Forms for Heirs and Beneficiaries in District of Columbia

For the person receiving an inheritance in District of Columbia: the affidavit of heirship and the small estate affidavit built to District of Columbia rules, and the letter of instruction that follows the claim process of the bank, brokerage, or insurer holding the account.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

3 forms for District of Columbia

Free

Affidavit of Heirship

Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, with your state's recording instructions.

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Small Estate Affidavit

In District of Columbia, the Transfer by Affidavit covers estates with personal property of $40,000 or less, 60 days after death, presented directly to the bank or other holder, not filed with a court.

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Letter of Instruction

Prepare the letter a bank or insurer requests during estate settlement, addressed to its claims department.

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In District of Columbia, estates with personal property of $40,000 or less skip probate with the Transfer by Affidavit, 60 days after death. Real property cannot pass through the affidavit; an estate that includes real estate uses a separate process. An estate over the limit does not qualify, and no affidavit is prepared for it.

60 days after the death. The affidavit states that the period has passed, so it cannot be signed earlier.

The state's intestacy statute sets the order: the surviving spouse and children first, then parents, siblings, and more distant relatives, with shares that differ by state. The Who Inherits Calculator applies your state's order and shows each person's share.

Directly from the institution, on its claim form, with the death certificate and the beneficiary's identification. The policy or account passes outside the estate and does not wait for probate. The letter of instruction is addressed to the specific insurer or bank and follows its published document list.

In most states, yes, when the estate is under the state's small estate limit and the waiting period after the death has passed. The heir presents the small estate affidavit to the bank or other holder of the property. The builder checks the estate against your state's limit before it produces the document.

Forms for Heirs and Beneficiaries in District of Columbia

What an heir receives, and the paperwork it takes, depends on how the property was held. A named beneficiary on a life insurance policy, retirement account, or payable on death account claims it directly from the institution on its own form, with the death certificate. Property in the estate passes through probate to the people named in the will, or to the heirs the state's intestacy statute names when there is no will. Where the estate is small enough, the heirs collect it themselves with a small estate affidavit, and where real property has to pass without an administration, an affidavit of heirship records who the heirs are.

In District of Columbia, estates under $40,000 qualify for a simplified procedure and larger ones go through probate, and a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months. District of Columbia levies an estate tax above $4,988,400 and no inheritance tax.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated September 15, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from District of Columbia statutes and official state code. How we research.