's probate rules. |
| No role mailbox is published. Reach the probate clerk by phone. | |
| Clerk hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. These are office hours, not court session times. |
| Court sessions | 8:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in the Conference Room. The town says holiday weeks may change the schedule and suggests checking with the clerk. Local rules must state court session dates and times (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29). |
| Fee | Set by state statute: one percent of the decedent's personal property, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, payable before the petition is filed and computed from the petitioner's own estimate. These statutory figures are unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). North Kingstown adds its own published records and advertising charges: as published September 2026, an opening petition on waiver totals $55.00, made up of a $34.00 filing amount and a $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement, while the same opening petition with full advertising totals $76.00. The one percent fee is recalculated against the inventory and the difference is billed or refunded. |
| Local forms | No separate North Kingstown probate form set is published. Rhode Island probate forms are statewide and free through the Secretary of State (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16). |
| Online filing | Plan on paper filing. North Kingstown's rules require typewritten petitions, fees with petitions, and a physical docket sign-in process. |
| Case lookup | The town site does not publish an online probate case lookup for North Kingstown. Ask the clerk's office for file access. |
| Video or phone appearance | No video or telephone appearance option is published in North Kingstown probate materials. Call the clerk before planning around anything other than the posted courtroom session. |
| Website | https://www.northkingstownri.gov/462/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose forms or call the clerk, list the assets, debts, account titles and real property interests. In North Kingstown, that first estimate matters because Rhode Island's opening probate fee is paid before filing and later adjusted against the inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
Sunset's estate settlement platform can search more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then use what it finds to help organize the North Kingstown filing packet. That asset picture also helps you decide whether a waiver is realistic, whether the voluntary informal route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 fits, and whether a sale of real estate will be needed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The North Kingstown Probate Court is the court for the town of North Kingstown and for no other municipality (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). North Kingstown is in Washington County, which matters in one respect only: an appeal from a decree of this court goes to the Superior Court for that county (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1), and the Superior Court sits in four divisions statewide, with Providence and Bristol counties served together.
North Kingstown is separate from South Kingstown and Narragansett. If the decedent lived in South Kingstown, Narragansett or another Rhode Island city or town, that municipality's own probate court is the place to file.
The jurisdiction process
- Start by identifying what the decedent owned and owed. The estimate on the petition affects the fee paid before filing, and that amount is later revised when the inventory is filed (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21; R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1).
- Get the statewide PC forms from the Rhode Island Secretary of State's current probate forms page, or ask the North Kingstown probate clerk for any court-issued form that is not online. Rhode Island probate forms are prescribed statewide and furnished without charge (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16).
- Type the petition. North Kingstown's local rules require all petitions to be typewritten, and the rules require the fiduciary's address plus the petitioner's name, address and telephone number on a petition for probate of a will or appointment of an administrator.
- File at the Municipal Offices, 100 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852, with the town clerk of North Kingstown, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
- Pay the statutory and local charges when you file. For an opening petition, North Kingstown's schedule published September 2026 lists $55.00 on waiver and $76.00 with full advertising; advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and the statewide fee schedule by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Use waivers carefully. In North Kingstown, a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 reduces the opening petition cost but does not eliminate the separate $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement published under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- Meet the local submission target. Petitions that do not require advertising, and petitions on waiver, should be submitted by noon on the Friday before the court session. If that target cannot be met, contact the clerk about late submission.
- Appear for the 8:30 a.m. third-Wednesday session in the Conference Room. The town's rules say the docket sign-in sheet is available at 8:00 a.m.; routine matters are heard in sign-in order, while contested or time-consuming matters can be moved to the end of the docket or scheduled for a special session without an extra special-session fee (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30).
- After appointment, ask the probate clerk for certificates of appointment. Rhode Island sets the charge at $5.00 for each certificate, a statutory figure unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
- File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time. North Kingstown's schedule says the inventory fee is one percent of the decedent's personal property, minimum $30 and maximum $1,500, minus prior filing fees, using statutory figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1; R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
- Before the North Kingstown Probate Court will allow a final account, the estate tax position has to be paid, extended or determined not to apply. In practice, that means dealing with the Division of Taxation and obtaining its Notice of No Tax Due for the probate court when required (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36).
