Courts

Someone died and I need to handle what they left

Which papers you need depends almost entirely on how much the person left and whether it includes a house or land. Small estates can often be handled with one notarized form and no court at all. Here is how to tell which path is yours, the exact forms for each, and where to get free help.

What to do first

1. Get copies of the death certificate. Almost every probate filing needs one. The funeral home or mortuary can usually get them for you. If not, order them from the Southern Nevada Health District. Only close family, a guardian or their legal representative can get a copy (NRS 440.650).

2. If you have the will, turn it in within 30 days. Nevada law gives you 30 days after you learn of the death to deliver the original will to the district court clerk or to the executor it names. If you sit on it without a good reason, you can be liable to everyone who loses out because of the delay (NRS 136.050). Lodging it with the clerk costs $18. If it is handwritten, bring a typed copy too.

3. List what they owned and what they owed. Go through their mail and papers for bank statements, insurance letters, car titles, stock certificates, safe-deposit keys, mortgage and credit card bills. Search the Clark County Assessor for any house or land in their name.

4. Take out what skips probate. Some things pass straight to someone else and are not part of the estate: anything in a trust, payable-on-death accounts with a living beneficiary, property held in joint tenancy or community property with right of survivorship when an owner is still alive, and life insurance, retirement plans or annuities with a named beneficiary. If nothing is left after that, you may not need probate at all.

5. Work out the value, then pick your path below. The estate's value is what everything left over is worth minus the debts and mortgages owed against it. If you truly cannot find out what is there, see special administrator below first.

Which path fits the estate

What the estate looks like	Your path	Court?	Source
$25,000 or less, no house or land in Nevada (cars registered to the person don't count toward the $25,000)	Affidavit of Entitlement, signed in front of a notary	No, unless the holder of the property insists on a court order	NRS 146.080
You are the surviving spouse, $150,000 or less, no house or land in Nevada (cars don't count)	Affidavit of Entitlement by the spouse	No, unless the holder insists on a court order	NRS 146.080
$150,000 or less, with or without a house, will or no will	Petition to Set Aside Estate Without Administration	Yes, one hearing	NRS 146.070
$150,000.01 to $500,000	Summary administration	Yes. No self-help forms; a lawyer is strongly advised	NRS 145.040
Over $500,000	General administration	Yes. No self-help forms; a lawyer is strongly advised	NRS Title 12

Value limits from NRS 146.070, 146.080 and 145.040, checked October 2026. Summary administration is for estates whose gross value, after taking off what is owed against them, is $500,000 or less.

Path 1: Estates of $25,000 or less (Affidavit of Entitlement)

You can use this only if all of these are true: at least 40 days have passed since the death; the person left no house, land, timeshare or mortgage in Nevada that has to go through probate; you know everything they owned; it adds up to $25,000 or less not counting their registered vehicles; you are entitled to it under the will or Nevada law; nobody has asked the court to appoint a personal representative; and you know of no injury or damage claims against them. A false affidavit is a felony in Nevada.

1. Give notice and wait 14 days. Anyone with an equal or better right to the property than you (spouse, adult children, parents, adult brothers and sisters, grandchildren, and any other family entitled to share) must get written notice, by personal service or certified mail, of what you plan to take. Wait at least 14 days after notice before you sign (NRS 146.080). You can send this notice right away; the 40 days and the 14 days can run at the same time.

2. Describe each item exactly. For a car: year, make, model and VIN. For a bank account: the bank, the type of account and the account number.

3. Fill out the Affidavit of Entitlement and sign it in front of a notary. Don't sign it beforehand.

4. Attach a copy of the death certificate and hand it to whoever holds the property. A bank or agency that issues titles or registrations has to issue a new one to you and can't turn away an affidavit that has the required information (NRS 146.080(5)).

