Virginia court costs
Qualifying a personal representative costs nothing at $5,000 or less, then $20, $25, or $30 by estate value. Separately, Virginia levies a state probate tax of 10¢ per $100 of estate value (Va. Code § 58.1-1712), with no tax on estates of $15,000 or less, and a locality may add an optional tax equal to one-third of the state tax (Va. Code § 58.1-3805).
$25 is the statutory total at a $100,000 estate. Sources reviewed August 7, 2026. Latest primary-source re-fetch October 3, 2026.
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.
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.
| Value band | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | $0 |
| More than $5,000 to $50,000 | $20 |
| More than $50,000 to $100,000 | $25 |
| More than $100,000 | $30 |
| Charge | $25,000 estate | $100,000 estate | $400,000 estate | $1,000,000 estate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk charge for appointment and qualification | $20 | $25 | $30 | $30 |
| Total from this schedule | $20 | $25 | $30 | $30 |
This is the clerk's appointment and qualification charge only. Section 17.1-275 allows recording fees in addition. It does not include the probate tax, which is two distinct charges: a STATE tax of 10¢ per $100 of estate value under Va. Code § 58.1-1712 (none on estates of $15,000 or less), and an optional LOCAL tax a county or city may impose equal to one-third of that state tax under Va. Code § 58.1-3805.
Source: Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3), Virginia General Assembly. Edition/currentness: Section history through 2022, c. 377. Verified October 3, 2026.
The Virginia caveats are listed once, on the Virginia overview.
Other costs: probate cost lines.
Reviewed source note: 3. For appointing and qualifying any personal representative, committee, trustee, guardian, or other fiduciary, in addition to any fees for recording allowed by this section, $20 for estates not exceeding $50,000, $25 for estates not exceeding $100,000 and $30 for estates exceeding $100,000. No fee shall be charged for estates of $5,000 or less.
Virginia record: 6/6 verified, 17 matched checks, latest source re-fetch October 3, 2026. Source record · method · report a correction