- Close the estate with the proper account or affidavit of complete administration. North Kingstown's schedule published September 2026 lists affidavit of complete administration at $34.00, a local amount built around the statewide $30 category for that filing (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the North Kingstown Probate Court
Rhode Island probate forms are statewide. A legislative commission prescribes them and the Secretary of State publishes them free to the public, to lawyers and to probate clerks (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16). The forms are numbered in the PC series and are available at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
The North Kingstown Probate Court uses the same statewide forms as every other Rhode Island probate court. The town's probate page points readers toward the Secretary of State forms, but the link printed there goes to an older path, so use the current sos.ri.gov forms page instead (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16).
Common estate settlement forms include PC-1.1 Administration Petition for an intestate estate, which cites R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8; PC-1.5 Petition for Probate of Will; PC-1.9 Petition for Voluntary Informal Executor under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2; PC-1.10 Petition for Voluntary Informal Administrator under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1; PC-3.5 Appointment of Agent for an out-of-state executor under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2; PC-9.1 Waiver or Advertising tied to notice by advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11; PC-9.3 Claim of Appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1; and PC-7.3 Affidavit of Complete Administration, which is a $30 statutory category unchanged since at least 1996 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Fees
Rhode Island sets probate fees by statute and the same statewide schedule applies in all 39 cities and towns. For a petition to probate a will or to grant administration, the fee is one percent of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, with a floor of $30 and a ceiling of $1,500, statutory figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). The fee is due before the petition is filed and is calculated from an estimate you supply on the petition itself, so the amount paid at the counter is provisional: the statute requires the fee to be revised when the estimate is wrong, with a further payment or a refund, and the inventory is due within 90 days after appointment under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
| North Kingstown item | Amount as published September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Probate of will | $34.00 filing, $42.00 advertisement, $76.00 total. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Probate of will on waiver | $34.00 filing, $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement, $55.00 total. A waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 removes the larger hearing-notice advertisement, not the creditor-notice publication required under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Appoint administrator | $34.00 filing, $42.00 advertisement, $76.00 total. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Appoint administrator on waiver | $34.00 filing, $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement, $55.00 total. The waiver is handled under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 and the creditor notice remains tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Inventory | Minimum $30, maximum $1,500, at one percent of personal property, minus prior filing fees. These statutory figures are unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21), and the inventory is due within 90 days unless the court allows more time (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). |
| Certificate of appointment | $5.00 each, a statutory figure unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). |
| Voluntary informal administration or executor petition | $34.00 for the petition as published September 2026, plus $5.00 for each attested copy. Use R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 for a voluntary administrator and R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 for a voluntary executor. |
| Sale of real estate | $21.00 advertisement as published September 2026, tied to notice by advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Affidavit of complete administration | $34.00 as published September 2026, built around the $30 statutory category unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). |
| Certified copies | $3.00 plus $1.50 per page, statutory figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). |
| Will for safekeeping | $10.00 as published September 2026 by North Kingstown. |
North Kingstown's local nuance is that a waiver does not make the opening petition advertisement-free. It reduces the published North Kingstown charge from $76.00 to $55.00 as of September 2026, but the $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement remains because creditor notice is a separate publication under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Timeline
- Before filing, prepare the petition and fee estimate. The statewide one percent fee, with $30 minimum and $1,500 maximum unchanged since at least 1996, is paid before filing on the petitioner's estimate and is later adjusted (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
- For North Kingstown matters that do not require advertising, or that are on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, submit the petition by noon on the Friday before the third-Wednesday session. If advertising is needed, remember that newspaper notice is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- File pleadings, memoranda and other hearing filings at least three working days before the scheduled hearing. That local deadline appears in North Kingstown's local administrative rules, which are required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- Request a continuance at least 24 hours before the scheduled session if possible.
