Free Maryland Petition for Probate

How to open probate in Maryland: petition the Register of Wills and request Letters of Administration. Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 5-104.

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You & the Will

Maryland 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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Frequently Asked Questions About Maryland Probate Petitions

In Maryland, you file a petition with Register of Wills to open probate. Register of Wills issues Letters of Administration once the court grants the appointment. See how appointment works in Maryland.

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 Maryland.

Yes. Maryland publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with Register of Wills.

Maryland requires a bond by default before Letters issue, unless the will waives it or the beneficiaries waive it in writing. Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 6-101, 6-102

Maryland does not offer statewide probate e-filing; the petition is filed on paper with the court.

Along with the petition, Maryland typically requires: Certified copy of the death certificate; Original will and any codicils, if any; Schedule A; List of Interested Persons; Consents to Appointment from interested persons with equal or higher priority, if the petitioner is not the named/highest-priority person.

Opening Probate in Maryland

Before anyone can act for a Maryland estate, Register of Wills must appoint a personal representative and issue Letters. Letters are the court's output — you can't fill them out. The document you file is the petition for probate and for Letters (Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 5-104).

Maryland 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. Maryland requires a bond before Letters issue unless it is waived by the will or by the beneficiaries. 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 Maryland Probate Petitions

Yes. Maryland publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with Register of Wills.

Maryland requires a bond by default before Letters issue, unless the will waives it or the beneficiaries waive it in writing. Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 6-101, 6-102

Maryland does not offer statewide probate e-filing; the petition is filed on paper with the court.

Opening Probate in Maryland

Free Maryland Petition for Probate

You & the Will

Frequently Asked Questions About Maryland Probate Petitions