Register of Wills, Baltimore County
Room 500 – County Courts Building
401 Bosley Avenue
Towson, Maryland 21204
410-887-6680
Required documents to OPEN AN ESTATE and OBTAIN LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION:

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS:

SMALL ESTATE: the estate procedure for a decedent who owned probate assets with a gross value of $50,000 or less (or $100,000 or less if the sole heir or legatee is the surviving spouse) in his/her name alone.

REGULAR ESTATE: the estate procedure for a decedent who owned probate assets with a gross value in excess of $50,000 (or $100,000 if the sole heir or legatee is the surviving spouse) in his/her name alone.

*INTERESTED PERSON(S): the person(s) named to receive through a will, heirs at law, the person(s)serving as personal representative(s), trustee(s) of a trust, and court appointed guardian(s) for minors.
DOCUMENTS
Death Certificate
Funeral Bill (small estates only)
Original Last Will and Testament
Consent to appointment signed by: __________________________________________________
Signed Resident Agent form (if the Personal Representative lives out of state)
Bank Statements/Books (reflecting date of death balances) (small estates only)
Title or Registration Card for Motor Vehicle(s) (certified appraisal or printout from KellyBlueBook.com is acceptable)
Proof of payoff amount of Motor Vehicle(s)
Copy of deed for real property
PROOF OF DATE OF DEATH VALUE IS REQUIRED FOR:
The amount of money being held by: __________________________________________________
Mortgage on Real Property
Value of insurance policy
Value of stock – provide name, number of shares & value (Wall Street Journal may be used to value stock)
Report from Baltimore County Police Evidence Control Section (If property is being held by police)
APPRAISAL FOR PROPERTY REFLECTING DATE OF DEATH VALUE:
Real Property –

If the date of death is before January 1, 1998 you will need a formal written appraisal

If the date of death is after January 1, 1998 a New Market Value Assessment will be accepted. You may obtain a New Market Value Assessment from the Department of Assessments & Taxation (410-512-4900) or www.dat.state.md.us

If the date of death is after January 1, 1998 proof of the outstanding mortgage may be used as a deduction from the New Market Value Assessment.
Boats, Motorcycles, Trailers
NAMES AND ADDRESSES:
List of names and addresses for all interested persons *see definition above
SMALL ESTATE FEES DUE:
Value of Small Estate
Less than $200.00	fee is $2.00
From $200.00 to $5,000.00	fee is 1% of value
From $5000.00 to $10,000.00	fee is $50.00
From $10,000.00 to $20,000.00	fee is $100.00
From $20,000.00 to $50,000.00	fee is $150.00

IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT (410) 887-6680

Register of Wills, Baltimore County

Christopher Koch

2021-10-21

Baltimore County