Small estates in Ontario: the $150,000 process

Since 2021, Ontario has run a simpler probate stream for small estates — worth $150,000 or less. Shorter forms, no bond for most applicants, and a process genuinely designed for people without lawyers. Here’s how it works and where its edges are.

Do you qualify?

Add up everything the person owned in their own name on the day they died — money, investments, vehicles, belongings, and real estate (its value counts in full for this limit test, though a mortgage on it reduces the taxable value). If the total is $150,000 or less, the small-estate stream is open to you. Exactly $150,000 still counts — the limit is “does not exceed.”

Two honest notes:

• The stream is optional. You can use the standard process for a small estate if you prefer — for example, some asset holders’ processes are built around the standard certificate.
• If the estate includes real estate, think carefully (and consider the standard stream): the land registry’s processes are built around the standard certificate, and the small-estate certificate only covers assets you list.

The special rule: 30 days of notice

This is the trap that catches people. Before you can file, you must send a copy of the signed application to every person entitled to a share of the estate — and then wait at least 30 days. Notice goes by email, mail, or courier. When you do file, your Request to File (Form 74.1B) confirms who you notified and when.

Count the days carefully. Filing on day 29 gets the application returned, and you rejoin the queue.

The forms

Form	What it does
74.1A	The application — who died, who’s applying, who inherits, and a full asset list
74.1B	Request to File — your notice-and-waiting confirmation
74.1C	The draft Small Estate Certificate the registrar will sign

If assets turn up later: Form 74.1E amends the certificate (Form 74.1F is the amended draft) — as long as the new total stays within $150,000. If it pushes past the limit, you apply for a standard certificate instead.

What does 74.1 mean?

74.1 is the number of the court rule for Ontario’s small-estate process — Rule 74.1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. That’s why the small-estate forms all start with 74.1: 74.1A, 74.1B, and 74.1C.

What it costs

The Estate Administration Tax applies as usual: nothing on the first $50,000, then $15 per $1,000 (rounded up) above it. A $150,000 estate pays exactly $1,500. Estates of $50,000 or less pay nothing — though you still file the application if you need the certificate.

What the certificate covers

A Small Estate Certificate gives authority over the assets listed in it. That’s why the asset list on Form 74.1A matters so much: banks release the accounts you listed. Anything you forgot needs the amendment step first.

Related guides

• Every Ontario probate form, in one free list
• How to probate a will, step by step

Sources

• Probate a small estate (ontario.ca)
• The $150,000 limit: O. Reg. 110/21 under the Estates Act
• The 30-day rule and forms: Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 74.1

All sources checked 14 July 2026.