Guide
What to Do When Someone Dies in Texas: The Paperwork, In Order
Texas gives families more probate shortcuts than most states — but the federal filings (Social Security, the estate EIN, Treasury bonds) are the same everywhere, and they come first.
First two weeks: certificates and notifications
Order more certified death certificates than you think you need — ten is a common count — from Texas Vital Statistics or the county clerk where the death occurred. [Verify current Texas fee: first copy ~$20, additional copies less.] The funeral home typically reports the death to Social Security, but confirming with SSA directly (800-772-1213) is the executor's safety net.
Texas's small-estate shortcut
Estates under $75,000 (excluding homestead and exempt property) may qualify for a Small Estate Affidavit instead of full probate — filed in the county probate court after 30 days. [Verify threshold — Texas Estates Code §205.001.] When the affidavit route works, the estate often never needs an EIN at all; our free checker walks that logic.
Want it handled?
Estate EIN Filing does this for $99 — or follow the steps above yourself, free.
Straight answers
Does every Texas estate go through probate?
No — joint accounts, beneficiary designations, and the small-estate affidavit route around it. Assets titled solely in the decedent's name with no beneficiary are what force probate.
How long do I have to probate a will in Texas?
Generally four years from death. [Verify — Texas Estates Code §256.003.]