5. Only if they demand a court order: file the Petition for Order Directing Transfer of Property. This is usually needed when the property is held by an out-of-state company (stocks and bonds are common), or when you could not find someone who was entitled to notice. File it with your notarized affidavit, a copy of your ID, the will if there is one, the death certificate, and a generic affidavit explaining anyone you could not notify. The order usually arrives by mail about 3 to 4 weeks after filing if nobody objects.

Path 2: You're the surviving spouse and the estate is $150,000 or less

Same Affidavit of Entitlement, same 40-day wait, same notary, same death certificate, but the limit for a surviving spouse is $150,000 instead of $25,000 (NRS 146.080). The estate still can't include a house or land in Nevada. If it does, use the set aside in Path 3 instead. If the holder wants a court order, use the same Petition for Order Directing Transfer of Property.

Path 3: Estates of $150,000 or less (Set Aside Without Administration)

Anyone entitled to the estate can use this, whether or not you're the spouse, and it works even if there is a house. It needs one court hearing.

1. Wait at least 30 days after the death before you file (NRS 146.070).

2. Gather proof. Exact descriptions of every asset (account numbers, VINs, and for a house the street address, legal description and parcel number from the Assessor); printed value estimates for cars and real estate; the latest mortgage and loan statements; bills showing other debts; and the names, ages and addresses of every heir and person named in the will, including any spouse or minor child.

3. Pick the right packet. With a will: Petition to Prove Will and Set Aside Without Administration (and lodge the will first if it isn't already on file). No will: Petition to Set Aside Without Administration. If you can't find someone's name or address, explain what you did to look for them in a generic affidavit.

4. File and get your hearing date. Attach the death certificate, a copy of your ID, the will copy if there is one, and all your proof. The clerk writes the hearing date on your Notice of Hearing. If you will have to publish notice, ask for a later date.

5. Mail notice at least 10 days before the hearing (NRS 155.010). Send a copy of the petition and the Notice of Hearing to every heir, person named in the will and creditor on your Certificate of Mailing, and always to Medicaid Estate Recovery, even if you don't think the person was on Medicaid. If anyone's name or address is unknown, you also have to publish the notice in a newspaper: Nevada Legal News (702-382-2747) or the Las Vegas Review-Journal / Las Vegas Sun (702-383-0383).

6. Check the Approved List the week of the hearing. It is on the court's probate page. If your case shows as approved, you don't have to go; you can email the order to your commissioner (PC-1: probateinbox@clarkcountycourts.us; PC-2: probate2inbox@clarkcountycourts.us). Otherwise go to the hearing and answer any objections. Watch the court's case portal under the person's name for objections.

7. File the signed order and get certified copies. Take them to the banks, the DMV, or the Clark County Recorder to put a house in your name.

If the person left a spouse or minor children and the estate is $150,000 or less, the law directs the judge to set the estate aside for them, even if nobody asks for it, subject to limits in the statute (NRS 146.070(3)).

Path 4: $150,000.01 to $500,000 (summary administration)

The Self-Help Center has no forms for this, and it strongly recommends a lawyer. In outline: the executor named in the will, or the closest relative, files a petition for probate in district court (NRS 136.090 lists what it must say); notice goes out at least 10 days before the hearing; if the judge grants it you get Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one) and become the personal representative, with a legal duty to protect the estate; then you file an inventory, notify creditors, get court approval before selling any real estate, file accountings, pay valid claims, and ask the court to close the estate.

Path 5: Over $500,000 (general administration)

The longest and most complex process, and again there are no self-help forms; get a lawyer. It follows the same steps as summary administration, plus notice of the petition has to be published in a newspaper on three dates before the hearing (NRS 155.020), and creditors get longer to file claims. Expect it to take at least four to six months.

