Executor Duties in Washington, D.C.: A Complete Guide

D.C. uses the term "personal representative" rather than "executor." The role runs through the Probate Division of D.C. Superior Court, with two administration tracks — unsupervised (abbreviated) for routine estates, and standard supervised administration when the will or interested parties require it. Here's the full picture of what the job involves.

How to Qualify as Personal Representative in Washington, D.C.

1. File the will and a Petition for Probate with the Probate Division of D.C. Superior Court.
2. For abbreviated (unsupervised) administration: qualification is largely administrative.
3. For standard (supervised) administration: attend the probate hearing, where the court admits the will and qualifies you.
4. Receive Letters of Administration, giving you official authority over the estate.

D.C. Personal Representative Compensation

D.C. allows "reasonable compensation" with no fixed statutory percentage. For a routine, uncomplicated estate, 1–3% of the estate's value is a common benchmark; the court can approve more for complex or contested administrations.

Does D.C. Require a Bond?

Generally yes, unless the will waives it — most modern D.C. wills include a bond waiver. Estates qualifying for the Small Estate procedure (property valued at $80,000 or less) are not required to post a bond at all.

Your Core Duties as Personal Representative in Washington, D.C.

1. Open probate with the Probate Division and obtain Letters of Administration
2. Send notice to all heirs and beneficiaries
3. Open an estate bank account using the estate's EIN
4. File the Inventory with the court within 3 months of appointment
5. Publish the Notice to Creditors and send direct notice to known creditors
6. Wait out the 6-month creditor claims period before final distribution
7. Pay valid creditor claims in the statutory order of priority
8. File the deceased's final federal and D.C. income tax returns
9. File the D.C. Form D-76 estate tax return within 10 months of death, if the estate exceeds the D.C. exemption ($4,988,400 for 2026)
10. Manage estate assets prudently throughout administration
11. Distribute remaining assets per the will, or D.C.'s intestacy statute if there is no will
12. File the Final Account with the court to close the estate

The D.C. Estate Tax

D.C.'s estate tax exemption is much lower than the federal exemption: $4,988,400 for deaths in 2026, versus the $15 million federal threshold. Many D.C. residents — especially homeowners with retirement accounts and life insurance — cross the D.C. threshold even though they'd owe nothing federally.

Creditor Claims Window

Creditors have 6 months from the date of the first publication of the Notice to Creditors to present claims (D.C. Code § 20-903). Claims not presented within this window are generally barred.

How to Close the Estate in Washington, D.C.

Close the estate by filing a Final Account with the Probate Division, showing all receipts, disbursements, and proposed distributions. Once the court approves it, you're formally discharged as personal representative.