- For a recording request, submit it at least three working days before the hearing. The probate clerk's recording duties are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7.
- For an interpreter for the hearing impaired, make the request at least three working days before the hearing. North Kingstown's local administrative rules say the courtroom is handicapped accessible (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29).
- Attend the 8:30 a.m. third-Wednesday court session in the Conference Room. The docket sign-in sheet is available at 8:00 a.m., routine matters are heard in sign-in order, and contested matters may be moved to the bottom of the docket or set for a special session (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30).
- File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). North Kingstown uses that inventory to apply the one percent statutory fee calculation under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Track creditor claims from the first publication. Claims are presented within six months from first publication or are forever barred, subject to statutory late-claim rules (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-11-5).
- Handle Rhode Island estate tax filings and lien releases on the tax calendar. The estate tax statement and return are tied to nine months from death, and the probate court cannot allow a final account until the tax has been paid, extended or determined not to apply (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-1; R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36).
Local nuance
North Kingstown-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a filing |
|---|---|
| Typewritten petitions | North Kingstown's local rules require all petitions to be typewritten. Build time into estate settlement for completing clean forms before you go to the clerk. |
| Noon-Friday target | Petitions that do not require advertising, and petitions on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, should reach the court by noon on the Friday before the monthly session. Advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Docket sign-in | The sign-in sheet is available at 8:00 a.m. on hearing day. Routine matters are heard in sign-in order, while contested matters may be moved to the end of the docket or assigned to a special session (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30). |
| Waiver does not remove every publication cost | As published September 2026, North Kingstown lists an opening petition on waiver at $55.00, including a $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement, while the same petition with full advertising is $76.00. A waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 reduces the notice cost but does not remove the creditor publication under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Accessibility and interpreter requests | The town's rules say the courtroom is handicapped accessible and that interpreters for the hearing impaired can be provided if requested at least three working days before the hearing. |
| Town form link | The town page points to an older Secretary of State forms path. Use the current Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms page at sos.ri.gov, because statewide forms are furnished under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. |
| Phone and fax details | Use (401) 268-1552 as the listed probate line, with 401-294-3331 extension 120 as an alternate from the town rules. Use fax (401) 583-4140 from the town rules. |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: September 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | North Kingstown path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Confirm how the home is titled before opening probate. If a probate filing is still needed, a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 can reduce North Kingstown's published opening-petition cost from $76.00 to $55.00 as of September 2026, but the $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement remains under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues so the spouse can decide whether a North Kingstown estate settlement filing is needed and whether every interested person can sign a waiver. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the parent died without a will, an out-of-state child cannot serve as voluntary administrator because R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 requires the filer to be a Rhode Island resident. If the child in New York, Florida, California or Texas is named executor in a will, the voluntary executor route may fit, but the original will must be filed and the executor must appoint a resident agent under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 using PC-3.5. North Kingstown lists the voluntary informal petition at $34.00 plus $5.00 for each attested copy as published September 2026. | Sunset helps sort assets and documents before the child decides whether a Rhode Island resident must act, whether a resident agent is needed, and which PC forms to prepare. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | Real property takes the matter outside the voluntary informal route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24. A sale of real estate requires probate authority, North Kingstown lists a $21.00 advertisement charge for that petition as published September 2026, and any petition seeking approval of fiduciary or attorney fees must include an itemized fee schedule under the town's rules. The estate also has to address Rhode Island estate tax lien clearance for real property through the Division of Taxation before closing (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-12; R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). | Sunset helps build the asset list, organize house-sale and tax tasks, generate the probate packet and connect the family with a local probate attorney when court approval is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| North Kingstown Probate Court | Provides the local session schedule and links to the town's probate rules, fee schedule and statewide forms page. | https://www.northkingstownri.gov/462/Probate-Court |
