Only in some cases.
The statute doesn't use the word notarized. The Clark Circuit Court's affidavit form (09/2023) ends with an affirmation under penalties of perjury and has no notary block, while some holders' own forms, like the state retirement system's, must be notarized.
In the source's wording
"I affirm under penalties of perjury that the foregoing representations are true."
From the sources listed below, checked November 2026.
What else the signing needs
- Value limit
- The gross probate estate, less liens, encumbrances and reasonable funeral expenses: $100,000 for deaths after June 30, 2022; $50,000 for deaths from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2022; $25,000 before. The affidavit isn't available for real estate; title can pass by recording a passage of title (or devolution) affidavit with the county recorder (Nolo's summary).
"one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), for the estate of an individual who dies after June 30, 2022."
- Waiting period
- Forty-five days after the death; five days for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer a vehicle or watercraft title.
"Forty-five (45) days after the death of a decedent"
- Where it goes
- Presented to the person holding the property; the statute doesn't call for a court filing.
"upon being presented an affidavit that complies with subsection (b)"
- Official form
- Small Estate Affidavit (State Form 54985). Named in Nolo's summary as Indiana's small estate affidavit; holders can also have their own, like the state retirement system's State Form 54794.
- Other simplified route
- Summary procedure (IC 29-1-8-3). When the gross probate estate, less liens and encumbrances, is no more than $100,000 (deaths after June 30, 2022) plus administration costs and reasonable funeral expenses, the personal representative of an unsupervised estate may distribute it without notice to creditors and then file a closing statement (2025 Indiana Code on Justia).
Next step
Sign by video with our New Jersey notary while you're in Indiana, 7 AM to 9 PM Eastern, seven days a week, by appointment. New Jersey law lets a New Jersey notary notarize for a signer located in another state (N.J.S.A. 52:7-10.10). How Indiana treats it: Indiana says a notarial act performed in another state is presumed valid and has the same effect in Indiana. The section was added in 2017. More on Indiana signers.
Handling an estate from far away? Estate paperwork help near where the estate is.
Ask the bank, holder or court that will receive the affidavit whether it accepts an electronically notarized one.
Notarize it online ($50 per session) Request a mobile notary in Indiana
Booking sends a request; we confirm the time and the price before you pay.
In person, we look for a notary commissioned in Indiana near you; you approve the price first.
If a local notary in Indiana does it: Up to $10 per notarial act, under the state's fee rules (Indiana notary fees).
Get it notarized online today
Online notary: open now until 9 PM ET · sessions by appointment · times confirmed by email
A New Jersey notary can notarize this with you on a video call, wherever you are in the U.S. $50 for the session, $10 for each extra signer. Any other fee shows in the booking form before you confirm. Open 7 am to 9 pm ET, every day, by appointment.
What you need
- A valid government photo ID
- A computer or phone with a camera
- The unsigned document
Our certificate states the act was performed using communication technology, as New Jersey law requires. What it must say
Most U.S. recipients accept a remotely notarized document; check with whoever will receive it. What to ask them · Several signers
Sources
- Indiana Code 29-1-8-1 (copy posted by Cass County, in.gov) (checked November 2026)
- Indiana State Form 54794, Small Estate Affidavit (Indiana Public Retirement System, R10 / 6-26) (checked November 2026)
- Affidavit for Transfer of Assets Without Administration, Clark County Clerk of Courts, Indiana (09/2023, PDF) (checked November 2026)
- Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Indiana (Nolo) (checked November 2026)
- Justia (statute text) (secondary source): IC 29-1-8-3, Summary procedure (2025 Indiana Code, Justia) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
We are not lawyers, and this is general information, not legal advice. Checked November 2026. Rules change, and whoever receives the document decides what it accepts; we can't guarantee acceptance.
Common questions
Is a notary required for a Indiana small estate affidavit?
Only in some cases. The statute doesn't use the word notarized. The Clark Circuit Court's affidavit form (09/2023) ends with an affirmation under penalties of perjury and has no notary block, while some holders' own forms, like the state retirement system's, must be notarized.
What is the small estate limit in Indiana?
The gross probate estate, less liens, encumbrances and reasonable funeral expenses: $100,000 for deaths after June 30, 2022; $50,000 for deaths from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2022; $25,000 before. The affidavit isn't available for real estate; title can pass by recording a passage of title (or devolution) affidavit with the county recorder (Nolo's summary).
How long after a death can the Indiana affidavit be used?
Forty-five days after the death; five days for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer a vehicle or watercraft title.
Is the Indiana affidavit filed with a court?
Presented to the person holding the property; the statute doesn't call for a court filing.
Can I sign the Indiana affidavit with an online notary?
Our New Jersey notary can notarize it by video while you're in Indiana. Indiana says a notarial act performed in another state is presumed valid and has the same effect in Indiana. The section was added in 2017. Ask the bank, holder or court that will receive it whether it accepts an electronically notarized affidavit.
What does a notary charge in Indiana?
Up to $10 per notarial act, under the state's fee rules. A mobile notary may add a travel fee; ask for the total first.
Keep going
A small estate affidavit in another state: Illinois · Iowa · every state