Quick answer: at or under $45,000, no real property beyond a timeshare — the small estate procedure. Sole heir or sole beneficiary, no Vermont real property, regardless of value — Waiver of Administration. Anything else — full probate. Check your own numbers with the Vermont small estate checker.
A second, distinct shortcut tied to who inherits, not the dollar amount
The timeshare exception is narrow, not a general real-estate allowance
Owning any Vermont real estate generally means probate is required, absent a TOD deed or a living trust — a timeshare is the sole, specific exception carved out for the small estate procedure.
Deeds go to the town, not the county
Deeds themselves are recorded with the town clerk, not a county office — a distinctive feature of Vermont's local government structure that surprises people used to county-level recording elsewhere.
What skips probate before any threshold matters
A Transfer on Death deed recognized under 14 V.S.A. §6301, payable-on-death bank accounts, joint tenancy with right of survivorship, and assets held in a living trust all pass outside of probate.
The decision, in order
- Is the asset in a trust, jointly held, or covered by a TOD deed? → Skips probate entirely.
- Sole heir or sole beneficiary, no Vermont real property? → Waiver of Administration.
- No real property beyond a timeshare, estate at or under $45,000? → Small estate procedure.
- None of the above fits → Full probate through the Probate Division.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Whichever track applies, filing happens with the Probate Division in the decedent's own county — Vermont has 14, each with one probate district.