Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Minnesota, minnesota follows the standard UPC pattern: no bond is required of a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings, except for a special administrator, a will expressly requiring bond, or when bond is required under § 524.3-605. In formal proceedings, no bond is required if the will relieves the PR of bond, or if all interested persons with an interest over $1,000 request none in writing; unless the court finds bond necessary.
Minnesota executor bond: what the statute says
Each line is a short extract quoted from the statute cited; the section has the exceptions.
- When a bond is required. Minn. Stat. § 524.3-603: “No bond is required of a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings, except (1) upon the appointment of a special administrator; (2) when an executor or other personal representative is appointed to administer an estate under a will containing an express requirement of bond; or (3) when bond is required under section 524.3-605 .”
- Waiver. Minn. Stat. § 524.3-603: “No bond shall be required of a personal representative appointed in formal proceedings (i) if the will relieves the personal representative of bond, or (ii) if all interested persons with an apparent interest in the estate in excess of $1,000, other than creditors, make a written request that no bond be required…” “…unless in either case the court determines that bond is required for the protection of interested persons.”
- Surety and cost. Minn. Stat. § 524.3-604: “…that the bond is duly executed by a corporate surety…”
For the rest of the process and its fees, see Minnesota probate cost.
Does Minnesota require an executor to post a bond?
Minnesota follows the standard UPC pattern: no bond is required of a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings, except for a special administrator, a will expressly requiring bond, or when bond is required under § 524.3-605. In formal proceedings, no bond is required if the will relieves the PR of bond, or if all interested persons with an interest over $1,000 request none in writing; unless the court finds bond necessary.
“No bond is required of a personal representative appointed in informal proceedings, except (1) upon the appointment of a special administrator; (2) when an executor or other personal representative is appointed to administer an estate under a will containing an express requirement of bond; or (3) when bond is required under section 524.3-605.”
Source: Minn. Stat. § 524.3-603
Can the will waive it in Minnesota?
Yes. A will can relieve the personal representative of the bond that would otherwise apply in formal proceedings, unless the court determines that bond is required for the protection of interested persons.
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Can the heirs or beneficiaries waive it in Minnesota?
Yes. All interested persons with an apparent interest over $1,000 (other than creditors) can make a written request that no bond be required in formal proceedings, subject to court override.
If a bond is required, how much?
“the personal representative shall file the bond with the court or give other suitable security in an amount not less than the bond”
Source: Minn. Stat. § 524.3-604
What makes Minnesota different
Minnesota is a clean, unmodified example of the UPC’s default-no-bond-for-informal-administration rule, with the added detail of a specific dollar threshold ($1,000) for which interested persons can jointly request no bond in formal proceedings; slightly more generous than Michigan’s higher informal-demand threshold.
| Bond-requirement source | Minn. Stat. § 524.3-603 |
| Minnesota courts (general reference) | Minnesota judicial branch |
| 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 Minnesota.