Does a Small Estate Affidavit Need a Notary in Ohio?

Only in some cases.

The release application (form 5.0) has no notary block; a summary release application is signed before a notary or deputy clerk.

What else the signing needs

Value limit: Estate assets of $35,000 or less; $100,000 or less when a surviving spouse is entitled to all of them (named in the will, or the sole heir without one). The court's release order can direct delivery of personal property and transfer of real estate.
"The value of the assets of the estate is thirty-five thousand dollars or less."
Waiting period: No general waiting period for release from administration. The Franklin County Probate Court's real-estate-only release requires the death to be more than six months ago with no creditor claims filed.
"decedent's date of death was longer than six months ago"
Where it goes: An interested party applies to the probate court, with notice to the spouse and heirs unless waived; the court orders the release.
Official form: Form 5.0, Application to Relieve Estate from Administration. Supreme Court of Ohio standard probate form. Open the official form
Other simplified route: Release from administration, and summary release from administration. Release from administration up to $35,000 ($100,000 when the spouse takes everything). Summary release (2113.031) is for estates no larger than the lesser of $5,000 or the funeral bill, or a spouse's support allowance plus up to $5,000 of funeral costs; that application is signed before a notary or deputy clerk.
Surviving spouse: The release limit rises to $100,000 when the surviving spouse is entitled to all the assets.
"The value of the assets of the estate is one hundred thousand dollars or less"

Next step

Sign by video with our New Jersey notary while you're in Ohio, 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 Ohio treats it: Ohio gives notarial acts performed outside Ohio, for use in Ohio, the same effect (ORC §147.51). More on Ohio 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 Ohio

Booking sends a request; we confirm the time and the price before you pay.

In person, we look for a notary commissioned in Ohio near you; you approve the price first.

If a local notary in Ohio does it: Up to $5 for a notarial act that is not an online notarization, under the state's fee rules (Ohio 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

Book an online session

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

Official sources

Ohio Revised Code 2113.03, Release from administration (checked November 2026)
Ohio Revised Code 2113.031, Summary release from administration (checked November 2026)
Supreme Court of Ohio probate form 5.0, Application to Relieve Estate from Administration (PDF) (checked November 2026)
Social Security Administration POMS GN 02315.073, Ohio Small Estates (checked November 2026)
Franklin County Probate Court: Release from administration (no administration, summary release, real estate only) (checked November 2026)

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 Ohio small estate affidavit?

Only in some cases. The release application (form 5.0) has no notary block; a summary release application is signed before a notary or deputy clerk.

What is the small estate limit in Ohio?

Estate assets of $35,000 or less; $100,000 or less when a surviving spouse is entitled to all of them (named in the will, or the sole heir without one). The court's release order can direct delivery of personal property and transfer of real estate.

How long after a death can the Ohio affidavit be used?

No general waiting period for release from administration. The Franklin County Probate Court's real-estate-only release requires the death to be more than six months ago with no creditor claims filed.

Is the Ohio affidavit filed with a court?

An interested party applies to the probate court, with notice to the spouse and heirs unless waived; the court orders the release.

Can I sign the Ohio affidavit with an online notary?

Our New Jersey notary can notarize it by video while you're in Ohio. Ohio gives notarial acts performed outside Ohio, for use in Ohio, the same effect (ORC §147.51). Ask the bank, holder or court that will receive it whether it accepts an electronically notarized affidavit.

What does a notary charge in Ohio?

Up to $5 for a notarial act that is not an online notarization, 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: North Dakota · Oklahoma · every state

Does a small estate affidavit need a notary in Ohio?