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Richmond Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Richmond Probate Court |
| Filing office | Town clerk of Richmond, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6 |
| Address | Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Road, Wyoming, RI 02898. Wyoming is the postal village inside Richmond. |
| Mailing | Use the Richmond Town Hall address unless the clerk gives a different mailing instruction. |
| Phone | (401) 539-9000, extension 9 |
| Fax | (401) 539-1089 |
| [email protected] | |
| Clerk hours | Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. |
| Court sessions | Third Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m., in Town Council Chambers at Richmond Town Hall or via Zoom. The town provides notice after receiving the petition. Local administrative rules must state session dates and filing deadlines under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. |
| Filing 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 estimate, with those figures unchanged since at least 1996 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Richmond's published schedule, retrieved September 2026, starts ordinary estate petitions at $34 and adds $30 for each required advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. The one percent charge is recalculated against the inventory filed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. |
| Probate forms | Statewide PC forms are free from the Rhode Island Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Richmond links the statewide forms and publishes local fee, calendar and practices documents. |
| Electronic filing | Plan on a paper filing. Richmond's probate page describes written petitions, payment before filing and a printed docket, and Rhode Island statutes assume paper filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1, 33-24-2 and 33-22-21. |
| Records search | Richmond publishes an online probate records search through SearchIQS at https://www.searchiqs.com/riric/. |
| Website | https://www.richmondri.gov/179/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose forms or ask for a hearing date, make a working list of the assets, debts, account numbers, real estate and likely heirs. In Richmond, the value you put on the opening petition matters because the state filing charge is based on the petitioner's estimate and later revised against the inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1.
Sunset can support estate settlement by helping identify accounts and assets across more than 2,300 institutions before you prepare the Richmond filing packet. That asset picture helps you decide whether you are opening a full estate, using the voluntary informal route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, or filing a real estate petition.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File where the decedent lived. If the decedent's home was in Richmond, the Richmond Probate Court is the court, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over the estate under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9. If the decedent lived in another Rhode Island city or town, that municipality's probate court is the filing court.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The Richmond Probate Court is the court for the town of Richmond and for no other municipality under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9. Richmond 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 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, and the Superior Court sits in four divisions statewide, with Providence and Bristol counties served together.
The town hall address uses Wyoming, RI 02898 because Wyoming is a postal village inside Richmond. Do not treat Wyoming as a separate Rhode Island municipality or as a separate probate court.
The jurisdiction process
- List the decedent's assets, liabilities, heirs and any will before filing. The opening fee is based on the personal property estimate you supply and is later revised under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Download the statewide PC probate forms from the Rhode Island Secretary of State. The Secretary of State provides those forms free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Richmond links to the statewide form set from its probate page.
- File the petition in person or by mail with the town clerk of Richmond at Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Road, Wyoming, RI 02898. The town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
- Pay before the petition is filed. Richmond's schedule, retrieved September 2026, lists a $34 petition charge for ordinary estate filings and a $30 charge for each required advertisement, while the statewide statutory fee remains one percent of personal property with a $30 floor and a $1,500 ceiling under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Richmond's advertisement practice is tied to notice by newspaper under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11.
- Meet Richmond's filing deadlines. Petitions requiring advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 must be submitted at least 30 days before the requested hearing. Petitions filed on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before the hearing.
- Use waivers when every interested party can sign. A waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 can remove the need for an advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and can reduce the local cost and hearing burden.
- Attend the Richmond session as instructed in the notice. The court sits on the third Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m., either in Town Council Chambers at Richmond Town Hall or via Zoom, and Richmond provides the venue notice after receiving the petition. Local session rules are required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- After appointment, ask the probate clerk for certificates of appointment. Rhode Island sets the charge at $5 for each certificate, a current statutory amount under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time. Richmond's fee schedule recalculates the one percent charge against the inventory, and the inventory deadline comes from R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
- Before closing, resolve the Rhode Island estate tax position with the Division of Taxation. The Richmond Probate Court cannot allow a final account unless the estate tax has been paid, extended, or determined not to apply, and the Division's certification controls that point under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Richmond 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 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. The Richmond Probate Court uses the same PC form series as every other Rhode Island probate court.
Richmond's probate page links the statewide form source and also publishes local documents for fees, the court calendar and probate practices. Use the live Secretary of State form catalogue at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and ask the Richmond clerk if a form listed by the court is not available online.
| Need | Common statewide form |
|---|---|
| Open an intestate administration | PC-1.1 Administration Petition, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8 |
| Probate a will | PC-1.5 Petition for Probate of Will |
| Voluntary informal executor route | PC-1.9, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 |
| Voluntary informal administrator route | PC-1.10, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 |
| Out-of-state executor's resident agent | PC-3.5 Appointment of Agent, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 |
| Waive notice or advertisement | PC-9.1 Waiver or Advertising, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and 33-22-5 |
| Appeal a decree | PC-9.3 Claim of Appeal, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1 |
| Close an estate | PC-7.3 Affidavit of Complete Administration, a $30 filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, with the statutory amount unchanged since at least 1996 |
Fees
Richmond publishes its own probate schedule. The schedule retrieved September 2026 lists $34 for a probate-of-will petition, administration petition, will-with-no-assets filing, complete administration filing and many other petitions. That local $34 figure sits on top of the statewide rule that probate fees are set by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21: one percent of personal property, with a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, paid before filing on an estimate and revised when the inventory is filed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. Those statewide dollar amounts have been unchanged since at least 1996.
