Quick answer: wait 30 days from the date of death, confirm personal property (less liens) is at or under $100,000, get the $1 form from the state law library or district court, and present it directly to the asset holder. Check whether an estate qualifies with the Montana small estate checker.
Step by step
- Wait 30 days from the date of death.
- Total the probate estate, less liens and encumbrances, against the $100,000 cap.
- Confirm no personal representative appointment is pending or granted anywhere.
- Get Form 17.1 from the state law library or district court for $1.
- Present the notarized affidavit directly to the bank, institution, or transfer agent.
A genuinely inexpensive official form
Worth knowing: the Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property of Decedent is available from the state law library or the district court for $1 — a genuinely low cost for the official paperwork itself.
Securities transfer agents are bound by it too
A transfer agent of any security must change the registered ownership from the decedent to the successor upon presentation of the affidavit — the same document covers bank accounts, tangible personal property, and stock.
Facing probate in Montana?
Talk to a Montana attorneyA local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Every Montana county's District Court and state law library offers this same $1 form, and Mont. Code Ann. §72-3-1101 applies identically statewide.