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Ten Copies

Clerk's desk/August 30, 2026

Small-estate affidavits still want a copy

If a bank or court clerk asks for a small-estate affidavit, they almost always want a certified death certificate attached. This desk does not tell you whether that affidavit is available in your state.

Some courts and some banks use a short affidavit instead of a full estate case when the property is small. Whether that path exists, who may sign it, and the dollar limit are questions for that state's court or for a licensed attorney. Ten Copies does not answer them and does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

The paper this desk can help you find

  • A certified death certificate from the vital records office in the jurisdiction of death. That is the same paper banks and insurers already want.
  • Court self-help pages that mention small-estate affidavits typically list a certified death certificate as an attachment. That is a records requirement, not permission to skip court.
  • Order extras on the first vital-records request. The affidavit does not replace the certified copy. The clerk who takes the affidavit will keep a copy.
  • Find the issuing office with CDC Where to Write for Vital Records or the state desk on this site.

This is general administrative information, not legal advice. If you need to know whether a small-estate procedure applies to a particular estate, ask the court clerk where the property sits or a licensed attorney.