What's in an estate value check
Each state page below covers what counts toward the estate in that state, which assets actually go through probate, and which pass outside it — from accounts with a named beneficiary to property held jointly. Every rule is tied to a cited statute or official source — see our methodology for how we verify each one.
Probate assets vs. non-probate assets
An asset goes through probate when it is in the decedent's name alone, with no named beneficiary and no survivorship right. An asset skips probate when something else already decides who receives it: a named beneficiary (life insurance, retirement accounts, payable-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts), joint ownership with a right of survivorship, or ownership by a living trust. The value of what does go through probate is the starting point for several other calculators here — it drives probate costs and whether an estate is small enough for an affidavit. Estate and inheritance taxes work differently, because they look at more than the probate estate.
Why it depends on the state
The basic split is the same everywhere, but the details are state law. Whether a house can pass by a transfer-on-death deed, which forms of joint ownership exist, how community property states treat what a couple owns, and which allowances are set aside for a surviving family all differ. A home that skips probate in one state can go straight through it in another.