Rhode Island court costs

Rhode Island probate filing cost: $35–$1,000

Rhode Island sets a statewide statutory probate fee in R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a): for every petition to appoint an administrator (or custodian, guardian, or conservator) or to probate a will, one percent (1.0%) of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, subject to a $30 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, paid before filing on the petitioner's estimate and revisable. The narrower § 33-24-1 voluntary informal small-estate route instead charges a flat $30 filing fee plus $5 for the certification of appointment. Municipalities may charge separately for copies and certification.

$35–$1,000 is the range of statutory totals at a $100,000 estate, because the proceedings below are priced differently. Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Latest primary-source re-fetch October 3, 2026.

What the statute charges

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.

Petition to appoint an administrator or to probate a will (statewide, R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21)

Published value bands

These are the fee bands stated in the source. The worked examples below apply them to sample values; they do not replace the published thresholds.

Rhode Island statewide probate fee (1% of personal property)
Value bandPublished calculation
All values$0 plus 1% of the amount over $0

Minimum: $30. Maximum: $1,500. Assessment basis: One percent (1.0%) of the personal property of the decedent over which the court has jurisdiction, but in no event less than thirty dollars ($30.00) nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) (R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a)); assessed on personal property only..

Rhode Island Petition to appoint an administrator or to probate a will (statewide, R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21) cost, itemised at four values of the amount this charge is assessed on
Charge$25,000 estate$100,000 estate$400,000 estate$1,000,000 estate
Rhode Island statewide probate fee (1% of personal property)$250$1,000$1,500$1,500
Total from this schedule$250$1,000$1,500$1,500

Not included in this total

  • Per-page copy charges ($1.50/page) and $3.00 certification of probate documents (§ 33-22-21(c))
  • Publication of notice to creditors
  • Municipal charges for other proceedings

The 1% fee is assessed on the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, floored at $30 and capped at $1,500, and is subject to revision if the petitioner's estimate proves incorrect.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-22-21(a), Rhode Island General Assembly. Edition/currentness: P.L. 2014, ch. 351, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 398, § 2.. Verified October 3, 2026.

Voluntary informal administration under § 33-24-1

Rhode Island Voluntary informal administration under § 33-24-1 cost, itemised at four values of the amount this charge is assessed on
Charge$25,000 estate$100,000 estate$400,000 estate$1,000,000 estate
Statement filing fee$30$30$30$30
Certification of appointment$5$5$5$5
Total from this schedule$35$35$35$35

Not included in this total

  • Municipal charges for other probate proceedings
  • Certified copies
  • Publication costs

This $35 statutory combination is for voluntary informal administration, not the statewide § 33-22-21 formal-probate fee.

Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-24-1, Rhode Island General Assembly. Edition/currentness: P.L. 2011, ch. 363, § 10.. Verified October 3, 2026.

What the Rhode Island figure leaves out

The Rhode Island caveats are listed once, on the Rhode Island overview.

Other costs: probate cost lines.

Filing-cost sources

Rhode Island record: 7/7 verified, 21 matched checks, latest source re-fetch October 3, 2026. Source record · method · report a correction