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Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Tennessee
The longest fixed wait in a Tennessee probate is usually the creditor claim period: 12 months from the decedent's death (outer limit; the published notice sets the shorter period) under Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d), claims are also barred if not filed within the period stated in the published notice (§ 30-2-306(b)). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 12 months
- 2Counted from Date of death
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d)
The statute
“not later than twelve (12) months from the decedent's date of death”
Source: Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d) (read from the Justia copy, current as of 2025). Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (12 months, Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-307(d)) | January 15, 2027 |
Because Tennessee counts the claim period from the death itself, the date is fixed the day the person dies: January 15, 2027 in this example, whatever happens in court.
12 months is the longest claim period among the 39 jurisdictions on this site.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. The claim clock in Tennessee is already running from the death, so a late petition shortens the time left to deal with claims rather than extending it.
- 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 — here, claims are also barred if not filed within the period stated in the published notice (§ 30-2-306(b)).
- Real estate. Tennessee's small-estate route does not take real property, so an estate with a house in the state generally goes through administration or another court step.
- Accounting and closing. The final account, receipts from heirs and any tax filings come after the claim period ends.
Nearby East South Central timelines
Mississippi: 90 days.
Related: Tennessee 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 Tennessee probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.