Is there a way to avoid probate appointment in Rhode Island?

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 Rhode Island?

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 Rhode Island

Executor (with a will) or Administrator (without a will)

Where you file

Municipal Probate Court of the city or town where the decedent resided (39 city/town probate courts; not part of the statewide Judiciary)

The form that opens the estate

PC-1.5Petition for Probate of Will · Fillable PDF · View sourceStart this petition for Rhode Island — we pre-fill it with your information. You review, sign, and file it with the court.

What the court issues (with a will)

Letters Testamentaryissued by The city/town probate court (clerk of the local probate court)

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

At a glance

UPC adoptedInformal trackE-filingSelf-represented filingLocal/county forms

Probate in Rhode Island is handled by 39 municipal city/town probate courts that sit outside the statewide eFileRI system. Filing is done with the local probate clerk (mail/in person); some courts may accept email submissions, but there is no statewide probate e-filing portal. eFileRI mandatory e-filing applies to the state Judiciary courts, not probate.

Bond

Required before Letters: Yes
Waivable by will: Yes
Waivable by beneficiaries: No

Other official forms

Informal application: PC-1.9 (executor) / PC-1.10 (administrator)View source

What to file with the petition

Certified copy of the death certificate
Original will and any codicils (with the Petition for Probate of Will, PC-1.5) — R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-7-5 requires whoever has custody of the will to deliver it into the probate court within 30 days after notice of the testator’s death
List of surviving spouse and heirs at law (and will beneficiaries) on the petition / page 1A
Appointment bond unless waived/exempted (PC-3.1A Universal Appointment Bond Corporate Surety Exempted / PC-3.1B Universal Appointment Bond with Corporate Surety; R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1)
Waiver or Advertising (Form PC-9.1), if applicable
Filing fee (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21: 1% of the decedent’s personal property, minimum $30, maximum $1,500)

Small-estate alternative

Bypasses full Letters: Yes
Form: PC-1.9 / PC-1.10View source
Form name: Petition for Voluntary Informal Executor / Administrator

State-specific notes

Rhode Island has no county-level probate courts: probate is handled by the 39 municipal (city/town) probate courts where the decedent resided (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-9-9), all using uniform statewide PC-series forms prescribed under § 33-22-16 and published by the Secretary of State. The testate and intestate tracks are different forms (PC-1.5 vs PC-1.1). PC-1.5 lets the petitioner request "letters testamentary OR letters of administration c.t.a." Whoever holds the will must deliver it into the probate court within 30 days after notice of the testator’s death (§ 33-7-5; the old §§ 33-7-1 — 33-7-4 were repealed effective 2008-12-31). A voluntary informal small-estate track (ch. 33-24) is available when the estate is entirely personal property not exceeding $15,000 (exclusive of tangible personal property), 30 days after death, and no letters petition has been filed; it uses PC-1.9 (executor, § 33-24-2) / PC-1.10 (administrator, § 33-24-1) and bypasses full letters. Statutory probate filing fee is 1% of the decedent’s personal property (minimum $30, maximum $1,500) under § 33-22-21(a). Bond is always required (§ 33-17-1), but surety is excused by a will direction (§ 33-17-4) or, in an intestate estate, where the administrator is the surviving spouse or sole heir (§ 33-17-1.2).

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

Rhode Island uses Petition for Probate of Will (PC-1.5), filed with the Municipal Probate Court of the city or town where the decedent resided (39 city/town probate courts; not part of the statewide Judiciary). After the court grants the petition, The city/town probate court (clerk of the local probate court) issues your Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).

Along with the petition, Rhode Island generally requires: Certified copy of the death certificate; Original will and any codicils (with the Petition for Probate of Will, PC-1.5) — R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-7-5 requires whoever has custody of the will to deliver it into the probate court within 30 days after notice of the testator’s death; List of surviving spouse and heirs at law (and will beneficiaries) on the petition / page 1A; Appointment bond unless waived/exempted (PC-3.1A Universal Appointment Bond Corporate Surety Exempted / PC-3.1B Universal Appointment Bond with Corporate Surety; R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1); Waiver or Advertising (Form PC-9.1), if applicable; Filing fee (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21: 1% of the decedent’s personal property, minimum $30, maximum $1,500).

Yes. Rhode Island requires a bond by default before Letters issue. A will can waive it.

Rhode Island permits self-represented filers to open an estate, using Petition for Probate of Will (PC-1.5). The Self-File Probate Assessment compares self-filing and attorney costs for Rhode Island.

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

Getting Appointed in Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, a personal representative is appointed by the Municipal Probate Court of the city or town where the decedent resided (39 city/town probate courts; not part of the statewide Judiciary). The city/town probate court (clerk of the local probate court) issues the Letters that prove authority over the estate — Letters Testamentary when there is a will, Letters of Administration when there is not. Rhode Island's Uniform Probate Code adoption status: No.

The estate is opened by filing Petition for Probate of Will (PC-1.5) with the court. The court filing fee runs 1% of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, not less than $30 nor more than $1,500 (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a)), plus the $4 Historical Records Trust assessment (§ 42-8.1-20(b)) — $34 minimum, $1,504 maximum. Gross-estate input adjusted to ~55% per Federal Reserve SCF 2022 (real estate excluded from personal property; ~45% real estate share for typical older households)., and an informal appointment track for qualifying estates is available: No.

A bond is required by default before Letters issue in Rhode Island, though a will can waive it.

Estates under $15,000 in Rhode Island may qualify for a simplified procedure that avoids a full appointment entirely (PC-1.9 / PC-1.10). See the self-file probate assessment for a Rhode Island cost comparison.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Legal Sources

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

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