Oregon 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

Work down the list; nothing you tick is saved or sent. The steps are general, the dates come from the official pages.

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. Check that Social Security has been toldThe funeral home usually reports it. Otherwise call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), and ask about the $255 lump-sum death payment for a surviving spouse or some children.
3. Locate the signed will and any changesThe signed original matters more than a copy. Keep it whole and somewhere safe, and note who else has a copy.
4. Check the will for a self-proving affidavitLook for a notarized statement by the witnesses attached to the will; this state allows one (see 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. Write down every asset and debtFor each, record whose name it's in and whether a beneficiary or co-owner is listed; those usually go straight to that person.
9. Compare the estate with $275,000That's the small estate figure on this state's official page. Count only what the page says counts.
10. Mark day 30 after the deathThe small estate route opens 30 days after the death, per the official page.
11. Keep an account of every transactionWrite down each payment and each deposit with the date and a receipt; heirs and the court may ask to see it.
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

  The estate's fair market value up to $275,000, with no more than $200,000 in real property and no more than $75,000 in personal property.

  "An affidavit can be filed if the fair market value of the estate is $275,000 or less."

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedReal estate

  Real estate counts toward the value, and the procedure can reach it.

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWaiting period after the death

  30 days. Not less than 30 days after the death.

  "Not less than 30 days after the death of the decedent"

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedNotary or oath

  Sworn; a notary can give the oath. Filing the affidavit is swearing that it's true.

  "you are swearing that the information in the affidavit is true"

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWhere the paperwork goes

  Through a court office. Filed with the clerk of the probate court ($124 fee), with a certified death certificate (and the original will, if any); copies go to the Department of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority.

  "with the clerk of the probate court"

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedOfficial form

  Affidavit of Claiming Successor (intestate or testate estate). Linked from the court's probate self-help page.

  Source: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSimplified court procedure

  Small estate affidavit filed with the circuit court: The small estate procedure itself: the court calls it a shorter, less expensive alternative to probate, with no personal representative appointed and no letters issued.

  Sources: Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help; Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature); Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ, checked November 2026

• ConfirmedWorth knowing

  SB 15 (2025) restates the $75,000 personal and $200,000 real property caps (manufactured homes count with real property) for deaths on or after its effective date.

  Source: Oregon SB 15 (2025), enrolled (Oregon Legislature), checked November 2026

The will at probate

How the will had to be signed matters when it's offered to the court.

• ConfirmedWitnesses the will needed

  Two witnesses, who each see the testator sign or acknowledge the signature and then sign.

  "At least two witnesses shall each:"

  Sources: ORS Chapter 112, Intestate Succession and Wills (Oregon Legislature); Justia (statute text) (secondary source): ORS 112.235, Execution of a will (2021 Oregon Revised Statutes, Justia); FindLaw Codes (secondary source): ORS 112.238, Exception to will execution formalities (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2023); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Oregon (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedSelf-proving affidavit

  A witness's signature on an affidavit signed at the same time as the will counts as a witness signature. The statute we read doesn't mention a notary.

  "executed contemporaneously with execution of a will"

  Sources: ORS Chapter 112, Intestate Succession and Wills (Oregon Legislature); Justia (statute text) (secondary source): ORS 112.235, Execution of a will (2021 Oregon Revised Statutes, Justia); FindLaw Codes (secondary source): ORS 112.238, Exception to will execution formalities (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2023); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Oregon (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedIf the will is handwritten

  Not recognized as a separate kind of will: every will must be in writing and signed by the testator and two witnesses (ORS 112.235). A document that misses those steps, handwritten or not, can be treated as a will only if a court finds clear and convincing evidence the person meant it as one (ORS 112.238).

  "a will shall be in writing and shall be executed in accordance with the following formalities"

  Sources: Justia (statute text) (secondary source): ORS 112.235, Execution of a will (2021 Oregon Revised Statutes, Justia); FindLaw Codes (secondary source): ORS 112.238, Exception to will execution formalities (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2023), checked November 2026

• ConfirmedA witness who inherits

  A will signed by an interested witness isn't invalid for that reason.

  "A will attested by an interested witness is not thereby invalidated."

  Sources: ORS Chapter 112, Intestate Succession and Wills (Oregon Legislature); Justia (statute text) (secondary source): ORS 112.235, Execution of a will (2021 Oregon Revised Statutes, Justia); FindLaw Codes (secondary source): ORS 112.238, Exception to will execution formalities (FindLaw Codes, current as of January 1, 2023); Nolo (secondary source): How to Make a Will in Oregon (Nolo, updated August 2025), checked November 2026

Documents to gather

• 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
• Recent bills, loan and credit card statements
• Pension, Social Security and benefit letters
• The official small estate form: Affidavit of Claiming Successor (intestate or testate estate)

Who to notify

Utilities and phone, Landlord or mortgage servicer, Credit card companies, Pension or employer, Social Security (if the funeral home hasn't), Banks and credit unions, Brokerage and retirement accounts, Life insurance companies. A brief letter and a copy of the death certificate usually start each one; note the date and the person you reached.

Documents needed abroad

• ConfirmedA death certificate needed abroad

  Apostilles for this state's documents come from the Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division. $10 per apostille. Vital records: An original certified copy, not a photocopy.

  Source: Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division, checked November 2026

Where to ask

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

• Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help
• Oregon Judicial Department, Multnomah County Circuit Court: Probate FAQ

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 · Estate paperwork help