Quick answer: personal property only, at or under $15,000, no real estate — the voluntary executor/administrator certification. Any real property present, or personal property above that threshold — full probate. Check your own numbers with the Rhode Island small estate checker.
Real estate always needs its own path
A specific, three-week publication requirement
Creditor notice must be published in a local newspaper for 3 consecutive weeks and mailed to all known creditors, with a 6-month creditor claim period running from first publication — no final distribution is permitted before that period ends.
A 90-day inventory deadline
An inventory of estate assets must be filed with the probate court within 90 days of the personal representative's appointment, under RIGL §33-9-1.
What skips probate before any threshold matters
Assets titled in a revocable living trust, and beneficiary designations on 401(k)s, IRAs, life insurance, and annuities, all pass outside of probate and override the will.
The decision, in order
- Is the asset in a trust, jointly held, or covered by a beneficiary designation? → Skips probate entirely.
- No real property, personal property at or under $15,000? → Voluntary executor/administrator certification.
- Any real property present, or personal property above $15,000? → Full probate through the municipal probate court.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Whichever track applies, filing happens with the probate court of the decedent's own city or town — Rhode Island has 39, with no county-level court in between.