Is there a way to avoid probate appointment in District of Columbia?

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 District of Columbia?

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 District of Columbia

Personal Representative

Where you file

Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Probate Division (Office of the Register of Wills), 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001

The form that opens the estate

No statewide fill-in form · Fillable PDFStart this petition for District of Columbia — 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 (Probate Division), after the appointment of the personal representative by the Court or, in abbreviated probate, by the Register of Wills

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

At a glance

UPC adoptedInformal trackE-filingSelf-represented filingLocal/county forms

E-filing is mandatory for parties represented by counsel but optional for self-represented filers. The opening filing is PAPER regardless: Superior Court Administrative Order 13-15 (PEF Procedure 6(a)) excludes from eFiling "(1) Wills and codicils; (2) Initial pleadings that open a Probate Division case ... (4) Bonds", and the File Online page repeats that initial pleadings opening a new Probate Division case "may not be eFiled and must be filed in paper with the clerk." So the Petition for Probate, the will, and the bond go to the Probate Division in person (515 Fifth Street NW, Room 314); a self-represented fiduciary may then elect to e-file subsequent documents. Forms must be typewritten and filed at one time in person, with original signatures. A small-estate filer brings the petition packet to the Legal Branch in person.

Bond

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

What to file with the petition

Original will and any codicils, with the Certificate of Filing Will (D.C. Code § 20-304(c): "exhibit the original of the will with the petition"; DC Courts ADM case-initiation checklist, "Will (if any) and Certificate of Filing Will")
Abbreviated Probate Order (abbreviated track) or Standard Probate Order (standard/formal track) — the proposed order lodged with the petition
Statement of acceptance of the duties of the office and written consent to D.C. personal jurisdiction (D.C. Code § 20-501; "Acceptance and Consent of Each Personal Representative" form)
Bond, or waivers of bond, or some combination, unless excused (D.C. Code § 20-502)
Personal Identification Information (Form 26)
Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs — lodged at case initiation, then published within 20 days after appointment once a week for 2 successive weeks (D.C. Code § 20-704(a))
List of interested persons — names and addresses of all interested persons and of any will witnesses (D.C. Code § 20-304(a)(6); stated in the petition)
Irrevocable power of attorney designating the Register of Wills for service, if the petitioner is a nonresident (D.C. Code § 20-303(b)(7))
Standard/formal probate only: Notice of Petition for Standard Probate, plus the Verified Statement Regarding Service and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Service (prior notice is what distinguishes formal from abbreviated probate — D.C. Code §§ 20-311, 20-323)

Small-estate alternative

Bypasses full Letters: No
Form name: Petition for Administration of Small Estate

State-specific notes

The District uses one "personal representative" title for both testate and intestate appointees and issues a single "Letters of Administration" instrument (no separate "Letters Testamentary") — D.C. Code § 20-504 prescribes one form of letters, with a parenthetical recital of the will's probate used only on the testate track. One Petition for Probate form (for deaths on/after July 1, 1995 to the present) selects abbreviated vs. standard/formal probate, supervised vs. unsupervised administration, and original/successor/special-administrator/co-PR appointment via checkboxes; paragraph 1 carries the "(with) (without) a will" election, so the same form serves both tracks. Abbreviated probate is the fast path: it "may be conducted without the prior notice required for formal probate under § 20-323" (§ 20-311(a)), due execution of the will is presumed (§ 20-312(b)), and as amended the Court OR the Register of Wills may appoint (§ 20-312(a)). Formal probate becomes mandatory if an interested person or creditor requests it or if the abbreviated petition "is materially incomplete or incorrect in any respect" (§ 20-322). The Strengthening Probate Administration Amendment Act of 2024 (D.C. Law 25-302, effective March 21, 2025) renamed "standard probate" to "formal probate" in the Code and raised the small-estate ceiling to $80,000 (D.C. Code § 20-351, formerly $40,000); the court PDF forms, the Probate Division form checklists, and several brochures still display the older "Standard Probate" and "$40,000" labels (the "After Death" guide and the ADM filing packet are both stale on the threshold — trust the Code). The District does NOT require a death certificate to open an estate. As a single jurisdiction, it has no counties or county-level probate forms.

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

District of Columbia has no single statewide fill-in petition; the opening document is prepared to statute and filed with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Probate Division (Office of the Register of Wills), 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. After the court grants the petition, Register of Wills (Probate Division), after the appointment of the personal representative by the Court or, in abbreviated probate, by the Register of Wills issues your Letters of Administration (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will).

Along with the petition, District of Columbia generally requires: Original will and any codicils, with the Certificate of Filing Will (D.C. Code § 20-304(c): "exhibit the original of the will with the petition"; DC Courts ADM case-initiation checklist, "Will (if any) and Certificate of Filing Will"); Abbreviated Probate Order (abbreviated track) or Standard Probate Order (standard/formal track) — the proposed order lodged with the petition; Statement of acceptance of the duties of the office and written consent to D.C. personal jurisdiction (D.C. Code § 20-501; "Acceptance and Consent of Each Personal Representative" form); Bond, or waivers of bond, or some combination, unless excused (D.C. Code § 20-502); Personal Identification Information (Form 26); Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs — lodged at case initiation, then published within 20 days after appointment once a week for 2 successive weeks (D.C. Code § 20-704(a)); List of interested persons — names and addresses of all interested persons and of any will witnesses (D.C. Code § 20-304(a)(6); stated in the petition); Irrevocable power of attorney designating the Register of Wills for service, if the petitioner is a nonresident (D.C. Code § 20-303(b)(7)); Standard/formal probate only: Notice of Petition for Standard Probate, plus the Verified Statement Regarding Service and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Service (prior notice is what distinguishes formal from abbreviated probate — D.C. Code §§ 20-311, 20-323).

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

District of Columbia permits self-represented filers to open an estate. E-filing is available. The Self-File Probate Assessment compares self-filing and attorney costs for District of Columbia.

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

Getting Appointed in District of Columbia

In District of Columbia, a personal representative is appointed by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Probate Division (Office of the Register of Wills), 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001. Register of Wills (Probate Division), after the appointment of the personal representative by the Court or, in abbreviated probate, by the Register of Wills issues the Letters that prove authority over the estate — Letters of Administration when there is a will, Letters of Administration when there is not. District of Columbia's Uniform Probate Code adoption status: No.

District of Columbia publishes no single statewide fill-in petition; the opening document is prepared to statute and filed with the court. The court filing fee runs $0 - $2,300+ (based on estate value), and an informal appointment track for qualifying estates is available: No.

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

Estates under $40,000 in District of Columbia may qualify for a simplified procedure. See the self-file probate assessment for a District of Columbia cost comparison.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Legal Sources

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

Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

Named as Executor

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

Learn more

District of Columbia Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering District of Columbia probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

How Do I Get Appointed as Executor in District of Columbia?