Free Kentucky Petition for Probate

How to open probate in Kentucky: petition the District Court and request Letters of Appointment. KRS 395.015.

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You & the Will

Kentucky provides an official fillable petition; we complete it for you.

Opening probate?The whole estate, start to finish.

State Where the Estate Will Be Probated*

The state where the decedent was domiciled. Only states where a self-represented filer can prepare this document are listed.

Did the decedent leave a will?*

Yes — there is a will (request Letters Testamentary)No — there is no will (request Letters of Administration)

Your First Name*

Middle Name

Your Last Name*

Your Relationship to the Decedent*

How you are related to the person who died. Being named executor in the will is asked separately.

Your Street Address*

City*

ZIP Code*

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NOT LEGAL ADVICE:This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kentucky Probate Petitions

In Kentucky, you file a petition with District Court to open probate. District Court judge signs the order probating/appointing; the Circuit Court Clerk then issues the Certificate of Qualification issues Letters of Appointment once the court grants the appointment. See how appointment works in Kentucky.

You cannot fill out Letters — they are issued by the court. The document you prepare and file is the petition (or application) for probate and for Letters. This tool prepares that petition for Kentucky.

Yes. Kentucky publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with District Court.

Kentucky offers probate e-filing. The AOC publishes a "Guide to Basic Kentucky Probate Procedures" for self-represented litigants, and the Self-Help Portal offers A2J guided interviews for probate forms. File & Serve (KYeCourts) eFiling covers probate matters and registration is open to self-represented parties, but eFiling is not mandatory for probate — a pro se filer may file the AOC-805 packet on paper with the Circuit Court Clerk.

Along with the petition, Kentucky typically requires: Certified copy of the death certificate; Original will and any codicils, presented to the District Court for probate and recorded by the county clerk; Written application/petition under oath listing the surviving spouse and heirs-at-law; Separate written general financial disclosure statement of the decedent’s property, filed under seal with the application and confidential; Proof of the will by a subscribing witness, unless self-proved or holographic.

Opening Probate in Kentucky

To settle an estate in Kentucky, the court must first appoint a personal representative — an executor when there is a will, an administrator when there is none — and issue Letters. You apply by filing a petition with District Court; District Court judge signs the order probating/appointing; the Circuit Court Clerk then issues the Certificate of Qualification (AOC-807) and certified copies of the order, which serve as the letters of appointment issues Letters of Appointment once the court grants it.

Kentucky publishes an official statewide petition form. This tool completes that form for you from a few questions about the decedent, the estate, and the heirs or beneficiaries. After downloading, you sign it and file it with the court in the county where the decedent lived.

You file the petition together with the supporting documents the court requires — typically a certified death certificate and, where there is a will, the original will. Kentucky does not require a bond by default before Letters issue. The court reviews the petition and, if it is in order, grants it and directs that Letters issue.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Kentucky Probate Petitions

Yes. Kentucky publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with District Court.

Opening Probate in Kentucky

Free Kentucky Petition for Probate

You & the Will

Frequently Asked Questions About Kentucky Probate Petitions