Louisiana 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

Work down the list; nothing you tick is saved or sent. The steps are general, the dates come from the official pages.

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. Protect the propertyChange locks if keys are out, keep insurance paid, and have the mail forwarded so bills and statements reach you.
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. List what the person owned and owedNote how each asset is held: in the person's name alone, jointly, or with a named beneficiary. Accounts with a beneficiary or joint owner usually pass outside the will.
9. Compare the estate with $200,000That's the small estate figure on this state's official page. Count only what the page says counts.
10. Keep an account of every transactionWrite down each payment and each deposit with the date and a receipt; heirs and the court may ask to see it.
11. 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

  For a person who died domiciled in Louisiana, property with a gross value of $200,000 or less at the date of death; $125,000 for Louisiana property of a person domiciled elsewhere; any value if the death was at least 20 years before the affidavit.

  "a gross value of two hundred thousand dollars or less valued as of the date of death"

  Source: Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedReal estate

  Real estate counts toward the value, and the procedure can reach it.

  Source: Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• Not confirmedWaiting period after the death

  Not confirmed — check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature).

• Not confirmedNotary or oath

  Not confirmed — check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature).

• Not confirmedWhere the paperwork goes

  Not confirmed — check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature).

• Not confirmedOfficial form

  Not confirmed — check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature).

• ConfirmedSimplified court procedure

  Small succession affidavit: Heirs and the surviving spouse handle a small succession by affidavit instead of a court-opened succession; an endorsed copy is authority for paying money or delivering property.

  Source: Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWorth knowing

  Article 3421 was most recently amended by Acts 2026, No. 293. Act 90 of 2024 (effective August 1, 2024) let testate small successions with immovable property use the affidavit.

  Source: Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

The will at probate

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

• ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed

  Two witnesses and a notary. A notarial testament is signed before a notary public in the presence of two witnesses, and the testator, each witness and the notary sign it.

  "signed by the testator, each witness, and the notary"

  Source: La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit

  Built into the notarial testament: signed on each page with a declaration signed by the notary and the witnesses, it can be accepted without further proof (Code of Civil Procedure art. 2887).

  "In our presence the testator has declared or signified that this instrument is his testament"

  Source: La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten

  Recognized as an olographic testament if entirely written, dated and signed in the testator's handwriting.

  "entirely written, dated, and signed in the handwriting of the testator"

  Source: La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature), checked November 2026

• Not confirmedA witness who inherits

  Not confirmed — check La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature).

Documents to gather

• Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
• Safe deposit box location and keys
• Certified death certificates
• The original will and any codicils
• 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

Who to notify

Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't), Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies, Pension or employer. Send a short letter with a copy of the death certificate, and keep a log of who you told and when.

Documents needed abroad

• ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad

  Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division. $20 per document; $10 per document if the content relates to an adoption. Vital records: Original certified copies from Vital Records; photocopies are not accepted, and these don't need to be notarized.

  Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, Commissions Division, checked November 2026

Where to ask

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

• Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature)
• Résumé digest, Act 90 (SB 32) of the 2024 Regular Session (Louisiana Legislature)
• La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature)
• La. Civil Code art. 1575, Olographic testament; requirements of form (Louisiana Legislature)

Still to confirm

• Waiting period after the death: check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature)
• Notary or oath: check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature)
• Where the paperwork goes: check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature)
• Official form: check Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 3421, Small successions defined (Louisiana Legislature)
• A witness who inherits: check La. Civil Code art. 1576, Notarial testament; requirements of form (Louisiana 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