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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our North Dakota probate pages.
North Dakota probate fees
| Item | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Attorney fees | Not statutory. The fee must be reasonable and, if challenged, court-approved. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | N.D.C.C. §30.1-18-19 entitles the personal representative to 'reasonable compensation.' No percentage schedule applies, and family representatives often waive it. |
| Fee basis | reasonable |
| Appraisal / referee | Not used. North Dakota does not appoint a state appraiser, though the personal representative must prepare an inventory (N.D.C.C. §30.1-18-06). |
Worked example
North Dakota sets no statutory formula for a personal representative's fee, so the figure turns on the actual work done and on what the court finds reasonable. The estate's attorney is compensated separately.
North Dakota thresholds and deadlines
| Item | North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | N.D.C.C. §30.1-23-01(1)(a) measures on "the value of the entire estate subject to distribution or succession under chapters 30.1-01 through 30.1-23, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances" and sets it at one hundred thousand dollars; (1)(b) requires thirty days since the death and (1)(c) that no application or petition for appointment of a personal representative is pending or granted in any jurisdiction. |
| Creditor claim period | Three months after the date of the first publication and mailing of the notice to creditors, under N.D.C.C. §30.1-19-03(1)(a). Publication is optional in North Dakota; where notice to creditors has not been published and mailed, claims are barred three years after the decedent's death (§30.1-19-03(1)(b)). Claims barred by the nonclaim statute of the decedent's domicile before the first publication for claims in this state are also barred here. |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | Three months after the date of the first publication and mailing of the notice to creditors, under N.D.C.C. §30.1-19-03(1)(a). Publication is optional in North Dakota; where notice to creditors has not been published and mailed, claims are barred three years after the decedent's death (§30.1-19-03(1)(b)). Claims barred by the nonclaim statute of the decedent's domicile before the first publication for claims in this state are also barred here. |
| Transfer-on-death deed | No transfer-on-death deed statute for real property was found in the North Dakota statutes, and no source publishing one is cited here. The North Dakota statutes could not be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in, and the only source previously cited for this field was a commercial reproduction of the code. |
What passes outside North Dakota 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 — No transfer-on-death deed statute for real property was found in the North Dakota statutes, and no source publishing one is cited here. The North Dakota statutes could not be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in, and the only source previously cited for this field was a commercial reproduction of the code.
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: N.D.C.C. §30.1-18-19; N.D.C.C. §30.1-19-03; N.D.C.C. §30.1-23-01; N.D.C.C. Ch. 30.1-32.1
- State authority: North Dakota Century Code, Title 30.1 (ndlegis.gov)
- Creditor claim period: https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t30-1c19.pdf
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 North Dakota court before relying on it.
The full North Dakota guides
- How Much Does Probate Cost in North Dakota? — the full cost breakdown.
- How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in North Dakota? — the fee rule in detail.
- How Long Does Probate Take in North Dakota? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
- Executor Deadlines in North Dakota — inventory deadline, creditor-claim period and outer bar, each quoted from the statute.
- How to Avoid Probate in North Dakota — the transfers that pass outside it.
- How Much Does a Will Cost in North Dakota? — execution requirements and pricing.
Fee sheets for other states
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This sheet sets out North Dakota 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 North Dakota courts or a licensed North Dakota attorney.