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D.C. Code § 20-903(a) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in District of Columbia
The longest fixed wait in a District of Columbia probate is usually the creditor claim period: 6 months from first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative under D.C. Code § 20-903(a). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 6 months
- 2Counted from Notice / letters
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute D.C. Code § 20-903(a)
The statute
“within 6 months after the date of the first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative”
Source: D.C. Code § 20-903(a). Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Trigger: first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative | March 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (6 months, D.C. Code § 20-903(a)) | September 1, 2026 |
District of Columbia starts the clock at first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative, so the end date moves with the court. The example assumes that event comes 45 days after the death (March 1, 2026); a later filing pushes September 1, 2026 back day for day.
7 jurisdictions on this site give creditors longer and 23 give them less; the median is 122 days.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. Nothing runs until first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative; the time between the death and the petition is outside the statutory period.
- Notice. Published notice and notice mailed to known creditors start or shorten the claim period; a creditor who should have been mailed notice may get extra time.
- Real estate. Selling or transferring a house adds deeds, appraisals and sometimes a court order to the timeline.
- Accounting and closing. The final account, receipts from heirs and any tax filings come after the claim period ends.
Nearby South Atlantic timelines
Delaware: 8 months from death; Florida: 3 months; Georgia: 3 months; Maryland: 6 months from death; North Carolina: 3 months; South Carolina: 8 months.
Related: District of Columbia small estate limit · creditor claim periods compared · executor timeline.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Dates are worked examples of the statutory periods, not deadlines for any real estate. The District of Columbia probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.