Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: DC’s probate fee scales from no fee under $2,500 to $320 plus 0.2% of value over $100,000 for mid-size estates; a $250,000 estate costs $620.00.
If a trust could save your estate this fee in District of Columbia
A living trust avoids probate entirely in District of Columbia, which means the estate skips the $0 above along with every other cost the court charges once a case is open. LawDepot builds a state-specific one.
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What District of Columbia charges to open probate
District of Columbia sets this fee on a statutory tier tied to the estate’s value, starting at $0 for estates under $2,500 and rising in steps as the estate gets larger.
| Estates under $2,500 | $0 |
| Estates $100,000 to under $500,000 (base + 0.2% of excess) | $320.00 plus 0.2% over $100,000 |
| Example: a $250,000 estate | $620.00 |
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is D.C. Code § 15-707 (statutory floor); D.C. Superior Court Probate Rule 24. In the source’s own words: “General undertaking administrations (including corporate fiduciaries): VALUE OF PROBATE ESTATE / FEE – Less than $2,500 / No fee – $2,500 but less than $10,000 / $12.50 + 0.5% of excess over $2,500 – $10,000 but less than $100,000 / $50 + 0.3% of excess over $10,000”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because District of Columbia prices this by tier, the fee jumps at each threshold in the table above rather than climbing smoothly with the estate’s value. Either way, this is the court’s own charge just to open the file and issue letters, separate from what an attorney charges to actually handle the estate and separate from any state estate or inheritance tax the estate itself might owe.
Sources
Source: D.C. Code § 15-707 (statutory floor); D.C. Superior Court Probate Rule 24.