Is there a way to avoid probate appointment in Maryland?

Yes. A revocable living trust passes assets to beneficiaries without any court appointment — no petition, no Letters, no bond. A revocable trust built with SimplyTrust takes about 15 minutes.

How Do I Get Appointed as Executor in Maryland?

See the appointing court, the petition that opens the estate, what to file, and bond rules to be appointed in your state.

Got the Letters? Run the whole estate from here.

State

Document Type

Getting Appointed in Maryland

Personal Representative

Where you file

The form that opens the estate

RW1112Petition for Administration · Fillable PDF · View sourceStart this petition for Maryland — we pre-fill it with your information. You review, sign, and file it with the court.

What the court issues (with a will)

Letters of Administrationissued by Register of Wills (after administrative probate; or after the Orphans’ Court rules in judicial probate)

Letters are an output — the court issues them after granting the petition.

At a glance

UPC adoptedInformal trackE-filingSelf-represented filingLocal/county forms

Probate is filed on paper with the Register of Wills for the county (or Baltimore City) where the decedent was domiciled — there is no Register of Wills e-filing portal. Intake channels are set by each local office and differ: in-person (often by appointment), mail, and a courthouse drop box are the common routes, and SOME offices additionally accept a PDF filing by email while others expressly refuse it. Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) is the Judiciary's e-filing system for its trial courts; it is not a Register of Wills probate intake channel. A product can prepare and assemble the packet, but the filer must deliver it to the local office. Confirm the accepted submission method with the specific Register of Wills office before filing.

Bond

Required before Letters: Yes
Waivable by will: Yes
Waivable by beneficiaries: Yes

Other official forms

Informal application: RW1112View source

What to file with the petition

Certified copy of the death certificate (proof of death)
Original will and any codicils, if any (filed with the petition)
Schedule A (RW1136) for a regular estate; Schedule B (RW1137) for a small estate
List of Interested Persons (RW1104), naming the heirs and legatees with addresses — due no later than 20 days after appointment (Est. & Trusts § 7-104); local offices commonly take it with the petition
Consents to Appointment from interested persons with equal or higher priority, if the petitioner is not the named/highest-priority person (Est. & Trusts § 5-104)
Appointment of Resident Agent (RW1106) if the personal representative resides outside Maryland
Bond unless expressly excused by the will or by written waiver of all interested persons (Est. & Trusts § 6-102); in a REGULAR estate either a Nominal Bond (RW1116) or a Personal Representative Bond (RW1115) is required in every case

Small-estate alternative

Bypasses full Letters: No
Form: RW1103View source
Form name: Petition for Administration (Small Estate)

State-specific notes

Maryland uses one base 'Petition for Administration' form published under four RW numbers by estate type: RW1112 (Regular Estate, with Schedule A RW1136), RW1103 (Small Estate, with Schedule B RW1137), RW1135 (Will of No Estate), and RW1147 (Limited Order, with Schedule C RW1148). All four are the same two-page instrument (Rev. 07/01/2024) with a different estate-type box pre-checked. The same petition requests administrative probate (no hearing, before the Register of Wills) or judicial probate (before the Orphans' Court, used when the will's validity is questioned, the will is damaged, or more than one qualified person applies). Maryland issues 'Letters of Administration' for both testate and intestate estates — there is no separate 'Letters Testamentary' terminology. A small estate is streamlined but still appoints a personal representative and still issues Letters, unlike no-letters affidavit states. There is an Orphans' Court in each of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions, but in THREE of them — Harford, Howard, and Montgomery Counties — a Circuit Court judge sits as the Orphans' Court; in the other 21, three elected judges sit as a panel and in most of those jurisdictions the judges are not required to be attorneys. Probate fees run on a single statutory statewide schedule assessed on the value of the probate estate; small estates opened on or after 10/1/2022 owe no probate fee to the Register of Wills.

A revocable living trust passes assets to your family without this court appointment process — no petition, no Letters, no bond.

Create a Revocable Trust in 15 minutes

This tool provides general information about how a personal representative is appointed and is not legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney in your state for guidance specific to your situation.Data verified 2026-07-15

Frequently Asked Questions

Maryland uses Petition for Administration (RW1112), filed with the Register of Wills (administrative probate); Orphans' Court (judicial / contested probate). After the court grants the petition, Register of Wills (after administrative probate; or after the Orphans’ Court rules in judicial probate) issues your Letters of Administration (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).

Along with the petition, Maryland generally requires: Certified copy of the death certificate (proof of death); Original will and any codicils, if any (filed with the petition); Schedule A (RW1136) for a regular estate; Schedule B (RW1137) for a small estate; List of Interested Persons (RW1104), naming the heirs and legatees with addresses — due no later than 20 days after appointment (Est. & Trusts § 7-104); local offices commonly take it with the petition; Consents to Appointment from interested persons with equal or higher priority, if the petitioner is not the named/highest-priority person (Est. & Trusts § 5-104); Appointment of Resident Agent (RW1106) if the personal representative resides outside Maryland; Bond unless expressly excused by the will or by written waiver of all interested persons (Est. & Trusts § 6-102); in a REGULAR estate either a Nominal Bond (RW1116) or a Personal Representative Bond (RW1115) is required in every case.

Yes. Maryland requires a bond by default before Letters issue. A will can waive it. Beneficiaries can also waive it in writing.

Maryland permits self-represented filers to open an estate, using Petition for Administration (RW1112). The Self-File Probate Assessment compares self-filing and attorney costs for Maryland.

Yes. A revocable living trust passes assets to beneficiaries without any court appointment in Maryland — no petition, no Letters, no bond. A revocable trust built with SimplyTrust takes about 15 minutes.

Getting Appointed in Maryland

In Maryland, a personal representative is appointed by the Register of Wills (administrative probate); Orphans' Court (judicial / contested probate). Register of Wills (after administrative probate; or after the Orphans’ Court rules in judicial probate) issues the Letters that prove authority over the estate — Letters of Administration when there is a will, Letters of Administration when there is not. Maryland's Uniform Probate Code adoption status: No.

The estate is opened by filing Petition for Administration (RW1112) with the court. The court filing fee runs $0 - $10,000+ (based on estate value), and an informal appointment track for qualifying estates is available: Yes.

A bond is required by default before Letters issue in Maryland, though a will can waive it and the beneficiaries can waive it in writing.

Estates under $50,000 in Maryland may qualify for a simplified procedure (RW1103). See the self-file probate assessment for a Maryland cost comparison.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Maryland statutes and official state code. How we research.

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Named as Executor

What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.

Learn more

Maryland Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering Maryland probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

How Do I Get Appointed as Executor in Maryland?

Getting Appointed in MarylandMd. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 5-104 (priority), 5-201 (petition contents), 5-301 (administrative probate), 5-401 (judicial probate), 5-601 (small estate)Verified Jul 15, 2026View source

At a glance

BondMd. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 6-101, 6-102Verified Jul 15, 2026View source

Other official forms

What to file with the petition

Small-estate alternative

State-specific notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this your situation?

Named as Executor

Your kids shouldn't have to do this.

Maryland Estate Planning Resources

Getting Appointed in MarylandMd. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 5-104 (priority), 5-201 (petition contents), 5-301 (administrative probate), 5-401 (judicial probate), 5-601 (small estate)Verified Jul 15, 2026View source

At a glance

BondMd. Code, Est. & Trusts §§ 6-101, 6-102Verified Jul 15, 2026View source

Other official forms

What to file with the petition

Small-estate alternative

State-specific notes

Is this your situation?

Named as Executor

Getting Appointed in Maryland

Bond

Getting Appointed in Maryland

Bond