Quick answer: personal property within the $30,000 exemption or covered by the no-debt unanimous track — a dispensing petition. A house involved on its own doesn't force administration; a power-of-sale clause, unresolved debts reaching the land, or personal property above these tracks typically does. Check your own numbers with the Kentucky small estate checker.
The house often isn't the trigger at all
What actually triggers full administration
Full administration typically becomes necessary because of other assets, unresolved debts, or a will that directs the executor to sell land — not simply because a house exists in the estate. Personal property above the small-estate tracks, unresolved creditor claims, or a power-of-sale clause are the more common triggers.
Joint tenancy sidesteps the whole question
Joint tenancy with survivorship is not treated as a probate asset in Kentucky — the surviving owner simply takes the property directly, without a court proceeding of any kind.
A 2026 reform reshuffled who inherits without a will
Under the 2026 SB 50 reform, the surviving spouse now takes the real estate first when there's no will, with dower or curtesy rights layered on top of that share — a meaningful change worth knowing for any intestate Kentucky estate involving a house.
The decision, in order
- Is the asset in joint tenancy with survivorship, or has a named beneficiary? → Skips probate entirely.
- Is it real estate, with no power of sale and no debts requiring it? → Vests directly in the heirs; no administration needed for that asset.
- Personal property within $30,000 (spouse/children), or estate owes no debts and everyone agrees? → Dispensing petition.
- None of the above fits → Full administration.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Whichever track applies, filing happens with the District Court in the county with jurisdiction over the estate — Jefferson, Fayette, and Kenton County among the busiest.