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D.C. Code § 20-351 · checked 2026-10-20
District of Columbia small estate affidavit limit
In the District the small estate administration is available when the property of the decedent subject to administration in the District is $80,000 or less; the statute sets no waiting period. It works through a short court proceeding started by petition.
- 1Dollar limit $80,000
- 2Waiting period None stated
- 3Filed with Court
- 4Statute D.C. Code § 20-351
What D.C. Code § 20-351 says
The operative words of the statute, as read on 2026-10-20:
“has a value of $80,000 or less”
That test is applied to the property of the decedent subject to administration in the District.
Source: D.C. Code § 20-351. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked examples against the $80,000 limit
| Estate value | Result under D.C. Code § 20-351 |
|---|---|
| $48,000 | Within the limit |
| $80,000 | Within the limit |
| $81,000 | Over the limit by $1,000: the small-estate route is closed |
Values are the estate as the statute measures it — property of the decedent subject to administration in the District — not everything the person owned. District of Columbia's figure is $17,500 above the $62,500 median of the 48 jurisdictions with a dollar limit on this site, ranking 18th from the top.
When the route opens
D.C. Code § 20-351 does not write a waiting period into the procedure, so timing depends on the court's own processing after the papers are filed. 31 of the 51 jurisdictions here do set one, most often around 30 days.
If the estate goes through full probate instead, creditors have 6 months counted from first publication of notice of the appointment of a personal representative (D.C. Code § 20-903(a)). The District of Columbia probate timeline works those dates through.
Filing and fees
This route is still a court proceeding, but a shorter one than full administration: a petition, notice to interested persons, and an order. The court fee schedule for District of Columbia could not be read when this page was checked, so no fee is shown.
The free route is the probate court itself: the clerk or register in the county where the person lived can say which form the court uses for the small estate administration and what it charges. This site does not supply forms or refer anyone to a lawyer.
Nearby South Atlantic jurisdictions
Delaware: $50,000 after 30 days; Florida: $150,000; Georgia: no dollar cap; Maryland: $50,000; North Carolina: $20,000 after 30 days; South Carolina: $45,000 after 30 days; Virginia: $75,000 after 60 days; West Virginia: $50,000.
Related: small estate limits compared · assets that skip probate · all 51 jurisdictions.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Statutes change, courts add local rules, and the facts of an estate decide which route applies. Confirm with the District of Columbia probate court or its self-help center before filing.