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Nevada Statewide Probate Guide

Settling an estate after losing someone is difficult, and Nevada just significantly raised its probate thresholds. This guide covers what’s consistent across the whole state – thresholds, deadlines, and costs. For your specific county’s District Court address and local filing details, see that county’s page.

Where Probate Happens

Nevada probate is handled by the District Court in the county where the deceased lived.

Recent Change: Sb 404 Raised Every Probate Threshold

Effective October 1, 2025, Senate Bill 404 significantly raised the dollar limits across Nevada’s probate tiers. Older sources online may still cite the previous, lower figures – the numbers below reflect the current law.

Step 1: Which Tier Fits The Estate?

Nevada now has four tiers based on the “probatable” estate value (assets that don’t already pass automatically via a living trust, joint tenancy, or transfer-on-death deed):

Affidavit of Entitlement (NRS 146.080) – no court filing at all

  • The decedent must have left no real property, interest in real property, or mortgage/lien on real property in Nevada.
  • Gross value of personal property (excluding vehicles and certain military pay) must not exceed $150,000 if the claimant is the surviving spouse, or $30,000 for any other heir.
  • Presented directly to whoever holds the property – no court involvement.

Set Aside Without Administration (NRS 146.070) – court order required, but simplified

  • Available when the net value of the estate doesn’t exceed $150,000 (raised from $100,000 by SB 404).
  • Can include real property, unlike the pure affidavit route – this is often used specifically because a house or land is involved.
  • If there’s a surviving spouse or minor children, the court generally must set aside the entire estate to them; if not, the court can set aside the estate to intestate heirs or will beneficiaries.
  • Assets are assigned in a specific order: attorney’s fees and procedure costs, then funeral/last-illness expenses and any Medicaid reimbursement owed, then other creditors, then remaining balance to the beneficiaries.
  • Can be filed any time after 30 days from death.
  • Still requires a petition, notification of interested parties, and a court order – faster and cheaper than full probate, but not skip-the-court like the affidavit.

Summary Administration (NRS Chapter 145)

  • Available for estates with gross value (after deducting encumbrances) between $150,001 and $500,000 (raised from a $300,000 ceiling by SB 404).
  • A streamlined but still court-supervised process – the creditor claims period is shortened to 60 days, and the initial petition for letters doesn’t need to be published in a newspaper.

General Administration

  • Required for estates exceeding $500,000 in probatable assets.
  • Full court-supervised probate, following the traditional formal process.

Independent Administration Of Estates

Nevada’s Independent Administration of Estates Act (NRS 143.300 et seq., enacted 2011) lets personal representatives sell property and pay claims without prior court approval, when the petition specifically requests this authority – this can meaningfully speed up administration even for larger estates.

Transfer-On-Death Deeds

Nevada recognizes TOD deeds for real property – recorded during the owner’s lifetime, revocable at any time, and completed at death when the beneficiary records an affidavit of survivorship and a certified death certificate.

Timeline

Affidavit of Entitlement can resolve in days to weeks. Set Aside is faster than full probate but still requires a court petition and order. Summary Administration benefits from the shortened 60-day creditor period. General Administration follows the traditional, longer timeline.

Taxes

Nevada has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax – one of the more tax-friendly states for estate settlement. Nevada is also a community property state, which affects how marital assets are characterized. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates (federal exemption $15 million per individual for 2026).

Where This Guide Fits

This page covers what’s consistent statewide. For your specific county’s District Court address, phone number, and local filing details, visit that county’s page.