Deadlines

What	Deadline	Source
Hand over the original will	Within 30 days after you learn of the death	NRS 136.050
Sign an Affidavit of Entitlement	Not before 40 days after the death, and at least 14 days after notice to anyone with an equal or better claim	NRS 146.080
File a set aside petition	Not before 30 days after the death	NRS 146.070
Notice of a hearing	Mailed or delivered at least 10 days before the hearing	NRS 155.010
Published notice (probate petition, creditors)	Three dates before the hearing; in a paper that runs more than weekly, at least 10 days from first to last	NRS 155.020
Inventory of the estate	Within 120 days after letters are issued; copy mailed to heirs within 10 days of filing	NRS 144.010
Creditor claims	Generally 90 days after first publication or mailing; cut to 60 days in summary administration	NRS 147.040
Creditor sues over a rejected claim	Within 60 days after notice of rejection	NRS 147.130
First accounting	Within 6 months after appointment, or sooner if the court orders	NRS 150.080
Report on why the estate isn't closed	6 months after appointment, or 18 months if a federal estate tax return is required	NRS 143.035
Close the estate	Within 18 months after appointment	NRS 143.037

Nevada Revised Statutes, checked October 2026. Some older self-help pages give different numbers for the inventory, creditor claims and status report; the statute controls.

What it costs

Filing	Fee	Source
Lodging a will	$18	Eighth Judicial District Court probate page
Affidavit of Entitlement (no court)	$0 to file; you pay the notary	Civil Law Self-Help Center
Petitions for cremation, medical records, safe-deposit box; first petition for special administration	$0	Civil Law Self-Help Center
Estate petitions (transfer of property, set aside, probate): estate $2,500 or less	$0	Civil Law Self-Help Center; NRS 19.013
Estate over $2,500 up to $20,000	$185.50	Civil Law Self-Help Center
Estate over $20,000 and under $300,000	$284.50	Civil Law Self-Help Center; NRS 19.0302
Estate $300,000 or more	$537.50	Civil Law Self-Help Center; NRS 19.0302

Totals as listed by the Civil Law Self-Help Center; the value brackets match NRS 19.013 and 19.0302. Confirm at the clerk's window before you pay. If you can't afford the fee, file the fee waiver application below with your petition. If it isn't granted, the clerk will call you to pay before the petition moves forward.

Court orders you may need before anything else

Each of these is a free, one-time petition to the probate court. You list everyone with an equal or higher right than you; anyone who agrees signs the consent form in the packet, and you explain anyone who didn't in a generic affidavit. Attach a copy of your ID (plus the death certificate and will if you have them). If nobody objects, the order usually comes by mail in about 3 to 4 weeks.

Cremation — a funeral home or mortuary will want a court order before it cremates. Priority goes in this order: a person the decedent named in a valid document or affidavit, a person named on a military DD Form 93, the spouse, an adult child, a parent, an adult brother or sister, a grandparent, the guardian at death, and others the statute allows (NRS 451.024). A registered domestic partner can also apply. The order only allows cremation; who keeps the remains is a separate probate question. Cremation packet (PDF).

Medical records — hospitals won't release a deceased patient's records without a court order (NRS 629.061). Life insurers often want them to confirm the cause of death. List every facility that might hold the records, including where the person died. Medical records packet (PDF).

Safe-deposit box — if you believe the will is locked in a bank box, the court can order the bank to open it for that purpose only. Nothing else can come out; the bank may charge a drilling fee and will usually watch. Bring the bank's name and address, and the box number and key if you have them. Safe-deposit box packet (PDF).

Special administrator — a temporary appointment to find, value and protect the estate, or to step into a lawsuit. It does not let you hand out or keep anything (NRS Chapter 140). Use it only when you really can't learn what the estate holds any other way. You must be 18 or older, generally a Nevada resident, and a felony record may bar you (NRS 139.010). After the order, take the Letters of Special Administration to the clerk on the 3rd floor to take the oath. Special administration packet (PDF).

Forms

All free, from the Civil Law Self-Help Center. Many can also be filled in by the court's free guided interview, which asks you questions and builds the packet: nevada.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL (choose the probate interview for cremation, medical records, safe-deposit box, special letters, or transfer and affidavit). You still print, sign and file.

