---
title: "Virginia Executor Checklist: First 30 Days | MCC Solutions"
description: "Virginia executor checklist: first 30 days, up to $75,000 small estate limit, 60-day wait, notarized affidavit, 2 will witnesses, official court links."
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/notary/virginia-executor-checklist"
---

Executor checklist · Virginia

# Virginia executor and estate paperwork checklist

The first 30 days, the small estate route, the will at probate, and the official pages to ask, from this state's own court and statute pages.

**Quick answer.** In the first 30 days, an executor in Virginia orders certified death certificates, finds the original will, secures the home, car and mail, lists what the person owned and owed, and holds off on paying debts until it's clear who has authority. For the small estate route, Virginia's official pages give a limit of up to $75,000, a 60-day wait after the death and a notarized affidavit; the paperwork goes to the bank or other holder.

✓ New Jersey commissioned notary, no. 50244803, insured for errors and omissions. [See the credentials](/about/credentials)

**Short answer.** Virginia: up to $75,000 small estate limit; 60-day wait; notarized affidavit; handed to the bank or holder; 2 will witnesses; self-proving affidavit allowed. 11 of 11 state facts below are confirmed on official pages.

**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.

- **Order certified death certificates**Through the funeral director or the vital records office. Order several: banks, insurers, pension plans and the court may each want one.
- **Confirm the death was reported to Social Security**Usually the funeral home does this. If it didn't, phone 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778); a widow or widower, or certain children, may qualify for $255.
- **Locate the signed will and any changes**The signed original matters more than a copy. Keep it whole and somewhere safe, and note who else has a copy.
- **Check the will for a self-proving affidavit**Look for a notarized statement by the witnesses attached to the will; this state allows one (see below).
- **Keep the house and vehicles safe**Tell the insurer about the death so coverage stays in place, take photos of what's inside, and redirect the mail.
- **Pause before paying creditors or dividing keepsakes**Who may act, and in what order bills get paid, depends on the route. Ask before you spend or distribute anything.
- **Stop using the person's power of attorney**A power of attorney ends at the principal's death, so an agent under it can't act for the estate.
- **Start an inventory**Every account, property, vehicle and debt, with how each is held. Beneficiary and joint accounts usually pass directly, not through the estate.
- **Check the total against $75,000**The official page's small estate figure. Leave out anything the page says isn't counted.
- **Count 60 days from the death**That's when the official page says the small estate paperwork can be used.
- **Start the estate ledger**Record every dollar in and out with a receipt: funeral costs, bills paid, money collected.
- **Once you have authority: EIN and an estate account**The 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](https://ssa.gov/personal-record/when-someone-dies) · [IRS: Deceased taxpayers, filing the estate income tax return (Form 1041)](https://www.irs.gov/individuals/deceased-taxpayers-filing-the-estate-income-tax-return-form-1041) · power of attorney: [Power of attorney at a real estate closing](/notary/guides/power-of-attorney-at-a-real-estate-closing).

## The small estate route

- #### ConfirmedSmall estate limit The entire personal probate estate, wherever located, worth no more than $75,000 at the date of death (section most recently amended by 2026 Acts, c. 40). Real estate isn't part of the personal probate estate: the small estate process can't be used to collect real estate, which passes to heirs by recording the will or, without a will, a real estate affidavit (form CC-1612) with the circuit court."does not exceed $75,000" Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/); [Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedReal estate Real estate isn't counted, and the affidavit doesn't transfer it; it needs its own route. Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/); [Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWaiting period after the death 60 days. At least 60 days after the death."That at least 60 days have elapsed since the decedent's death" Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/); [Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedNotary or oath Signed before a notary. Every successor's signature must be notarized."Each successor's signature must be notarized." Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/); [Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes Handed to the bank or other holder. Presented to whoever holds the asset; the statute doesn't require a court filing. Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedOfficial form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit. Prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia and signed by all known successors. Source: [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedSimplified court procedure Payment of a small asset of $35,000 or less without affidavit (64.2-602): A holder may pay a small asset of $35,000 or less to a successor without the affidavit, once 60 days have passed and no personal representative is sought. Sources: [Va. Code 64.2-601, Payment or delivery of small asset by affidavit (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title64.2/chapter6/section64.2-601/); [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf); [Code of Virginia, Title 64.2, Chapter 6, Article 1, Virginia Small Estate Act (Virginia Law)](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter6/article1/); [Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedWorth knowing The affidavit must be made by all known successors on the Supreme Court's form. We didn't find the pre-2026 figure on an official page, so no limit by date of death is shown. Source: [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf), checked November 2026

## The will at probate

When the will goes to the court, these signing rules are what it is checked against.

