Probate Fees by Province in Canada | Rates, Examples and Ways to Reduce Them
Updated
Probate fees are charged by each province when a will goes through the court process that confirms it, and they are based on the value of the assets that pass through the will. The range across Canada is wide: some provinces charge a small flat or capped fee, Manitoba abolished its value-based fee in November 2020, Quebec notarial wills don’t need probate at all, and Ontario ($0 on the first $50,000; 1.5% above $50,000) and British Columbia ($0 on the first $25,000; 0.6% from $25,000 to $50,000; 1.4% above $50,000; plus a $200 court filing fee) charge a percentage of most of the estate. This page sets out every province’s schedule, worked amounts, and the ways people reduce what passes through probate. It is part of our estate planning guide.
Probate applies only to assets that pass through the will. Accounts and policies with a named beneficiary (life insurance, RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs) and property held jointly with a right of survivorship pass outside it. How designations work is in the beneficiary designation guide, and registered accounts specifically in avoiding probate on registered accounts.
What is Probate?
Definition
Term
Meaning
Probate
Court validation of a will
Estate Administration Tax
Official Ontario term
Probate fees
Tax paid on estate value
Letters Probate
Court document issued
When Probate is Required
Usually Required
Often Not Required
Real estate (sole ownership)
Joint property (survivorship)
Stocks/investments
RRSP/TFSA with beneficiary
Large bank accounts
Life insurance (named beneficiary)
Vehicles (varies)
Small bank accounts
Probate Fees by Province
Fee Comparison
Province
Fee Structure
British Columbia
$0 on the first $25,000; $6 per $1,000 from $25,000 to $50,000; $14 per $1,000 above $50,000; plus a $200 court filing fee
$600 plus $15 per $1K over $100K (rate increased June 12, 2026; was $5 per $1K flat before)
Nova Scotia
$1,002.65 up to $100K, $16.95 per $1K over
PEI
$50 to $400 up to $100K (tiered), then $400 plus 0.4% over $100K, uncapped
NL
$60 up to $1K, plus $0.60 per $100 over
Cost Examples
Estate Value
ON
BC
NS
AB
QC (notarial)
$100,000
$750
$1,050
$1,002.65
$275
$0
$250,000
$3,000
$3,150
$3,545.15
$525
$0
$500,000
$6,750
$6,650
$7,782.65
$525
$0
$1,000,000
$14,250
$13,650
$16,257.65
$525
$0
BC figures include BC’s court filing fee, which applies above the threshold in its schedule. Nova Scotia, Alberta and Quebec amounts are from each province’s schedule as summarized above.
Province-by-Province Details
Ontario
Ontario’s Estate Administration Tax: $0 on the first $50,000; $15 per $1,000 above $50,000.
Ontario estate administration tax at different estate values
Estate value
Tax owing
$50,000 or under
$0
$100,000
$750
$250,000
$3,000
$500,000
$6,750
$750,000
$10,500
$1,000,000
$14,250
$2,000,000
$29,250
$5,000,000
$74,250
The tax is charged on each $1,000 (or part of $1,000) of the value above the exempt amount.
Ontario’s estate administration tax applies to the gross value of all estate assets:
Estate component
Subject to probate?
House (in your name only, no survivorship)
Yes
RRSP/RRIF with no named beneficiary
Yes
Bank accounts in your name only
Yes
Non-registered investment accounts
Yes
RRSP/RRIF with named beneficiary
No
TFSA with named beneficiary
No
Life insurance with named beneficiary
No
Jointly held property (right of survivorship)
No
Property in a trust
No
For a typical Ontario estate where a surviving spouse inherits via survivorship and registered accounts have named beneficiaries, the probated estate may be much smaller than the total net worth.
British Columbia
BC’s probate fee: $0 on the first $25,000; $6 per $1,000 from $25,000 to $50,000; $14 per $1,000 above $50,000; plus a $200 court filing fee.
Estate value
Probate fee (including the filing fee)
$50,000
$350
$100,000
$1,050
$500,000
$6,650
$1,000,000
$13,650
Alberta
Fee structure
Tiered flat fees, capped
Maximum
$525 (estates over $250K)
Estate Value
Court Fee
Up to $10,000
$35
$10,001 - $25,000
$135
$25,001 - $125,000
$275
$125,001 - $250,000
$400
Over $250,000
$525
Quebec
Unique System
Notarial will
No probate needed
Other wills
Court verification required ($243 in 2026, indexed annually)
A notarial will in Quebec doesn’t need to be probated.
Saskatchewan
Calculation
Flat rate
$7 per $1,000 of estate
Manitoba
Calculation
Probate fee
$0; abolished November 6, 2020
Manitoba charges no value-based probate fee; a court application fee may still apply.
Paid by the government, not an estate asset at death
Probate Process
Timeline
Step
Typical Time
Gather documents
2-4 weeks
File application
1-2 weeks
Court processing
4-12 weeks
Certificate issued
2+ weeks
Total
2-6 months
Required Documents
Document
Purpose
Original will
For court
Death certificate
Proof of death
Asset inventory
Estate value
Beneficiary list
Distribution
Application form
Provincial form
Executor considerations
Executors can be paid for their work, separately from the probate fee, under rules that differ by province; the percentages courts use, how to set compensation in the will, and its tax treatment are in executor fees in Canada.
Probate Impact on Executor
Issue
Details
Personal liability
Until probate obtained
Asset access
May be limited
Bank requirements
Often need probate
Real estate sale
Needs probate
When to Skip Probate
Small estates
May not need it
All joint assets
May avoid
Only beneficiary-designated
May avoid
Cooperative institutions
May release without
The bottom line
Probate is charged only on what passes through the will, so beneficiary designations on registered accounts and insurance, joint ownership where it suits the family, and (in some provinces) a second will for assets that don’t need probate are the usual ways people shrink the probated estate. Each has trade-offs (joint ownership exposes the asset to the co-owner’s creditors and gives them rights now), and designations and ownership drift out of date after life events.