Skip to content
Estate Affidavit Guide

Iowa Summary Administration Checklist: How to File, Step by Step

Iowa does not publish a fill-in form for Summary Administration — Iowa Code § 635.1 instead lists what a compliant filing must contain. Below is that requirement, explained in plain language and cited section by section. This is informational only and is not legal advice; we do not draft or individualize the filing.

Last reviewed

Iowa does not publish a fill-in form for Summary Administration — Iowa Code § 635.1 instead sets out what a compliant filing must contain. Here is the full sequence, with the statutory fact behind each step.

  1. Confirm the gross value of ALL probate assets — including real estate — is at or under $200,000

    Unlike Iowa's own $50,000 affidavit mechanism, which excludes real estate, this cap is measured against the gross value of every probate asset the decedent owned, including any house or land, at full value. Iowa Code defines 'probate assets' as property subject to administration by a personal representative, and 'property' as including both real and personal property — a decedent's house is not carved out of this calculation.

  2. Identify who may petition, and confirm the applicable filing window

    For an intestate estate, the surviving spouse has first priority to petition (20 days from death), followed by each other class of heir in succession (10 days each), then creditors or other persons showing good grounds, per Iowa Code §§ 633.227-.228. For a testate estate, any interested person may petition to have the will admitted to probate and a personal representative appointed under § 633.290(1)(a)-(b). This mechanism is available either way — it does not require the decedent to have died with or without a valid will.

  3. File the petition with Iowa Code § 635.2's six required elements

    The petition must state the decedent's name, domicile, and date of death; the surviving spouse's name and address; each heir's name and relationship (if intestate); whether the decedent died testate or intestate (and the will's execution date, if testate); a statement that probate assets don't exceed $200,000, plus the approximate personal-property/income amount for bond-setting; and the proposed personal representative's name and address. No official statewide fill-in form exists — Iowa's e-filing system uses the general 'Petition in Probate' case type, since the dedicated small-estate case type was discontinued January 1, 2022.

  4. File the report and inventory within 90 days of qualifying

    Iowa Code § 633.361 requires the personal representative to file a report and inventory — including legal descriptions and estimated values of all Iowa real estate, exempt and non-exempt personal property, and each beneficiary or heir's information — within 90 days of qualifying, unless the court grants more time.

  5. Complete the creditor-notice publication and mailing

    Notice must be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, plus mailed individually to any claimant whose name and address is known. A claim is barred only after the later of four months from the date of the SECOND publication, or one month from the date of mailed notice — miscounting which publication date starts the clock is a common, avoidable mistake.

  6. File the sworn closing statement once all notice periods have run

    The closing statement, verified under penalty of perjury, must affirm the estate's value doesn't exceed $200,000, describe how and to whom the assets (including a full description of any real estate) will be distributed, confirm all tax and claims requirements have been met, and disclose the personal representative's and attorney's fees. Interested parties then have thirty days from service to object.

  7. Let the estate close, or respond to an objection

    If no action is pending 30 days after service of the closing statement, the estate is distributed as stated, and the clerk closes it — without a court order — either once proof of distribution is filed, or 60 days after the closing statement was filed, whichever comes first. If a closing statement isn't filed within 12 months of letters issuing, an interlocutory report is required every 6 months until it is; the whole proceeding is still subject to the general 3-year final-settlement outer bound.

  8. Transfer any real estate with a recorded court officer deed

    Since Iowa has no transfer-on-death deed statute for real property, a house or land with no surviving joint tenant typically moves through this process via a court officer deed, executed by the personal representative once authorized and recorded with the county recorder where the property is located.

The step families get stuck on is presenting the completed filing to a bank, DMV, or title company .

What Iowa requires instead of a fill-in form

Iowa does not publish a fill-in summary administration form. That means the requirements above — read directly against Iowa Code § 635.1 — are what a compliant filing has to satisfy, whether you prepare it yourself where permitted or bring it to an attorney to draft.

The step that isn't really paperwork

Presenting it to the bank, DMV, or title company is where families actually lose time — most front-line staff have never processed this kind of filing before. Free one-pager: what to bring and what to say before you go, emailed now. Then a few short follow-ups over the next few weeks — then we stop. No ongoing newsletter.

Email only — we never ask for estate value, family details, or account numbers, and never sell your address.