State Laws: Estates & Probate

In one form or another, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws governing most aspects of estate planning and probate -- legal validity of wills, creation of trusts, the probate process, and more. These laws can fall under various names, often as collections of laws called "codes." The different estate and probate codes that can be found from state to state include "Decedents' Estates," "Trust and Fiduciaries," "Estate Administration," and the "Uniform Probate Code."

In the table below, you will find links and citations to estate and probate laws for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

[Note on the "Uniform Probate Code": As shown on the chart below, a number of states have adopted the Uniform Probate Code. The Code represents an all-inclusive standard meant to simplify understanding of the probate process, and to encourage similarity of laws among different states. It has been adopted, in whole or in part, by about 20 states.]

 

Alabama	Title 43 Chapter 2 Administration of Estates Title 43 Chapter 8 Probate Code
Alaska	Title 13 Decedents' Estates, Guardianships, Transfers and Trusts Title 13 Chapter 16 Probate of Wills and Administration
Arizona	Title 14 Trusts, Estates and Protective Proceedings
Arkansas	Title 28 Wills, Estates and Fiduciary Relationships
California	California Probate Code
Colorado	Title 15 Probate, Trusts and Fiduciaries
Connecticut	Title 45 Probate Courts and Procedure
District of Columbia	Division III Title 18 Wills Division III Title 19 Descent Distribution and Trusts Division III Title 20 Probate and Administration of Decedents' Estates
Florida	Title XLII Estates and Trusts
Georgia	Title 53 Wills, Trusts, and Administration of Estates
Hawaii	Title 30A Uniform Probate Code
Idaho	Title 15 Uniform Probate Code
Illinois	Chapter 755 Estates Chapter 760 Trusts and Fiduciaries
Indiana	Title 29 Probate Title 30 Trusts and Fiduciaries
Iowa	Title XV Chapter 633 Probate Code Title XV Chapter 634 Private Foundations and Charitable Trusts Title XV Chapter 635 Administration of Small Estates Title XV Chapter 636 Sureties-Fiduciaries-Trusts-Investments
Kansas	Chapter 59 Probate Code
Kentucky	Chapter 140 Inheritance and Estate Taxes Chapter 386 Administration of Trusts - Investments Chapter 391 Descent and Distribution Chapter 394 Wills Chapter 395 Personal Representatives Chapter 396 Claims Against Decedents' Estates
Louisiana	Book III, Title I Of Successions Uniform Probate Law
Maine	Title 18 Decedents' Estates and Fiduciary Relations Title 18A Probate Code
Maryland	Titles 1 to16 Estates and Trusts
Massachusetts	MGL Part II, Title II Descent and Distribution, Wills, Estates
Michigan	Chapters 701 to 713 Probate Code
Minnesota	Chapters 524-532 Estates of Decedents; Guardianships
Missouri	Title XXXI, Chapters 456-475 Trusts and Estates of Decedents
Montana	Title 72 Estates, Trusts and Fiduciary Relationships
Nebraska	Chapter 30 Decedents' Estates; Protection of Persons and Property
Nevada	Title 12 Wills and Estates of Deceased Persons Title 13 Guardianships; Conservatorships; Trusts
New Hampshire	Title 56 Probate Courts and Decedents' Estates
New Jersey	Titles 3A and 3B Administration of Estates -- Decedents and Others
New Mexico	Chapter 45 Uniform Probate Code Chapter 46 Fiduciaries and Trusts
New York	Chapter 17-B Estates, Powers and Trusts
North Carolina	Chapter 41 Estates Chapter 47 Probate and Registration
North Dakota	Title 30.1 Uniform Probate Code
Ohio	Title XXI Courts - Probate - Juvenile
Oklahoma	Title 58 Probate Procedure Title 84 Wills and Succession
Oregon	Chapter 111 Probate Law Chapter 112 Intestate Succession and Wills Chapter 113 Initiation of Estate Proceedings Chapter 114 Administration of Estates Chapter 115 Claims, Actions, and Suits Against Estates
Pennsylvania	Title 20 Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries
Rhode Island	Title 33 Probate Practice and Procedure
South Dakota	Title 29A Uniform Probate Code Title 55 Fiduciaries and Trusts
South Carolina	Title 21 Estates, Trusts, Guardians and Fiduciaries Title 62 Probate Code
Tennessee	Title 30 Administration of Estates Title 31 Descent and Distribution Title 32 Wills Title 35 Fiduciaries and Trust Estates
Texas	Texas Probate Code Texas Probate Code Chapter V Estates of Decedents Texas Probate Code Chapter IV Execution and Revocation of Wills Texas Probate Code Chapter XIII Guardianship
Utah	Title 22 Fiduciaries and Trusts Title 75 Uniform Probate Code
Vermont	Title 14 Decedents' Estates and Fiduciary Relations
Virginia	Title 64.1 Wills and Decedents' Estates
Washington	Title 11 Probate and Trust Law
West Virginia	Chapter 41 Wills Chapter 42 Descent and Distribution Chapter 44 Administration of Estates and Trusts
Wisconsin	Chapter 701 Trusts Chapter 853 Wills Chapters 851 to 882 Probate
Wyoming	Title 2 Wills, Decedents' Estates and Probate Code Title 2 Chapter 2 Probate Court Title 2 Chapter 6 Wills Title 2 Chapter 7 Administration of Estates