| North Kingstown Probate Court rules | Explains the typewritten-petition rule, noon-Friday submission target, sign-in procedure, continuance timing, three-working-day filing rule, audio request timing, and accessibility and interpreter request procedure. | Linked from the North Kingstown Probate Court page as Court Rules PDF. |
| North Kingstown Probate Court fee schedule | Lists the town's published probate charges, including waiver and advertised opening petitions, creditor-notice publication, certificate copies, inventory charges, sale of real estate, and will safekeeping. | Linked from the North Kingstown Probate Court page as Fees PDF. |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | Publishes the statewide PC forms furnished without charge under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | Handles an appeal from a North Kingstown Probate Court decree in the Washington County division under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. | https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/SuperiorCourt/Pages/default.aspx |
| Rhode Island Division of Taxation estate tax | Provides Rhode Island estate tax forms, the RI-706 return, lien-discharge information for real property and securities, and the Notice of No Tax Due process for probate court purposes (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). | https://tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/estate-tax |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Rhode Island probate attorney when heirs disagree, a house must be sold, a creditor claim is disputed, a bond or surety question arises under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-17, an estate tax return or lien release is needed, or the North Kingstown Probate Court asks for more than routine paperwork. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for accounts, insurance, benefits and other assets so the estate settlement starts with a clearer picture of what exists and what may need North Kingstown probate authority.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to organize the Rhode Island PC forms, North Kingstown filing details, fee notes and next steps for review before you file.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves real property, a contested matter, tax issues, a fiduciary-fee request or a court hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a Rhode Island probate attorney familiar with municipal probate court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, track documents and move from asset discovery to probate filing without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in North Kingstown?
File with the North Kingstown Probate Court at the Municipal Offices, 100 Fairway Drive, North Kingstown, RI 02852. The town clerk of North Kingstown is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6, and the court has jurisdiction for the town of North Kingstown under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9.
When does the North Kingstown Probate Court meet?
The court meets at 8:30 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in the Conference Room, also called the Municipal Offices Court/Meeting Room. North Kingstown says holiday weeks may change the schedule, and local administrative rules must state session dates and times under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29, so call the clerk before relying on a date.
Can I file probate online in North Kingstown?
Plan on paper filing. North Kingstown's rules require typewritten petitions, fees to accompany petitions, and a hearing-day sign-in sheet. Rhode Island statutes also assume written petitions and payment before filing (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1; R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21).
Does North Kingstown have its own probate forms?
No separate North Kingstown probate form set is published. Rhode Island probate forms are statewide, free and furnished through the Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Use the current Secretary of State probate forms page, not the older forms link printed on the town page.
What does probate cost in North Kingstown?
The statewide fee for probate of a will or appointment of an administrator is one percent of personal property, with a $30 minimum and $1,500 maximum, statutory figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). North Kingstown also publishes local charges. As published September 2026, an opening petition on waiver is $55.00 and the same opening petition with full advertising is $76.00, with advertising governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Does a waiver remove the publication cost in North Kingstown?
Not entirely. A waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 reduces the North Kingstown published opening-petition total from $76.00 to $55.00 as of September 2026, but the $55.00 total still includes a $21.00 creditor-notice advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
Is there an online probate case lookup for North Kingstown?
The town site does not publish an online probate case lookup for North Kingstown. Rhode Island's Judiciary portal covers the state Judiciary courts, not municipal probate courts. Probate files are kept by the probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7.
Do I have to travel to North Kingstown for probate?
North Kingstown publishes an in-person monthly session, but many routine filings can be prepared in advance, and waivers under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 can keep a matter uncontested. The town does not publish a video or telephone appearance option for probate, so call the clerk before making travel plans.
How do appeals work from the North Kingstown Probate Court?
An appeal from a North Kingstown decree goes to the Superior Court for Washington County. The first deadline is 20 days after execution of the decree to file the claim of appeal with the probate clerk, and the second is 30 days after entry to file the certified claim and reasons in Superior Court; both deadlines are jurisdictional and the appeal is heard de novo (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1).
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.