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RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Washington
The longest fixed wait in a Washington probate is usually the creditor claim period: 4 months from first publication of notice under RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts, and RCW 11.40.051(1)(c) sets an outer limit of 24 months after death.
- 1Claim period 4 months
- 2Counted from Notice / letters
- 3Outer limit 24 months
- 4Statute RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i)
The statute
“within four months after the date of first publication of notice”
Source: RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i). Last checked 2026-10-20.
The outer limit reads: “within twenty-four months after the decedent's date of death” (where no notice was given).
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Earliest small estate affidavit (40 days, RCW 11.62.010) | February 24, 2026 |
| Trigger: first publication of notice | March 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (4 months, RCW 11.40.051(1)(b)(i)) | July 1, 2026 |
| Outer limit for claims (RCW 11.40.051(1)(c)) | January 15, 2028 |
Washington starts the clock at first publication of notice, 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 July 1, 2026 back day for day. By comparison the small-estate route — when the estate fits — opens on February 24, 2026.
15 jurisdictions on this site give creditors longer and 8 give them less; the median is 122 days.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. Nothing runs until first publication of notice; 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. Washington'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.
Opening the estate costs money too: see probate court fees in Washington (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f) and (6)).
Nearby Pacific timelines
Alaska: 4 months; California: 4 months; Oregon: 4 months.
Related: Washington 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 Washington probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.