Form	Used for	Link
Affidavit of Entitlement	Paths 1 and 2	Form · Guide
Petition for Order Directing Transfer of Property (NRS 146.080)	Paths 1 and 2 when a court order is required	Packet
Petition to Prove Will and Set Aside Without Administration	Path 3, with a will	Packet
Petition to Set Aside Without Administration	Path 3, no will	Packet
Affidavit (generic)	Explaining relatives you couldn't reach or who didn't consent	Form
Application to Proceed in Forma Pauperis (fee waiver)	Any petition with a fee	Form
Ex Parte Petition for Order of Cremation	Cremation	Packet
Ex Parte Petition for Order to Release Medical Records	Medical records	Packet
Ex Parte Petition for Order to Open Safe Deposit Box	Safe-deposit box	Packet
Petition for Special Letters of Administration	Special administrator	Packet
Certificate of Mailing	Proving you mailed notice	Generic · With Medicaid Estate Recovery
Ex Parte Probate Petition and Order	Other one-sided requests to the court	Packet
Ex Parte Continuance Request (Probate)	Moving a hearing date	Packet
Objection to Petition or Request	Opposing something another party asked for	Packet
Objection to Probate Commissioner's Recommendation	Opposing a commissioner's ruling	Packet
Motion to Consolidate	Combining related probate cases	Form
Creditor's Claim	A creditor claiming against an estate	Form
Inventory, Appraisal and/or Record of Value	Listing estate property	Form
Receipt	Showing someone received property	Form
Status Report and Request to Close Case	Closing out a case	Form
Petition for Order of Discharge	Releasing a personal representative	Form
Petition to Redact Personal Information	Removing private details from a filing	Form

Full list: Civil Law Self-Help Center probate forms, checked October 2026.

Where to file

Eighth Judicial District Court Clerk's Office (probate filings) — Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, 3rd floor, Las Vegas, NV 89155. Filing help: 702-671-0514. A will can also be lodged at the clerk's office in the Family Courts and Services Center, 601 N. Pecos Rd.

Probate Department — Phoenix Building, 330 S. 3rd St. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, closed noon to 1pm. 702-455-2650. Hearings are Wednesday and Friday mornings; check the Approved List for the courtroom. Probate page and Approved List.

Look up a case — search by the deceased person's name on the court's case portal. See also Look up a court case.

Free help

Civil Law Self-Help Center — Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, 1st floor. Monday to Thursday 7am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 4pm. Free probate forms and help filling them out. Staff can't give legal advice. Probate guides.

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Ask-A-Lawyer — free phone consultations with a lawyer, including probate. Dates, times and sign-up at lacsn.org.

Legal Aid Center Pro Bono Project — volunteer lawyers for people who qualify financially, including estate and trust matters. 725 E. Charleston Blvd. 702-386-1070. There is a waiting list, so it can't help in an emergency.

If you can pay something — the State Bar of Nevada's Lawyer Referral Service can match you with a probate lawyer, which is strongly advised for estates over $150,000. See also free legal help.

Good to know

You don't inherit their debts. You aren't personally responsible for what the person owed unless you co-signed or were jointly on the account. Debts can shrink what's left for the family, though.
List every relative, even estranged ones. Leaving someone off a petition because you think they don't deserve anything is lying to the court. The judge decides.
A will isn't automatic. A judge decides whether it's valid. Nevada accepts witnessed wills (NRS 133.040), handwritten wills that are dated and signed (NRS 133.090), and some electronic wills (NRS 133.085). If someone is contesting the will, get a lawyer.
Who inherits without a will is set by NRS Chapter 134, and separate property is treated differently from community property.
Watch for Medicaid and Social Security. Medicaid may have a claim on the estate, and Social Security may ask for the payment for the month of death back.
Property in another state goes through that state's probate. Nevada courts only handle Nevada real estate.
No family at all? The Clark County Public Administrator handles the estate, and anything left after costs and debts goes to the State of Nevada.