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Use This County Probate Reference Before You File

This page is built for the detailed county-level checks that generic probate guides usually miss: local filing fees, Surrogate's Court contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Hunterdon County.

Local Fee Schedule

Review county-specific probate filing charges before you estimate total case cost.

Court Rules and Orders

Check the local rules, judge procedures, and administrative orders that can change how a case moves.

Clerk and Filing Logistics

Confirm where to file, whether e-filing is allowed, and how hearings or notices are handled locally.

Hunterdon County Surrogate's Court Guide

Vicinage 13 (Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties) · Surrogate's Court information · Updated July 2026

908-788-1156Surrogate's Court

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Vicinage 13 (Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren Counties)|
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Filing & Fees

Fee Schedule Signals

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Probate Filing Fees

Filing TypeFee
Formal Administration
Standard probate for larger estates
$125
Small Estate Affidavit
For estates under threshold (no court filing needed)
$50

Note: New Jersey Surrogate fees are fixed by statute in N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30 and are identical in all 21 counties. There is no separate county probate filing fee, no percentage probate fee, and no probate tax. Probate of a will of not more than two pages, including letters testamentary and one certificate, is $100.00, plus $5.00 for each additional page of the will and $5.00 for each additional certificate. General administration of an intestate estate, covering the complaint, bond, surety affidavits, recording, indexing, the report to the Division of Taxation and the Clerk of the Superior Court, and the original letters, is $125.00, plus $5.00 per page for other documents. Administration ad prosequendum is $50.00. The affidavit in lieu of administration is charged at $5.00 for each $100.00 of estate value or part thereof, with a total that shall not exceed $50.00, and is waived where the assets do not exceed $200.00; the $50.00 recorded here is that statutory cap, which any qualifying estate above $1,000 reaches. A short certificate is $5.00 each, and $3.00 to validate one within a year of issue. Filing the first paper in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part is $175.00, filing or withdrawing a caveat is $25.00, and a combined refunding bond and release of not more than two pages is $10.00. A formal accounting carries a separate value-scaled audit fee on top of a $175.00 complaint fee. Personal representative commissions (N.J.S.A. 3B:18-13 and 3B:18-14) and the New Jersey Transfer Inheritance Tax (N.J.S.A. 54:34-2) are separate from these filing fees. Confirm the exact charge for your filing with the Hunterdon County Surrogate, because the total depends on page counts and on how many short certificates you order.

New Jersey Surrogate fees are fixed by statute in N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30 and are identical in all 21 counties. There is no separate county probate filing fee, no percentage probate fee, and no probate tax. Probate of a will of not more than two pages, including letters testamentary and one certificate, is $100.00, plus $5.00 for each additional page of the will and $5.00 for each additional certificate. General administration of an intestate estate, covering the complaint, bond, surety affidavits, recording, indexing, the report to the Division of Taxation and the Clerk of the Superior Court, and the original letters, is $125.00, plus $5.00 per page for other documents. Administration ad prosequendum is $50.00. The affidavit in lieu of administration is charged at $5.00 for each $100.00 of estate value or part thereof, with a total that shall not exceed $50.00, and is waived where the assets do not exceed $200.00; the $50.00 recorded here is that statutory cap, which any qualifying estate above $1,000 reaches. A short certificate is $5.00 each, and $3.00 to validate one within a year of issue. Filing the first paper in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part is $175.00, filing or withdrawing a caveat is $25.00, and a combined refunding bond and release of not more than two pages is $10.00. A formal accounting carries a separate value-scaled audit fee on top of a $175.00 complaint fee. Personal representative commissions (N.J.S.A. 3B:18-13 and 3B:18-14) and the New Jersey Transfer Inheritance Tax (N.J.S.A. 54:34-2) are separate from these filing fees. Confirm the exact charge for your filing with the Hunterdon County Surrogate, because the total depends on page counts and on how many short certificates you order.

Required Documents

  • Certified Death Certificate

    Order certified copies from the New Jersey Office of Vital Statistics and Registry or the local registrar. $25 for the initial search and one certified copy, $2 per additional copy of the same record ordered at the same time.

  • Original Will and Codicils

    The Surrogate needs the ORIGINAL signed will. Probating a copy requires a Superior Court action.

  • Application for Probate (county Surrogate form)

    Filed with the Surrogate of the county where the decedent lived at death. Requires the names, addresses, and ages of beneficiaries and next of kin. Cannot be granted until after 10 days from death.

  • Application for Letters of Administration (county Surrogate form)

    Used where the decedent died intestate. A surety bond is normally required, and renunciations from persons with equal or prior right may be needed.

  • Affidavit in Lieu of Administration

    Intestate estates only, under N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 ($50,000 with a surviving spouse, civil union partner, or domestic partner) or 3B:10-4 ($20,000 without, with the written consent of the other heirs), for a decedent dying on or after January 19, 2016.

  • Short Certificate

    $5 each from the Surrogate. This is the proof of authority banks, brokers, and the Motor Vehicle Commission require. Many institutions want one issued within the last 30 to 60 days, so order several.

  • Notice of Probate and Proof of Mailing

    Mailed within 60 days of probate; proof of mailing filed with the Surrogate within 10 days of mailing (R. 4:80-6). $5 per page of the proof of mailing.

  • New Jersey Inheritance Tax Return(IT-R (resident) or IT-NR (nonresident))

    Required whenever any tax is due, or when property passes to someone other than a Class A beneficiary. Due within 8 months after the date of death.

  • Self-Executing Waiver, Form L-8(L-8)

    Filed directly with a bank or transfer agent in most Class A resident-decedent cases to release accounts and securities without a Division waiver. Cannot be used to transfer real estate.

  • Request for Real Property Tax Waiver, Form L-9(L-9 (resident) or L-9 NR (nonresident))

    Requests a real property tax waiver without filing a formal return, in qualifying cases.

  • Refunding Bond and Release

    Taken from each beneficiary on distribution and filed with the Surrogate (N.J.S.A. 3B:23-24). Filing a combined refunding bond and release of not more than two pages is $10, plus $5 per additional page.

E-Filing & Filing Methods

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Filing Methods: in person, by mail

Timelines & Proceedings

Deadlines & Creditor Claims

Key Deadlines

Will Deposit
Verify locally
Creditor Claims
9 months

Creditor Claims

Period Starts
date of death
Statute
N.J.S.A. 3B:22-4

Related Proceedings

Property Recording

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Recording Fees

First Page
$30.00
Additional Pages
$10.00