Idaho executor and estate paperwork checklist

This is an organizer, not legal advice. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation.

The first 30 days

General steps in plain words. Tick them off as you go; the ticks stay on this screen only.

1. Order certified death certificatesThrough the funeral director or the vital records office. Order several: banks, insurers, pension plans and the court may each want one.
2. Make sure Social Security knowsFuneral homes generally report the death. If not, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). A surviving spouse, or some children if there's no spouse, may get a one-time $255 payment.
3. Locate the signed will and any changesThe signed original matters more than a copy. Keep it whole and somewhere safe, and note who else has a copy.
4. Check the will for a self-proving affidavitLook for a notarized statement by the witnesses attached to the will; this state allows one (see below).
5. Secure the home, car and mailLock up, keep the insurance in force, photograph valuables and forward the mail to yourself.
6. Don't pay bills or hand out belongings yetFirst learn which route fits and who is allowed to act; ask the probate office or an attorney about anything urgent.
7. Stop using the person's power of attorneyA power of attorney ends at the principal's death, so an agent under it can't act for the estate.
8. Start an inventoryEvery account, property, vehicle and debt, with how each is held. Beneficiary and joint accounts usually pass directly, not through the estate.
9. Compare the estate with $100,000That's the small estate figure on this state's official page. Count only what the page says counts.
10. Mark day 30 after the deathThe small estate route opens 30 days after the death, per the official page.
11. Open a simple money logOne line per payment or deposit, with the date, who, how much and the receipt. It makes the final accounting easy.
12. Once you have authority: EIN and an estate accountThe IRS says you need an EIN before filing the estate's Form 1041, which is due if the estate has more than $600 of gross income in a year.

Sources for the federal steps: Social Security Administration: When someone dies · IRS: Deceased taxpayers, filing the estate income tax return (Form 1041) · power of attorney: Power of attorney at a real estate closing.

The small estate route

• ConfirmedSmall estate limit

  The estate subject to probate, wherever located, worth no more than $100,000 less liens and encumbrances.

  "one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)"

  Source: Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• Not confirmedReal estate

  Not confirmed — check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature).

• ConfirmedWaiting period after the death

  30 days. Thirty days after the death.

  "Thirty (30) days after the death of a decedent"

  Source: Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• Not confirmedNotary or oath

  Not confirmed — check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature).

• ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes

  Handed to the bank or other holder. Presented to whoever owes the debt or holds the property; no court filing is mentioned.

  "upon being presented an affidavit made by or on behalf of the successor"

  Source: Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• Not confirmedOfficial form

  Not confirmed — check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature).

• Not confirmedSimplified court procedure

  Not confirmed — check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature).

The will at probate

Signing rules for wills, as they bear on getting the will accepted.

• ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed

  Two witnesses, each of whom saw the signing or the testator's acknowledgment.

  "each of whom witnessed either the signing or the testator's acknowledgment"

  Source: Idaho Code 15-2-502, Execution (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit

  Allowed at signing or any time later, before an officer authorized to administer oaths where the will is signed.

  "An attested will may at any time subsequent to its execution be made self-proved."

  Source: Idaho Code 15-2-502, Execution (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten

  Recognized. The execution section carves out holographic wills, though the page doesn't list their requirements.

  "Except as provided for holographic wills"

  Source: Idaho Code 15-2-502, Execution (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedA witness who inherits

  A will, or any part of it, isn't invalid because an interested witness signed it.

  "A will or any provision thereof is not invalid because the will is signed by an interested witness."

  Source: Idaho Code 15-2-502, Execution (Idaho Legislature), checked November 2026

Documents to gather

• Deeds and mortgage statements
• Vehicle titles and registrations
• Recent bank, brokerage and retirement statements
• Life insurance policies and annuities
• The last few years of tax returns
• Recent bills, loan and credit card statements
• Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
• Safe deposit box location and keys
• Certified death certificates
• The original will and any codicils

Who to notify

Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies, Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't), Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone. A brief letter and a copy of the death certificate usually start each one; note the date and the person you reached.

Documents needed abroad

• ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad

  Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Idaho Secretary of State, Notary Department. $10 per document (check, money order or credit card).

  Source: Idaho Secretary of State, Notary Department, checked November 2026

Where to ask

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Official pages for Idaho:

• Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature)
• Idaho Code 15-2-502, Execution (Idaho Legislature)
• Idaho Code 15-2-501, Who may make a will (Idaho Legislature)
• Idaho Code 15-2-504, Self-proved will (Idaho Legislature)

Still to confirm

• Real estate: check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature)
• Notary or oath: check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature)
• Official form: check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature)
• Simplified court procedure: check Idaho Code 15-3-1201, Collection of personal property by affidavit (Idaho Legislature)

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Facts checked November 2026.

Common questions

Related: Executor guide by state · Estate paperwork help