The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Minnesota with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.
This page is built to print. Use your browser's Print command and choose "Save as PDF" for a one-page Minnesota reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Minnesota probate pages.
Minnesota probate fees
| Item | Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Court filing fee | A $310 first-paper filing fee in district court under Minn. Stat. §357.021, subd. 2(1), plus a county law library fee collected on a probate petition under Minn. Stat. §134A.09, subd. 2 (Hennepin and Ramsey) or §134A.10, subd. 2 (all other counties). The library fee amount is set locally by each county law library board and published in the State Register, not fixed by statute; the Minnesota Judicial Branch district court fee schedule shows $12 in Hennepin County (total $322) and up to $15 elsewhere (total $325). Total first-paper court filing cost is therefore about $310 to $325 depending on the county. |
| Attorney fees | Not statutory. Minnesota follows a 'reasonable compensation' standard, not a fixed percentage. Fees are subject to court review for reasonableness. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | The personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation under Minn. Stat. §524.3-719, not a statutory percentage. No Minnesota statute fixes a percentage, and we found no published source for what the fee works out to in practice as of September 2026. |
| Fee basis | reasonable |
Worked example
Minnesota sets no fixed commission, so no worked example can be calculated from the statute: the personal representative must petition and the probate court reviews the amount before it is paid.
Minnesota thresholds and deadlines
| Item | Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | Estates of $75,000 or less in total probate value qualify for collection of personal property by affidavit, available 30 days after death, under Minn. Stat. §524.3-1201. |
| Creditor claim period | The bar is in Minn. Stat. §524.3-803(a), not §524.3-801, which is the notice section. A creditor entitled only to notice by publication has four months after the date of the court administrator's notice as subsequently published (§524.3-803(a)(1)). A creditor served under §524.3-801(c) has the later to expire of four months after first publication or one month after the service (§524.3-803(a)(2)). And every claim is barred within one year after the decedent's death, "whether or not notice to creditors has been published or served" (§524.3-803(a)(3)) — a ceiling, not an extension, except that claims authorized by §§246.53, 256B.15 and 256D.16 are not barred at one year. |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | The bar is in Minn. Stat. §524.3-803(a), not §524.3-801, which is the notice section. A creditor entitled only to notice by publication has four months after the date of the court administrator's notice as subsequently published (§524.3-803(a)(1)). A creditor served under §524.3-801(c) has the later to expire of four months after first publication or one month after the service (§524.3-803(a)(2)). And every claim is barred within one year after the decedent's death, "whether or not notice to creditors has been published or served" (§524.3-803(a)(3)) — a ceiling, not an extension, except that claims authorized by §§246.53, 256B.15 and 256D.16 are not barred at one year. |
| Simplified real-property transfer | Minnesota offers summary assignment for small estates and a streamlined informal probate; real estate generally cannot pass by the small-estate affidavit alone, so a Transfer on Death Deed is the common way to keep a home out of probate. |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Minnesota allows a Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) for real estate under Minn. Stat. §507.071. The owner records a deed naming a beneficiary; the property passes automatically at death without probate. (Note: a TODD does not defeat a Medical Assistance estate-recovery claim.) |
What passes outside Minnesota probate
These transfers are not part of the estate the fees above are calculated on:
- Beneficiary designations — retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts.
- Joint ownership with right of survivorship.
- Transfer-on-death deed — Minnesota allows a Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) for real estate under Minn. Stat. §507.071. The owner records a deed naming a beneficiary; the property passes automatically at death without probate. (Note: a TODD does not defeat a Medical Assistance estate-recovery claim.)
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: Minn. Stat. §524.3-1201 (collection of personal property by affidavit); Minn. Stat. §524.3-719 (compensation of personal representative); Minn. Stat. §524.3-801 (notice to creditors); Minn. Stat. §507.071 (transfer on death deeds)
- State authority: Minnesota Revisor of Statutes (revisor.mn.gov)
- Small-estate procedure: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/524.3-1201
- Creditor claim period: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/524.3-801
- Transfer-on-death deed: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/507.071
- Court filing fees: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/357.021
- courtFilingLibraryFee: https://www.mncourts.gov/help-topics/court-fees/district-court-fees
Compiled August 15, 2026 from the sources listed above. Fee schedules, thresholds, and court costs are amended by legislatures and courts — confirm each figure against the cited statute or the Minnesota court before relying on it.
The full Minnesota guides
- How Much Does Probate Cost in Minnesota? — the full cost breakdown.
- How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Minnesota? — the fee rule in detail.
- How Long Does Probate Take in Minnesota? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
- Executor Deadlines in Minnesota — inventory deadline, creditor-claim period and outer bar, each quoted from the statute.
- How to Avoid Probate in Minnesota — the transfers that pass outside it.
- How Much Does a Will Cost in Minnesota? — execution requirements and pricing.
Fee sheets for other states
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This sheet sets out Minnesota probate figures as published at the time of compilation. It is not legal advice. Figures and statutes change and their application depends on the specific estate. Confirm current figures with the Minnesota courts or a licensed Minnesota attorney.