- #### ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed Two witnesses who are present at the same time, for any will not wholly in the testator's handwriting."in the presence of at least two competent witnesses who are present at the same time" Sources: [Code of Virginia Title 64.2, Chapter 4, Wills](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter4/); [Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in Virginia (Nolo, updated October 2023)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-make-will-31781.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit Allowed, before an officer authorized to administer oaths under Virginia law."before an officer authorized to administer oaths under the laws of the Commonwealth" Sources: [Code of Virginia Title 64.2, Chapter 4, Wills](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter4/); [Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in Virginia (Nolo, updated October 2023)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-make-will-31781.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten Recognized if wholly in the testator's handwriting and signed. At probate, two disinterested witnesses must prove the handwriting."is proved by at least two disinterested witnesses" Sources: [Code of Virginia Title 64.2, Chapter 4, Wills](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title64.2/chapter4/); [Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in Virginia (Nolo, updated October 2023)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-make-will-31781.html), checked November 2026
- #### ConfirmedA witness who inherits A beneficiary may serve as a witness (Nolo, citing Va. Code 64.2-405), though disinterested witnesses are recommended. Source: [Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in Virginia (Nolo, updated October 2023)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-make-will-31781.html), checked November 2026

## Want us to handle it?

We order certified records, pick up and deliver documents, get the small estate affidavit signed and notarized, and file papers near where the estate is, in any state. We are not lawyers.

**Price:** Quote-based, from $199 per job plus government and court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.

[Ask for estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state#request)

## Documents to gather

- 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
- Deeds and mortgage statements
- The official small estate form: CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit

## Who to notify

Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies, Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't). Write once to each, enclose a death certificate copy, and record the reply.

## Documents needed abroad

- #### ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentication Division. $10 per document (not per page). Source: [Secretary of the Commonwealth, Authentication Division](https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/official-documents/authentications/how-to-submit/), checked November 2026

## Where to ask

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

- [Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26)](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf)
- [Probate Shortcuts in Virginia (Nolo)](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/virginia-probate-shortcuts-32176.html)

Virginia kit

## Virginia Executor and Estate Kit

This checklist as printable Word and PDF files: a start-here guide, the first 30 days, the small estate route with its official links, a documents and accounts tracker, plain notification letters (bank, utilities, Social Security), and an Excel estate ledger for assets, debts, payments and distributions.

[Get the kit, $25](/toolkits/va-executor-kit)

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

**Is there a small estate route in Virginia?**

On the official pages we read: The entire personal probate estate, wherever located, worth no more than $75,000 at the date of death (section most recently amended by 2026 Acts, c. 40). Real estate isn't part of the personal probate estate: the small estate process can't be used to collect real estate, which passes to heirs by recording the will or, without a will, a real estate affidavit (form CC-1612) with the circuit court. Handed to the bank or other holder. Presented to whoever holds the asset; the statute doesn't require a court filing.

**How soon after the death can the Virginia small estate paperwork be used?**

60 days. At least 60 days after the death.

**Does the small estate paperwork in Virginia need a notary?**

Signed before a notary. Every successor's signature must be notarized.

**Is there an official Virginia form?**

CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit. Prepared by the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia and signed by all known successors. Link: https://www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/circuit/cc1685inst.pdf

**How many witnesses did a will in Virginia need?**

Two witnesses who are present at the same time, for any will not wholly in the testator's handwriting.

**What about a self-proving affidavit in Virginia?**

Allowed, before an officer authorized to administer oaths under Virginia law.

**Who answers questions about an estate in Virginia?**

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. The official pages behind this checklist: Supreme Court of Virginia form CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit, instructions (rev. 07/26). Remember the 60-day wait before the small estate route.

Related: [Executor guide by state](/notary/executor-guide-by-state) · [Will signing requirements](/notary/will-signing-requirements-virginia) · [Apostille steps](/notary/apostille-virginia) · [Estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state)

## Family far from the estate?

[See estate paperwork help](/notary/estate-paperwork-help-out-of-state)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)