State guide
Alabama
Alabama probate notice practice is a mix of older estate-claims statutes and newer small-estate rules. The state also has a separate required notice channel to the Alabama Medicaid Agency, and the small-estate value is now tied to inflation-adjusted allowance amounts rather than the old fixed cap.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Publishing the notice
- Within one month after letters issue, the personal representative must arrange publication once a week for three successive weeks in a local newspaper; if none exists, use a newspaper nearest the courthouse or in an adjoining county, and actual mailed notice is required for known creditors.
- Creditor claim deadline
- 6 months after grant of letters or 5 months after first publication, whichever is later; known creditors get at least 30 days after actual notice
- Outside deadline
- 2 years after death for claims seeking to charge decedent’s real estate against purchasers or mortgagees
- Law
- Ala. Code §§ 43-2-60, 43-2-61, 43-2-350, 6-2-41
- Small-estate limit
- Current published small-estate valuation is $47,000 until March 31, 2027; official memo says $51,175 applies to exemptions claimed on or after April 1, 2027
Official resources in Alabama
Official probate forms page residents can use to find Alabama probate court forms.
Official state code site for probate statutes, including estate administration and claims provisions.
Official comptroller page that publishes probate-judge memoranda, including small-estate valuation updates.
Key facts for Alabama
- Personal representatives must give notice of appointment within one month from the grant of letters. Ala. Code §43-2-60; Probate Judges Handbook.
- Publication is once a week for three successive weeks; if no local or county newspaper exists, use one nearest the courthouse or in an adjoining county. Probate Judges Handbook.
- Known or reasonably ascertainable creditors must receive actual notice by first-class mail to the last known address. Ala. Code §43-2-61; Probate Judges Handbook.
- Claims are barred unless filed within six months from letters or five months from first publication, whichever is later. Ala. Code §43-2-350; Probate Judges Handbook.
- For known creditors, the closing forms reflect at least 30 days after actual notice before other claims expire. Probate Judges Handbook forms.
- Alabama Medicaid notice is separately required by Act 2019-489, and the portal issues a certificate to file in probate court. Official portal.
What to do next
- Open the estate promptly, then publish and mail creditor notice early so the claims clock starts running.
- Check whether the estate may fit Alabama’s small-estate procedure before filing a full administration.
- Use the Medicaid notice portal and file its certificate with the probate court if the proceeding requires that notice.
Helpful guides
- What is a notice to creditors in probate?
- How to publish a probate notice in a newspaper
- How much does it cost to publish a probate notice?
- What counts as a legal newspaper for probate notices
Creditor deadline calculator →