Richmond's current published advertisement charge is $30 for each required advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. The town's practices document says petitions requiring advertisement are run once a week for three weeks in the Westerly Sun. The statute sets a two-week minimum under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, so treat the three-week placement as Richmond's local practice.
| Filing or item | Richmond amount |
|---|---|
| Probate of will, advertised, hearing and qualification | $94 total, retrieved September 2026: $34 petition plus $30 hearing advertisement plus $30 qualification advertisement, with advertisement governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 |
| Probate of will, on waiver | $64 total, retrieved September 2026: $34 petition plus $30 qualification advertisement, with waiver governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 |
| Administration, advertised, hearing and qualification | $94 total, retrieved September 2026: $34 petition plus $30 hearing advertisement plus $30 qualification advertisement, with advertisement governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 |
| Administration, on waiver | $64 total, retrieved September 2026: $34 petition plus $30 qualification advertisement, with waiver governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 |
| Voluntary informal executor | $39 total, retrieved September 2026, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 and the $5 certificate charge in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 |
| Voluntary informal administrator | $39 total, retrieved September 2026, tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 and the $5 certificate charge in R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 |
| Real estate petition to sell, mortgage or lease, advertised | $64 total, retrieved September 2026: $34 petition plus $30 advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 |
| Inventory fee recomputation | One percent of personal property, minimum $34 and maximum $1,504 on Richmond's September 2026 schedule, with the statewide statutory one percent, $30 floor and $1,500 ceiling governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and the inventory governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1 |
| Additional certificate of appointment | $5 each, a current statutory amount under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 |
| Copies and certification | $1.50 per page and $3.00 to certify, current statutory amounts under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21; Richmond also lists $10 for an exemplified copy of file contents, plus certification and copy costs, retrieved September 2026 |
Timeline
- Richmond holds regular probate sessions on the third Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m. Local administrative rules must state the dates and times the court is in session under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
- For a petition requiring advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, submit the petition at least 30 days before the requested Richmond hearing date. Richmond's practices document says the deadline is the day after the previous regular hearing, subject to change for special sessions under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30.
- For a petition on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15, submit it by 4:00 p.m. on the Wednesday before the hearing.
- The Richmond docket is prepared by the clerk on the Thursday before the hearing, and uncontested matters are heard before contested matters under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-30.
- After appointment, file the inventory within 90 days unless the court allows more time. That deadline comes from R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1, and Richmond uses the inventory to recompute the one percent fee governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Local nuance
Richmond-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Richmond, not Wyoming | The court is the Richmond Probate Court. The address uses Wyoming, RI because Wyoming is a postal village inside Richmond, not a separate Rhode Island municipality. |
| Published Zoom option | Richmond says probate sessions are held either in Town Council Chambers at Richmond Town Hall or via Zoom, with notice provided after the petition is received. Local session rules are required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. |
| SearchIQS records link | Richmond publishes an online probate records search through SearchIQS at https://www.searchiqs.com/riric/. The town's page does not state the date range or whether images are available. |
| Local advertisement practice | Richmond's practices document says petitions requiring advertisement are advertised once a week for three weeks in the Westerly Sun. Notice by newspaper is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. |
| Hearing attendance | Richmond expects the petitioner or attorney to attend the probate session except for voluntary informal executor or administrator petitions under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, unless the judge makes a special exception under the court's local practice. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Richmond prices the voluntary informal executor and voluntary informal administrator filings at $39 total on its schedule retrieved September 2026. The route itself is statewide under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24: PC-1.9 is tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 for a named executor under a will, and PC-1.10 is tied to R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 for an administrator when there is no will.
