State guide
Minnesota
Minnesota probate creditor notice is controlled by Minn. Stat. §§ 524.3-801 and 524.3-803, which combine publication with direct notice to known creditors. The Minnesota Judicial Branch also states that many estates can avoid probate entirely if the decedent owned no sole-name real estate and personal property does not exceed $75,000.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Publishing the notice
- Minnesota requires publication once a week for two successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county where the probate is pending; official sources found do not clearly state who chooses the paper, but the Secretary of State maintains a legal-newspaper list and chapter 331A defines qualification.
- Creditor claim deadline
- 4 months after first publication; served known creditors get the later of 4 months after first publication or 1 month after service
- Outside deadline
- 1 year after death
- Law
- Minn. Stat. §§ 524.3-801, 524.3-803, 331A.01-.02
- Small-estate limit
- Probate generally not necessary if no sole-name real estate and sole-name personal property does not exceed $75,000
- Legal newspaper list
- Official page →
Official resources in Minnesota
Official statewide court self-help page for probate, forms, FAQs, and small-estate guidance.
Official statute on publication and service of notice to creditors in decedent estates.
Official statute setting deadlines for presenting claims against a decedent’s estate.
Official Secretary of State page explaining legal newspapers and linking to the statewide county list.
Official chapter defining and regulating qualified newspapers for legal publication.
Key facts for Minnesota
- Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801 requires publication once a week for two successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county.
- Minn. Stat. § 524.3-801 requires known, identified creditors to be served within 3 months after first publication.
- Minn. Stat. § 524.3-803 gives publication-only creditors 4 months after the court administrator’s published notice.
- Minn. Stat. § 524.3-803 gives served creditors the later of 4 months after first publication or 1 month after service.
- Minn. Stat. § 524.3-803 sets an outside deadline of 1 year after death, whether or not notice was published or served.
- Minnesota Judicial Branch says probate is generally unnecessary if sole-name personal property is $75,000 or less and no sole-name real estate exists.
What to do next
- Use the Judicial Branch probate topic page first to confirm whether probate is needed at all.
- After appointment, identify known creditors quickly so service can be completed within 3 months of first publication.
- Check the Secretary of State’s legal-newspaper list and chapter 331A before choosing a publication paper.
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 →