Nebraska executor and estate paperwork checklist

This is an organizer, not legal advice. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation.

The first 30 days

General steps in plain words. Tick them off as you go; the ticks stay on this screen only.

1. Ask for certified death certificates, more than you thinkThe funeral director or vital records office issues them. Institutions often keep the copy you send, so plan on one each.
2. Confirm the death was reported to Social SecurityUsually the funeral home does this. If it didn't, phone 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778); a widow or widower, or certain children, may qualify for $255.
3. Find the original willLook for the signed original and any codicils (later changes). Keep the original safe and unaltered; make copies for yourself.
4. See whether a self-proving affidavit is attachedIt's a sworn page signed by the witnesses, usually at the end of the will; the rule for this state is below.
5. Secure the home, car and mailLock up, keep the insurance in force, photograph valuables and forward the mail to yourself.
6. Don't pay bills or hand out belongings yetFirst learn which route fits and who is allowed to act; ask the probate office or an attorney about anything urgent.
7. Put the power of attorney awayA power of attorney ends at the principal's death. Whoever was the agent no longer signs for the person.
8. List what the person owned and owedNote how each asset is held: in the person's name alone, jointly, or with a named beneficiary. Accounts with a beneficiary or joint owner usually pass outside the will.
9. Check the total against $100,000The official page's small estate figure. Leave out anything the page says isn't counted.
10. Count 30 days from the deathThat's when the official page says the small estate paperwork can be used.
11. Start the estate ledgerRecord every dollar in and out with a receipt: funeral costs, bills paid, money collected.
12. When appointed, get an EIN and open an estate accountPay estate bills from that account only. Form 1041 is due if the estate has more than $600 of gross income in a year (IRS).

Sources for the federal steps: Social Security Administration: When someone dies · IRS: Deceased taxpayers, filing the estate income tax return (Form 1041) · power of attorney: Power of attorney at a real estate closing.

The small estate route

• ConfirmedSmall estate limit

  All personal property, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances, up to $100,000 (as amended by LB 85, 2025).

  "does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars"

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedReal estate

  Real estate isn't counted, and the affidavit doesn't transfer it; it needs its own route.

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWaiting period after the death

  30 days. Thirty days after the death.

  "Thirty days after the death of a decedent"

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedNotary or oath

  Sworn; a notary can give the oath. The successors swear or affirm the statements are true, under penalty of perjury.

  "swear or affirm that all statements in the affidavit are true and material"

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes

  Handed to the bank or other holder. Presented to whoever owes the debt or holds the property; vehicles and boats go to the Department of Motor Vehicles for a new title.

  "upon being presented an affidavit made by or on behalf of the successor"

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedOfficial form

  Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate (CC 15:40). The Nebraska Judicial Branch's self-help form; its page says it must be signed in the presence of a notary.

  Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature) (official form), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSimplified court procedure

  Summary administration: A shorter probate for an estate that, after liens and encumbrances, is no more than the homestead allowance, exempt property, family allowance, administration costs, funeral expenses and last-illness medical expenses. Real estate in the state worth up to $50,000 has its own affidavit, filed with the county register of deeds.

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-24,125 (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024); Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate, checked November 2026

The will at probate

Signing rules for wills, as they bear on getting the will accepted.

• ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed

  The testator signs or acknowledges in front of two witnesses, and both sign (30-2327, per Nolo).

  "you must sign or acknowledge your will in front of two witnesses"

  Source: Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Nebraska (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit

  Optional. Under 30-2329, as Nolo describes it, the testator and the two witnesses swear to an affidavit in front of a notary, which speeds up probate.

  Source: Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Nebraska (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten

  Recognized if the signature, the material provisions and the date are in the testator's handwriting.

  "is valid as a holographic will, whether or not witnessed"

  Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 30-2328, Holographic will (Nebraska Legislature); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Nebraska (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedA witness who inherits

  Nolo reads 30-2330 this way: a witness who also inherits may lose whatever the will gives beyond their intestate share.

  Source: Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Nebraska (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

Documents to gather

• Recent bills, loan and credit card statements
• Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
• Safe deposit box location and keys
• Certified death certificates
• The original will and any codicils
• Deeds and mortgage statements
• Vehicle titles and registrations
• Recent bank, brokerage and retirement statements
• Life insurance policies and annuities
• The last few years of tax returns
• The official small estate form: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate (CC 15:40)

Who to notify

Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies, Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies, Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't). Write once to each, enclose a death certificate copy, and record the reply.

Documents needed abroad

• ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad

  Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Nebraska Secretary of State, Notary Division. $10 per document or notarization, regardless of pages. Vital records: Birth and death certificates are among the documents the office authenticates (signed by a state or county official).

  Source: Nebraska Secretary of State, Notary Division, checked November 2026

Where to ask

An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Official pages for Nebraska:

• Probate Shortcuts in Nebraska (Nolo, updated 4/08/2024)
• Nebraska Judicial Branch self-help: Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate
• Affidavit for Transfer of Personal Property without Probate (CC 15:40)

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. An estate attorney or the county probate/surrogate office answers questions about your situation. Facts checked November 2026.

Common questions

Related: Executor guide by state · Will signing requirements · Apostille steps · Estate paperwork help