Richmond's practices document says the petitioner or attorney is expected to attend probate sessions other than petitions for voluntary informal executor or administrator under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, unless a special exception is made by the judge. That is a local attendance point, not a change to the statewide R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 eligibility rules.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Richmond path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by confirming what was jointly owned and what, if anything, was only in the decedent's name. If a Richmond estate petition is needed, a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 may reduce the advertisement cost under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. Richmond's September 2026 schedule lists $64 on waiver and $94 with advertisement for an administration or will petition. | Sunset helps identify accounts and title patterns before filing, generates the estate settlement packet and helps the spouse understand which assets may need a Richmond appointment. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If a parent in Richmond died without a will, an adult child living in New York, Florida, California or Texas cannot serve as voluntary administrator because R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 requires the affiant to be a Rhode Island resident. If the child is named executor in a will, R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 can allow the voluntary executor route with a resident agent on PC-3.5. Richmond lists the voluntary informal filing at $39 as of September 2026. | Sunset helps sort the will, accounts and family information, then prepares the right packet for a Rhode Island resident filer or for an out-of-state named executor using a resident agent. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | Real property takes the estate out of the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 voluntary informal route. In Richmond, a petition to sell, mortgage or lease real estate is listed at $64 with advertisement as of September 2026, and advertisement is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. The petitioner or attorney should expect to attend the Richmond session unless the court makes an exception. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize the real estate and tax steps, generate the Richmond probate packet and connect the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale petition. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond Probate Court | Address, hours, session schedule, Zoom option, fee schedule link, calendar link, forms link and SearchIQS records link | https://www.richmondri.gov/179/Probate-Court |
| Richmond Probate Court fee schedule | The town's itemized probate fee list, including Richmond's September 2026 petition, advertisement, certificate, copy and certification amounts under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-22-11 | https://www.richmondri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2952 |
| Richmond probate records search | The online probate records search Richmond links from its probate page | https://www.searchiqs.com/riric/ |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State probate forms | The statewide PC form catalogue, free to the public under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 | https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/ |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | The Superior Court that hears an appeal from a Richmond probate decree under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1; Washington County is one of its divisions | https://www.courts.ri.gov/Courts/SuperiorCourt/Pages/default.aspx |
| Rhode Island Division of Taxation estate tax | Estate tax return information, the nine-month filing clock under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-1, and lien discharge forms that may be needed before a final account is allowed under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36 | https://tax.ri.gov/tax-sections/estate-tax |
When to hire an attorney
Legal help makes sense in Richmond when the will is disputed, heirs will not sign waivers under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15, a house must be sold, the estate tax or lien position must be cleared under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, or the fee and inventory numbers are uncertain under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and 33-9-1. Richmond's court staff cannot give legal advice or complete probate forms for you, and Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build the asset list that drives estate settlement, from bank and investment accounts to real estate and insurance. That matters in Richmond because the petition estimate affects the fee calculation under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 and the later inventory under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information into the forms and supporting materials needed for the Richmond Probate Court. The statewide PC forms come from the Rhode Island Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a sale petition, a contested issue, missing waivers, an appeal under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1, or Rhode Island estate tax filings under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Rhode Island probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, prepare the next steps and understand what to file with the Richmond Probate Court without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Richmond?
File with the town clerk of Richmond at Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Road, Wyoming, RI 02898. The town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6, and the Richmond Probate Court has jurisdiction for the town of Richmond under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9. Wyoming is only the postal village inside Richmond.
Does Richmond Probate Court accept electronic filing?
Plan on a paper filing. Richmond's probate page does not offer electronic filing, and Rhode Island statutes assume written petitions, original wills and payment before filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1, 33-24-2 and 33-22-21.
When does the Richmond Probate Court meet?
Richmond says the Probate Court sits on the third Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m., either in Town Council Chambers at Richmond Town Hall or via Zoom. Session dates and deadlines are part of the local administrative rules required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
Can I use Zoom for a Richmond probate hearing?
Richmond says sessions are held either in Town Council Chambers or via Zoom, and that notice will be provided when the petition is received. Treat the notice from the court as controlling, and do not assume the venue before Richmond sends it. Local session practice is governed through rules required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
How do I look up a Richmond probate record?
Richmond publishes an online probate records search through SearchIQS at https://www.searchiqs.com/riric/. Probate records are kept by the probate clerk under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-7, but Richmond's page does not state the SearchIQS date range or whether document images are available.
What forms does the Richmond Probate Court use?
Richmond uses Rhode Island's statewide PC probate forms. The Secretary of State publishes those forms free under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 at https://www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/business-services/probate-forms/.
How much does it cost to open probate in Richmond?
Rhode Island sets the statewide fee at one percent of personal property, with a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, paid before filing on an estimate and later revised, with those statutory figures unchanged since at least 1996 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21. Richmond's schedule retrieved September 2026 lists $34 for many estate petitions and $30 for each required advertisement under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, so an advertised will or administration filing is listed at $94 and the same filing on waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-5 and 33-22-15 is listed at $64.
Do I have to travel to Richmond for probate?
Richmond expects the petitioner or attorney to attend the probate session except for voluntary informal executor or administrator petitions under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, unless the judge makes a special exception under the court's local practice. Richmond also says sessions may be held in Town Council Chambers or via Zoom, with venue notice provided after the petition is received under the local session practice required by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29.
What happens if someone wants to appeal a Richmond probate decree?
An appeal from a Richmond probate decree goes to the Superior Court for Washington County under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. The first step is a claim of appeal filed with the probate clerk within 20 days after execution of the decree, and the certified claim and reasons of appeal must be filed in Superior Court within 30 days after entry; both deadlines are jurisdictional under 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.