Quick answer: Opening an estate in Montana costs a flat $100 district court filing fee — unusually, it doesn't scale with the size of the estate, among the lowest and simplest fee structures in the country. The collection-by-affidavit procedure needs no court filing at all. Publication and bond are extra. See the full picture in the Montana probate cost calculator.
District court fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Formal, informal, or ancillary probate petition | $100 flat |
| Collection-by-affidavit | $0 (not filed with the court) |
| Certified copies | A few dollars each |
Per the Montana Clerks of District Courts civil fee schedule; confirm with your county clerk, since local practice can vary slightly.
Other administration costs
- Publication to creditors — newspaper notice once a week for three successive weeks (~$100–$200); creditors have the later of 4 months from first publication or 1 year from death.
- Bond — may be required unless waived by the will or the court.
- Appraisal — if real estate or a business must be valued.
- Personal representative & attorney fees — the real variables, both reasonable amounts under § 72-3-631, with no statutory percentage since 2019.
Not the big cost: the flat $100 filing fee is small next to the personal representative and attorney fees. Montana has no estate or inheritance tax, so there's no death-tax layer.
Ways to keep court costs down
- Collection-by-affidavit — probate estate up to $100,000 net of liens, no filing fee at all (MCA § 72-3-1101).
- Summary administration — once the estate falls below statutory allowances and costs (§ 72-3-1103).
- Ask the District Court clerk to confirm the current fee for your county.