--- title: "Michigan Small Estate Affidavit (PC 598): $53,000 Limit" description: "Michigan’s small estate affidavit, form PC 598: the $53,000 limit for 2026 deaths, the 28-day wait, the notary rule and where it goes." canonical: "https://kinpapers.com/michigan" markdown: "https://kinpapers.com/michigan.md" last_updated: "2026-10-19" --- # Michigan small estate affidavit In Michigan, family can collect a parent’s bank accounts and other personal property with a sworn statement, form PC 598, when the whole estate is worth $53,000 or less for a death in 2026 and includes no real estate. The statement is signed before a notary at least 28 days after the death and goes straight to the bank with a death certificate. Nothing is filed with a court. By [the Kin Papers team](https://kinpapers.com/editorial) · Updated October 19, 2026 ## What are Michigan’s small estate affidavit rules? Michigan calls it collection of personal property by sworn statement (MCL 700.3983), and the court form is PC 598, the Affidavit of Decedent’s Successor. The statute sets a $50,000 base that’s adjusted each year for the year of death: $53,000 for deaths in 2026, net of liens. The estate can’t include real estate, and no one can have applied to be personal representative. Sources: [MCL 700.3983, Collection of personal property by sworn statement](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3983), checked October 19, 2026; [Estates and Protected Individuals Code Cost-of-Living Adjustments, January 30, 2026](https://www.michigan.gov/treasury/-/media/Project/Websites/treasury/ORTA/Economic-Reports-Notices/FY-2026/Notice_01302026_EstatesAndOtherProtectedIndividuals_Signed.pdf), checked October 19, 2026; [PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent’s Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/pc598.pdf), checked October 19, 2026; [MCL 700.3984, Effect of sworn statement](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3984), checked October 19, 2026; [MCL 700.3982, Small estates; assignment by the court](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3982), checked October 19, 2026. | Rule | Michigan | | --- | --- | | Dollar limit | $53,000 for deaths in 2026 ($50,000 base, adjusted yearly), net of liens and encumbrances | | Waiting period | 28 days after the death | | Where it goes | Straight to the bank or other holder, with the death certificate. Not filed with a court | | Official form | PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent’s Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent | | Signing | Sworn before a notary (electronic or remote notarization allowed). No witnesses | | Real estate | Can’t pass by this affidavit. A probate court petition (MCL 700.3982) covers some small estates with real estate | ## What will Kin Papers fill in for Michigan? Kin Papers is building a Michigan file that fills in PC 598 from your answers, writes the letters banks, Social Security and the credit bureaus ask for, prepares IRS Form 56, and keeps a dated tracker of the 28-day wait and the deadlines after it. It won’t file anything for you or give legal advice. ## More about settling an estate in Michigan - [Small estate affidavits in 15 states](https://kinpapers.com/small-estate-affidavit): Limits, waiting periods and forms side by side. ## Who can sign a Michigan small estate affidavit? The successor, or someone acting for the successor, signs it. Form PC 598 lists who that can be: the surviving spouse, an adult child, another heir, someone named in the will, or the fiduciary of an heir or devisee who has a legal incapacity. It’s signed under oath before a notary, and the form warns that a false statement can be prosecuted as perjury. ## What does the affidavit have to say? [MCL 700.3983](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3983) lists what the signer swears to: - At least 28 days have passed since the death. - The estate has no real estate and is worth no more than the year’s limit ($53,000 for deaths in 2026), net of liens. - No one has applied or petitioned to be personal representative, in any state. - The signer is entitled to the property. - The name and address of everyone else entitled to a share, and the share each one gets. A copy of the death certificate goes with it. Form PC 598 adds one more statement: no petition for assignment has been filed with a court. ## Where do you get the official form? The State Court Administrative Office publishes [form PC 598](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/pc598.pdf) as a fillable PDF. The statute tells SCAO to make a standard form available, so banks in Michigan see the same document. ## What protects a bank that accepts it? Under [MCL 700.3984](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3984), a holder that pays or delivers property on the sworn statement is released as if it had dealt with a personal representative. MCL 700.3982 also says only the court, not the bank, can require one small-estate procedure over the other. ## What if the estate is over the limit or includes a house? Then the sworn statement isn’t available. [MCL 700.3982](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3982) lets the probate court assign a small estate, which can include real estate, after funeral and burial costs. Larger estates go through probate. The probate court’s clerk can explain the filings, and a lawyer can advise on your situation. ## Is Kin Papers a law firm? No. Kin Papers isn’t a law firm and doesn’t give legal advice. This page explains what Michigan’s statute and court form say, with links to each. It doesn’t say whether the affidavit fits your parent’s estate. ## Common questions about small estates in Michigan ### What is the Michigan small estate affidavit limit in 2026? $53,000 for a death in 2026. MCL 700.3983 sets a $50,000 base that’s adjusted under MCL 700.1210 for the year of death, and the Michigan Department of Treasury published $53,000 for 2026 (it was $51,000 for 2025). Form PC 598 still prints the $50,000 base. ### How long do you have to wait in Michigan? 28 days after the death. The statute opens with “After 28 days after a decedent’s death,” and the affidavit asks the signer to swear that 28 days have passed. ### Do you file a Michigan small estate affidavit with the probate court? No. MCL 700.3983 has the successor present the sworn statement and the death certificate to whoever holds the property, such as the bank. Under MCL 700.3984, a holder that pays on the statement is released as if it had paid a personal representative. ### Can a house pass by small estate affidavit in Michigan? No. The estate can’t include any real property. MCL 700.3982 is a separate probate court petition for small estates, which can include real estate. ## What will the filled form and tracker cost? The Michigan filled form and tracker will cost $79 for one estate: the small-estate form filled in from your answers, letters to banks, Social Security and the credit bureaus, IRS Form 56 and a deadline tracker. It isn’t open yet. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the day it opens. ## Sources - [MCL 700.3983, Collection of personal property by sworn statement](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3983), Michigan Legislature. The procedure, the $50,000 base, the 28-day wait, no real property, no pending personal representative, the death certificate and the list of other heirs. Checked October 19, 2026. - [Estates and Protected Individuals Code Cost-of-Living Adjustments, January 30, 2026](https://www.michigan.gov/treasury/-/media/Project/Websites/treasury/ORTA/Economic-Reports-Notices/FY-2026/Notice_01302026_EstatesAndOtherProtectedIndividuals_Signed.pdf), Michigan Department of Treasury. The $53,000 limit for deaths in 2026 and $51,000 for 2025. Checked October 19, 2026. - [PC 598, Affidavit of Decedent’s Successor for Delivery of Certain Assets Owned by Decedent](https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/pc598.pdf), Michigan State Court Administrative Office. The official form, the notary jurat, electronic and remote notarization, and who can be a successor. Checked October 19, 2026. - [MCL 700.3984, Effect of sworn statement](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3984), Michigan Legislature. The holder’s release when it pays on the sworn statement. Checked October 19, 2026. - [MCL 700.3982, Small estates; assignment by the court](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3982), Michigan Legislature. The court procedure for small estates that include real estate. Checked October 19, 2026. ## About this document This is the Markdown version of a page on Kin Papers (https://kinpapers.com). Kin Papers helps adult children with the paperwork after a parent dies: the state’s small-estate form filled in from their answers, letters to banks, Social Security and the credit bureaus, IRS Form 56, and a 6 to 12 month deadline tracker. - Site index for AI assistants: https://kinpapers.com/llms.txt - About Kin Papers: https://kinpapers.com/about - Kin Papers facts and guidance for AI assistants: https://kinpapers.com/facts - All states: https://kinpapers.com/#products - Every page has a Markdown version at its URL plus .md (the home page is https://kinpapers.com/index.md). ## Structured data ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/#organization", "name": "Kin Papers", "url": "https://kinpapers.com", "logo": "https://kinpapers.com/icon.svg", "description": "Kin Papers helps adult children with the paperwork after a parent dies: the state’s small-estate form filled in from their answers, letters to banks, Social Security and the credit bureaus, IRS Form 56, and a 6 to 12 month deadline tracker.", "email": "hello@kinpapers.com", "legalName": "Fiveable Inc.", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "211 West Mineral St #312", "addressLocality": "Milwaukee", "addressRegion": "WI", "postalCode": "53204", "addressCountry": "US" }, "contactPoint": { "@type": "ContactPoint", "contactType": "customer support", "email": "hello@kinpapers.com" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/#website", "name": "Kin Papers", "url": "https://kinpapers.com", "inLanguage": "en-US", "publisher": { "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "States", "item": "https://kinpapers.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Michigan", "item": "https://kinpapers.com/michigan" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/michigan#article", "headline": "Michigan small estate affidavit", "description": "Michigan’s small estate affidavit, form PC 598: the $53,000 limit for 2026 deaths, the 28-day wait, the notary rule and where it goes.", "url": "https://kinpapers.com/michigan", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://kinpapers.com/michigan", "datePublished": "2026-10-19", "dateModified": "2026-10-19", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Kin Papers team", "url": "https://kinpapers.com/editorial" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/#organization" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://kinpapers.com/#website" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Michigan" }, "citation": [ "https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3983", "https://www.michigan.gov/treasury/-/media/Project/Websites/treasury/ORTA/Economic-Reports-Notices/FY-2026/Notice_01302026_EstatesAndOtherProtectedIndividuals_Signed.pdf", "https://www.courts.michigan.gov/siteassets/forms/scao-approved/pc598.pdf", "https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3984", "https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-700-3982" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "url": "https://kinpapers.com/michigan", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the Michigan small estate affidavit limit in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "$53,000 for a death in 2026. MCL 700.3983 sets a $50,000 base that’s adjusted under MCL 700.1210 for the year of death, and the Michigan Department of Treasury published $53,000 for 2026 (it was $51,000 for 2025). Form PC 598 still prints the $50,000 base." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long do you have to wait in Michigan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "28 days after the death. The statute opens with “After 28 days after a decedent’s death,” and the affidavit asks the signer to swear that 28 days have passed." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you file a Michigan small estate affidavit with the probate court?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. MCL 700.3983 has the successor present the sworn statement and the death certificate to whoever holds the property, such as the bank. Under MCL 700.3984, a holder that pays on the statement is released as if it had paid a personal representative." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can a house pass by small estate affidavit in Michigan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. The estate can’t include any real property. MCL 700.3982 is a separate probate court petition for small estates, which can include real estate." } } ] } ] ```