Florida Summary Administration Limit: $150,000 and No Waiting Period (2026)

Florida's streamlined probate alternative is called summary administration, and it's one of the fastest in the nation. For estates under $150,000 with no real property, there's no mandatory waiting period.

This guide explains Florida's $150,000 limit and how summary administration works.

The $150,000 Limit

Florida allows summary administration for estates where the total value of probate assets is $150,000 or less and the estate contains no real property owned solely by the decedent. Florida doubled its summary administration threshold from $75,000 to $150,000 in a law that took effect July 1, 2026.

Probate assets are those owned in the decedent's sole name with no named beneficiary or joint owner.

No Waiting Period in Florida

Unlike California (40 days) and Texas (30 days), Florida has no mandatory waiting period. You can begin the summary administration process immediately after death.

This makes Florida one of the fastest states for settling small estates.

What Summary Administration Includes

Summary administration in Florida involves:

1. Filing a petition with the probate court
2. Serving notice on heirs and creditors
3. The judge reviewing and approving the petition
4. Distributing assets to beneficiaries
5. Closing the estate

Despite the court involvement, summary administration typically closes in 2 to 4 months, compared to 6 to 12 months for full probate.

Assets That Don't Count Toward the Limit

• Joint accounts
• Payable-on-death (POD) accounts
• Life insurance proceeds (unless estate is beneficiary)
• Retirement accounts with named beneficiaries
• Trust assets
• Transfer-on-death vehicles

Real Example

A Florida executor has:

• Checking account (sole): $25,000
• Savings account (sole): $18,000
• Vehicle (sole): $7,000
• Life insurance (named beneficiary): $150,000

Probate estate: $50,000

Result: Qualifies for summary administration. The $150,000 life insurance passes to the named beneficiary outside probate and doesn't count toward the limit.

Full Probate vs. Summary Administration in Florida

Factor	Summary Admin	Full Probate
Estate limit	Under $150k, no real property	Any size
Waiting period	None	Varies
Court involvement	Yes, but streamlined	Yes, extensive
Time to close	2 to 4 months	6 to 12 months
Cost	$1,000 - $2,500	$5,000 - $20,000+
Will required	No	Can be no will

Next Steps

If your Florida estate qualifies for summary administration:

1. Gather probate assets and values
2. Locate the original will (if any)
3. Prepare the petition for summary administration
4. File with the probate court
5. Serve notice on heirs and creditors

Use ExecutorBench's free eligibility checker to confirm your estate qualifies.

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Disclaimer: ExecutorBench provides self-help workflow software and document preparation support. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. For specific questions about Florida summary administration, consult an attorney licensed in Florida.