Bank accounts after a death in Connecticut

Joint accounts with right of survivorship and payable-on-death accounts pass outside probate to the survivor or beneficiary. For an account in the person's name alone, the small estates procedure leads to a Probate Court decree authorizing the bank to transfer or pay the money directly to the named people; the bank is discharged when it pays under the decree, and may ask for waivers, an indemnity bond and a receipt.

Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.

Bank accounts after a death in Connecticut

Joint accounts with right of survivorship and payable-on-death accounts pass outside probate to the survivor or beneficiary. For an account in the person's name alone, the small estates procedure leads to a Probate Court decree authorizing the bank to transfer or pay the money directly to the named people; the bank is discharged when it pays under the decree, and may ask for waivers, an indemnity bond and a receipt.

Law: Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 45a-273(d), (g), (h)

Source: form PC-212

Source: Official page

Do bank accounts count toward the small estate limit?

Kind of propertyHow it is treatedDetails
Bank accounts in the person's name alone
Counts

Bank accounts in the person's name alone count.

Law: C.G.S. 45a-273(a)

Joint or payable-on-death (POD) bank accounts
Left out

Joint and payable-on-death accounts pass outside probate and are not counted.

Law: C.G.S. 45a-273(a), (b)(2)

What the bank or holder must do

A bank, registrar or other holder that pays or transfers under the court's decree is discharged from liability to anyone, to the extent of what it paid or transferred. As a condition, the holder may ask for appropriate waivers, a bond of indemnity and a receipt.

FDIC insurance after a death

After a deposit owner dies, FDIC insurance on the account stays the same for six months, unless the account is restructured. After six months, coverage is based on who actually owns the money.

Law: 12 CFR 330.3(j)

Death certificates in Connecticut

Follow the Department of Public Health's current instructions for ordering a certified copy of a Connecticut death certificate. For the small estate affidavit, the court asks for a copy with the Social Security number blacked out.

Law: form PC-212

Where to get it
Connecticut Department of Public Health, State Vital Records Office, or the town clerk / registrar of vital statistics
Official page
Official page

Surviving spouse in Connecticut

The surviving spouse has first right to file the small estate affidavit. For Probate Court fees, the value of property passing to the spouse counts at half. Connecticut has no separate, higher small estate limit for a spouse.

Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration (small estates procedure)

You file an affidavit listing the person's solely owned assets and debts with the Probate Court. After at least 30 days, the court issues a decree that tells each holder to pay creditors, transfer assets to the heirs, or transfer them to you to sell. There is usually no hearing.

Limit

Up to $40,000

The person's solely owned personal property cannot be worth more than $40,000, and the person cannot have owned any Connecticut real estate in their name alone.

What counts

The total market value of the person's solely owned tangible and intangible personal property, not counting property that passes outside probate by operation of law (such as joint or beneficiary property). The person must have owned no real estate in Connecticut in their name alone.

Waiting period

The court sends a copy of the affidavit to the state Department of Administrative Services and cannot issue its decree until 30 days after that. The procedure also applies only if no will is presented for probate and no application for administration is filed within 30 days after the death.

Who can use it

The surviving spouse; if there is no spouse, any next of kin; if there are none, or they refuse, any person the court finds has a sufficient interest, including a person or business owed a claim, expense or tax (such as a funeral home).

Court or where to file

Probate Court for the probate district where the person lived at death.

Notary

Signed under penalty of false statement; no notary is required.

Papers to attach
  • Copy of the death certificate with the Social Security number blacked out
  • Form PC-212CI (Confidential Information) with the person's Social Security number
  • Form PC-212A (Request for Order of Distribution) with the names and addresses of all heirs and any will beneficiaries, if assets are more than the expenses and claims, or if someone who paid expenses waives repayment
  • List of each solely owned asset with account or vehicle identification (VIN) number and fair market value
  • List of funeral, administration and last-illness expenses, taxes and other debts, showing who paid any of them
Steps
  1. Confirm the person had no Connecticut real estate in their name alone and that their solely owned personal property is $40,000 or less.
  2. Fill in form PC-212, listing every solely owned asset and every expense and debt, and whether the person or their spouse or children ever received aid or care from the State of Connecticut.
  3. Attach the redacted death certificate, PC-212CI and, if needed, PC-212A.
  4. File it with the Probate Court for the district where the person lived and pay the fee.
  5. Wait at least 30 days while the court notifies the Department of Administrative Services.
  6. Receive the court's decree and certificates, and give them to each bank, the DMV or other holder to transfer or pay the assets as ordered.
Fee

The Probate Court fee is set by statute from the value of the estate: $25 for $0 to $500; $50 for $501 to $1,000; $50 plus 1% of the amount over $1,000 for $1,000 to $10,000; and $150 plus 0.35% of the amount over $10,000 for $10,000 to $500,000 (deaths on or after July 1, 2016). The part of the value passing to a surviving spouse counts at half. The minimum fee is $25.

If you can't pay

If you cannot pay, you can ask the Probate Court to waive the fees with form PC-184 (Request/Order - Waiver of Fees), signed under penalty of false statement.

Debts and responsibility

Anyone who receives a transfer or payment under the decree is liable for its value for any estate, succession or transfer tax, and to any executor or administrator appointed later.

What the bank or holder must do

A bank, registrar or other holder that pays or transfers under the court's decree is discharged from liability to anyone, to the extent of what it paid or transferred. As a condition, the holder may ask for appropriate waivers, a bond of indemnity and a receipt.

Law: Conn. Gen. Stat. secs. 45a-273, 45a-275, 45a-107, 45a-111

Source: Official page

Good to know in Connecticut

  • The small estates procedure is not available if the person owned any Connecticut real estate in their own name, no matter how little it was worth.
  • Even if there is a will, the small estates procedure can be used in some cases: the court distributes under the will only if the heirs waive their right to contest it, and otherwise dismisses the affidavit if heirs and beneficiaries do not agree.
  • Transfers and payments under a small estate decree are exempt from the Connecticut succession tax.

Changes in 2024–2026

P.A. 24-81, effective July 1, 2024, amended the payment order for small estates of people who received state aid or care. No change to the $40,000 limit was found. Bills to adopt the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act did not pass.

Law: C.G.S. 45a-273(e)(1), adding a reference to sec. 4a-12; H.B. 6896 in 2025 and H.B. 5266 in 2026

Letters to a bank

Use the free tools below to ask a bank for the balance on the date of death or to present a signed small estate affidavit.

Related pages

Free help in Connecticut

A court self-help center or a legal aid office can check whether the estate qualifies, free of charge or at low cost.