Quick answer: Opening probate in Utah costs a flat $375 in district court, the same for informal and formal probate (Utah Code § 78A-2-301). Add newspaper publication and a small accounting fee at closing. Unlike the executor and attorney fees, these are flat costs that don't scale with estate size. See the full picture in the Utah probate cost calculator.
Court fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Filing (informal or formal probate) | $375 |
| Final accounting (tiered by estate value) | $15 – $175 |
| Probate documents from another state | $35 |
| Small estate affidavit | $0 (not filed with court) |
Statewide under Utah Code § 78A-2-301; there's no probate-specific subsection, so a probate petition falls under the general $375 civil filing fee.
Why the fee is flat
No value-based scale: Utah doesn't tie the court fee to the size of the estate. A $200,000 estate and a $2,000,000 estate both pay $375 to open. The big variables in Utah probate are the attorney and executor fees (reasonable compensation, § 75-3-718), not the court fee.
Other court & administration costs
- Publication to creditors — newspaper notice, once a week for three weeks (~$100–$200).
- Bond — may be required unless waived by the will or heirs (§ 75-3-603); priced on estate value.
- Certified copies of Letters — a few dollars each.
- Appraisal — if real estate or a business must be valued.
Ways to keep court costs down
- Small estate affidavit — personal property up to $100,000, no real estate; not filed with the court, so no fee at all (§ 75-3-1201).
- Informal probate — registrar-handled, no hearing, no extra court cost over the $375.
- Ask the court clerk for the current fee schedule so you budget the exact amount.