Iowa court costs
Iowa levies a statewide statutory probate court cost equal to two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory (Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a)), applied to estates administered under chapter 633 or chapter 635. Costs are not charged on non-probate assets (joint-tenancy property, lifetime transfers, life insurance/annuities/IRAs/retirement/TOD/POD payable to non-estate beneficiaries, and out-of-state real estate). Fixed clerk charges also apply (e.g., $15 probate of will without administration).
$200 is the statutory total at a $100,000 estate. Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised .
| Court filing | $200 |
|---|---|
| Maximum commission on the first $1,000 at 6% | $60 |
| Maximum commission on the next $4,000 at 4% | $160 |
| Maximum commission on the balance above $5,000 at 2% | $1,900 |
| Both fees, at most | $2,320 |
Statute text checked October 3, 2026: Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a) (2026) and Iowa Code 633.197 (2026).
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.
| Charge | $25,000 estate | $100,000 estate | $400,000 estate | $1,000,000 estate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probate court costs | $50 | $200 | $800 | $2,000 |
| Total from this schedule | $50 | $200 | $800 | $2,000 |
Two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory (Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a)); excludes joint-tenancy property, lifetime transfers, non-estate-payable life insurance/annuities/IRAs/retirement/TOD/POD accounts, and real estate not located in Iowa. A remainder greater than half a unit is charged as a whole unit, which is how the statute’s “major fraction thereof” is applied here.
The 0.2% cost is assessed on probate assets in the report and inventory only; non-probate assets are expressly excluded by 633.31(3)(b).
Source: Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a) (2026), Iowa Legislature (Legislative Services Agency). Edition: Iowa Code 2026, Section 633.31. Verified October 3, 2026.
The Iowa caveats are listed once, on the Iowa overview.
Other costs: probate cost lines.
Iowa Code 633.31 - Calendar; court costs in probate
two-tenthsofonepercent of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory.
What this means: Statewide probate court-cost formula (0.2% of probate-inventory value). Non-probate assets are expressly excluded by 633.31(3)(b). 2025 Acts ch 148 amended the fixed short-form charge in subsection 2, not the 0.2% formula.
Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: Iowa source list · how sources are checked · report a correction