Wisconsin route screening

Wisconsin small-estate limit: $50,000

Section 867.03 permits transfer by affidavit when property subject to administration in Wisconsin does not exceed $50,000 in gross value.

Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised October 17, 2026.

1. Where and when

StateWisconsinFixed to this page. Open the navigator to compare another state.Date of deathRequired. Without it no waiting period can be tested and the route stays undecided.

2. What they left

Asset 1

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real property

Asset 2

DescriptionValue$Not entered. A blank amount is not counted as zero.Enforceable liens or mortgage$Not entered. Enter 0 if there is no lien.OwnershipThis is real propertyWill it be sold during administration?Some court charges are assessed on sale proceeds and exclude real property that is kept, so this changes the amount.

Ownership determines whether an asset usually enters probate. Choose “Not sure” when title or beneficiary status has not been confirmed.

inventory value of the property for which the personal representative is accountable less any mortgages or liens plus net principal gains$Use the statutory accounting figure; do not apply 2% to gross probate property. Leaving it blank keeps the compensation undecided rather than assuming a number.

Private by design: entries stay in this browser.

Your working estimate

Wisconsin estate snapshot

Route check

More information is needed

Counted probate estate: not yet counted

A valid date of death is required before any waiting period can be tested.

Gross probate propertyNot yet counted

Court chargeMore information neededPetition commencing a deceased-person estate proceeding (operative from 2026-11-01)2 asset entries have no value entered. A blank amount is not treated as zero, so the charge cannot be computed.Court charges only, for the proceeding named beside each figure. That proceeding is not always the route screened above.

Scheduled executor compensationCase accounting neededEnter the compensable value above and this schedule is applied to it, band by band.Subject to court approval, the default is 2% of inventory value for accountable property less mortgages or liens plus net principal gains. A written agreement may set another rate; the court may add reasonable sums for unusual difficulty or extraordinary services and may reduce or deny compensation for dereliction.

This route check is general information, not legal advice. It does not test every eligibility condition, creditor issue, will provision, local fee, or asset-title fact.

This is distinct from § 867.01 court summary settlement, which has a $50,000 net-of-secured-debt family route and a separate route keyed to priority costs, allowances, and claims; the two procedures and value bases must not be conflated.

Where the limit comes from

Is this the limit that applies?

$50,000 is the limit in Wis. Stat. § 867.03 as it read on October 3, 2026; confirm it with the probate court before you file.

Controlling citation: Wis. Stat. § 867.03, Wisconsin Statutes, Transfer by Affidavit (Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau; 2023-24 Wisconsin Statutes updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247 and through all Supreme Court Orders and Controlled Substances Board Orders filed before and in effect on October 1, 2026. Published and certified under s. 35.18. Changes effective after October 1, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 10-1-26)).

The section’s own words

867.03 Transfer by affidavit. 867.03(1c) (1c) Definition. In this section, "guardian" has the meaning given in s. 54.01 (10) or s. 880.01 (3) , 2003 stats. 867.03(1g) (1g) Generally. Except as provided in sub. (1h) and subject to subs. (1j) and (1p) , when a decedent leaves property subject to administration in this state that does not exceed $50,000 in gross value, any heir of the decedent, trustee of a revocable trust created by the decedent, a person named in the will to act as personal representative, or person who was guardian of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death may collect any money due the decedent, receive the property of the decedent, and have any evidence of interest, obligation to, or right of the decedent transferred to the affiant if the heir, trustee, person named in the will to act as personal representative, or guardian provides to the person owing the

How the Wisconsin screen is measured

Procedure	Transfer by affidavit
What counts	The probate estate within the statute’s scope, so solely owned real property can count
Value basis	Gross value; liens are not subtracted
Waiting period	Confirm the filing date with the Circuit Court

Section 867.03 states no universal wait from death; it instead contains a conditional 30-day hold after receipt for some affiants named in a will, so a single waiting period would mislead. Before submitting the paperwork, confirm whether a waiting period applies and which event starts it. Check: Wis. Stat. § 867.03(1j)

The Wisconsin caveats that can change this answer are listed once, on the Wisconsin overview.

The official Wisconsin path

PR-1831, Transfer by Affidavit — Wisconsin Court System
Circuit court probate forms — Wisconsin Court System
Probate self-help — Wisconsin Court System
Wisconsin circuit courts — Wisconsin Court System

What a small-estate screen can and cannot decide, and which assets never enter it, is explained once in small-estate affidavit or probate and what counts as a probate asset.

Controlling source

Statute

Wis. Stat. § 867.03

Wisconsin Statutes, Transfer by Affidavit

The section’s own words

867.03 Transfer by affidavit. 867.03(1c) (1c) Definition. In this section, "guardian" has the meaning given in s. 54.01 (10) or s. 880.01 (3) , 2003 stats. 867.03(1g) (1g) Generally. Except as provided in sub. (1h) and subject to subs. (1j) and (1p) , when a decedent leaves property subject to administration in this state that does not exceed $50,000 in gross value, any heir of the decedent, trustee of a revocable trust created by the decedent, a person named in the will to act as personal representative, or person who was guardian of the decedent at the time of the decedent's death may collect any money due the decedent, receive the property of the decedent, and have any evidence of interest, obligation to, or right of the decedent transferred to the affiant if the heir, trustee, person named in the will to act as personal representative, or guardian provides to the person owing the

Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · 2023-24 Wisconsin Statutes updated through 2025 Wis. Act 247 and through all Supreme Court Orders and Controlled Substances Board Orders filed before and in effect on October 1, 2026. Published and certified under s. 35.18. Changes effective after October 1, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 10-1-26) · Rechecked October 3, 2026

Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: Wisconsin source list · how sources are checked · report a correction

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