District of Columbia court costs

District of Columbia probate filing cost: $350

Court costs are charged on the value of the estate excluding real property, when the petition for probate (including a small-estate petition) is filed: nothing at $500 or less, $15 to $2,500, $50 to $15,000, $100 to $25,000, $150 to $50,000, $250 to $75,000, $350 to $100,000, $575 to $500,000, $825 to $750,000, $1,275 to $1,000,000, $1,800 to $2,500,000, $2,300 to $5,000,000, $2,300 plus 0.02% of the amount over $5,000,000 up to $50,000,000, and $11,300 above that. An estate that holds real property in the District pays a further $25 in total.

$350 is the lowest statutory total when the amount this charge is assessed on is $100,000, which is not the same as the estate's value. Sources reviewed October 3, 2026.

What the statute charges

Every line below is computed from the statutory schedule quoted at the end of this page. These are court charges only. They are not an estimate of the total cost of settling an estate.

Petition for probate, including a small-estate petition (Rule 108)

The column headings exclude real property. Superior Court Probate Rule 108(a)(1) assesses these costs on the value of the estate excluding real property, and Rule 108(a)(2) adds one flat charge in total when the estate holds real property in the District. A $100,000 estate made up of a $60,000 house and $40,000 in accounts is assessed on $40,000, plus the real-property charge. Use the navigator to price a specific case.

Published value bands

These are the fee bands stated in the source. The worked examples below apply them to sample values; they do not replace the published thresholds.

Probate Division court costs on the estate excluding real property
Value bandPublished calculation
Up to $500$0
More than $500 to $2,500$15
More than $2,500 to $15,000$50
More than $15,000 to $25,000$100
More than $25,000 to $50,000$150
More than $50,000 to $75,000$250
More than $75,000 to $100,000$350
More than $100,000 to $500,000$575
More than $500,000 to $750,000$825
More than $750,000 to $1,000,000$1,275
More than $1,000,000 to $2,500,000$1,800
More than $2,500,000 to $5,000,000$2,300
More than $5,000,000 to $50,000,000$2,300 plus 0.02% of the amount over $5,000,000
More than $50,000,000$11,300

Assessment basis: Rule 108(a)(1) and (3): the gross value of the estate's assets, excluding the value of real property.

District of Columbia Petition for probate, including a small-estate petition (Rule 108) cost, itemised at four values of the amount this charge is assessed on
Charge$25,000 excluding real property$100,000 excluding real property$400,000 excluding real property$1,000,000 excluding real property
Probate Division court costs on the estate excluding real property$100$350$575$1,275
Court costs for all real property in the District+$25 if real property+$25 if real property+$25 if real property+$25 if real property
Total from this schedule$100$350$575$1,275

Not included in this total

  • Publication of the notice of appointment, paid to the publisher
  • Bond premiums
  • Additional costs due later if collections or sales move the estate into a higher band (Rule 108(a)(4))
  • Other filings priced by Rule 108(b) and (c)

Rule 108(a)(2) adds $25 in total when the estate holds real property in the District; the calculator adds it when a real-property asset is listed. Costs are not collected while a personal representative whose fees were waived is serving (D.C. Code § 15-712(i)).

Source: D.C. Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a)(1)-(2), District of Columbia Courts. Edition/currentness: Publisher edition or effective date not stated. Verified October 3, 2026.

What the District of Columbia figure leaves out

The District of Columbia caveats are listed once, on the District of Columbia overview.

Other costs: probate cost lines.

Filing-cost source

District of Columbia record: 12/12 verified, 39 matched checks, latest source re-fetch October 3, 2026. Source record · method · report a correction