Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In District of Columbia, d.C. (UPC-based) requires each personal representative to execute a bond unless excused by the decedent’s will or by the written waiver of all interested persons; even after such a waiver, any interested person or creditor with an interest/claim over $1,000 can demand a bond.
Does District of Columbia require an executor to post a bond?
D.C. (UPC-based) requires each personal representative to execute a bond unless excused by the decedent’s will or by the written waiver of all interested persons; even after such a waiver, any interested person or creditor with an interest/claim over $1,000 can demand a bond.
“Unless excused from giving bond by the decedent’s will or written waiver of all interested persons, each personal representative shall execute a bond to the District of Columbia for the benefit of interested persons and creditors with a surety or sureties approved by the Court.”
Source: D.C. Code § 20-502
Can the will waive it in District of Columbia?
Yes. ‘Unless excused from giving bond by the decedent’s will or written waiver of all interested persons, each personal representative shall execute a bond…’; a will’s express excusal is one of the two ways to avoid the default requirement.
If a DIY will is the right route for you in District of Columbia
Because District of Columbia’s own bond rule turns on what your will says, a properly executed will is the actual lever here, not paperwork on the side. LawDepot builds a state-specific last will and testament, which you then sign and witness under your state’s rules.
LawDepot pays us a commission if you buy through this link and it costs you nothing extra. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Affiliate Disclosure.
Can the heirs or beneficiaries waive it in District of Columbia?
Yes. Bond can also be excused by ‘written waiver of all interested persons,’ independent of any will provision; but no waiver is effective for a person who is not a competent adult, and any interested person/creditor with a stake over $1,000 can still demand bond up to the value of that stake.
If a bond is required, how much?
When a bond is required, District of Columbia sizes it at 100% of the estimated value of the personal estate plus expected annual income, per its own bond-amount statute.
“The penalty sum of any bond required by subsection (a) shall be fixed by the Court in an amount not exceeding the probable maximum value of the personal and D.C. real property of the estate at any time during administration”
Source: D.C. Code § 20-502(d)(1)
What makes District of Columbia different
D.C.’s waiver is never absolute: it protects only those interested persons who actually joined the waiver, and it builds in a dollar-denominated trigger ($1,000+ interest or claim) letting any non-waiving party force a bond sized to their own stake, rather than an all-or-nothing bond for the whole estate.
| Bond-requirement source | D.C. Code § 20-502 |
| District of Columbia courts (general reference) | District of Columbia judicial branch |
| District of Columbia Secretary of State / legislature | District of Columbia state government |
| Confidence | High |
Every statute quoted on this page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; a probate court has final discretion over bond in every state; confirm your own case with the court or a local attorney before relying on the default described here.
Related: how long creditors have to file a claim against an estate in District of Columbia.
Related: how long you have to contest a will in District of Columbia.