Quick answer: no real property, personal property at or under $100,000, 30 days passed — the affidavit. A sole-heir surviving spouse with real property in the mix — summary administration, with a liability trade-off. Anything else — full probate. Check your own numbers with the Idaho small estate checker.
A shortcut with a real cost attached
Community property removes the question for half of it
Community property generally passes to the surviving spouse outside of probate, since half of it already belongs to that spouse by law — a genuinely significant head start for married Idaho couples before any threshold even comes into play.
Sole-name real property has no affidavit shortcut
Sole-name real property generally needs a probate, a summary administration, a community-property heirship determination, or another court process — there's no dollar threshold at which the small estate affidavit itself starts covering it.
What skips probate before any threshold matters
Jointly held property, assets in a living trust, life insurance proceeds, retirement accounts with named beneficiaries, and payable-on-death accounts all pass outside of probate entirely.
The decision, in order
- Is the asset jointly held, in a trust, or does it have a named beneficiary? → Skips probate entirely.
- Is it community property passing to the surviving spouse? → Skips probate for that half.
- No real property, personal property at or under $100,000, 30 days passed? → Small estate affidavit.
- A sole-heir surviving spouse, willing to assume the estate's debts? → Summary administration.
- None of the above fits → Full probate through the magistrate division.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Whichever track applies, filing happens with the magistrate division in the decedent's own Idaho county.