Probate Records

Guide to locating probate records for ancestry, family history, and genealogy research.

What are probate records?
Relatively few probate records have been microfilmed, so they may need to be used in local and regional German archives. They are often not indexed and require relatively good reading skills.
 * Probate is the legal process distributing real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) to a person's heirs.
 * Testate is the term used when a will existed. Intestate means there was no will, and the court administers and distributes the estate.
 * Other documents may be found in the full probate packet.
 * Probate records are available for only about 10% of families, usually landowners and the wealthy. Most farmers, merchants, and artisans did not own their own farms or shops and did not leave wills.
 * Probate records often pre-date other birth and death records.
 * Wills are found in the town or county where the person lived when the will was made or where they died.

What can you find in probate records?
Information recorded may include:
 * the death date
 * names of heirs
 * family members
 * guardians
 * relationships
 * residences
 * inventories of the estate (including trade and household goods)
 * names of witnesses
 * names of executors

United States

 * Probate records are kept on the county level for most of the United States and any online records will be found in the corresponding county Wiki pages.
 * For general information about probate records, see United States Probate Records
 * Select a State then go to the clickable map to select the county your ancestor died in.

Canada Probate Records

 * Probate records are kept on the county level for most of the United States and any online records will be found in the corresponding county Wiki pages.
 * For general information about probate records, see United States Probate Records
 * Select a State then go to the clickable map to select the county your ancestor died in.