Rhode Island Administrator & Executor Bond

Probate Bonds From $100 – Local Probate Courts

Click for a No Obligation Quote

A Rhode Island executor bond or Rhode Island administrator bond — together known as a probate bond — is part of qualification in every Rhode Island estate: under R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1, every executor and administrator must give bond to the probate court, in a sum the court requires, before entering on the trust. A will's exemption removes only the surety — the bond itself is always filed — and when surety is required, a corporate surety bond on the state's PC-3.1 form is the answer. Premiums start at $100 and are paid from estate funds.

Rhode Island Probate Bond Pricing

Premiums are a small percentage of the required bond amount and are paid from estate funds. Sample pricing for qualified applicants:

Learn More

Executor, Administrator, or Trustee — Which Rhode Island Probate Bond You Need

All three cover a fiduciary who manages estate or trust assets. Rhode Island probate is municipal — each of the 39 cities and towns runs its own Probate Court at town hall — and the traditional terms apply: executor, administrator, administrator w.w.a. Which bond applies depends on how you were appointed:

Why Do Rhode Island Probate Courts Require a Bond?

Rhode Island probate is municipal: each of the state's 39 cities and towns maintains its own Probate Court, sitting at town or city hall with a part-time probate judge, and the town or city clerk serving as probate clerk. When a person dies, someone must be appointed to pay the estate's debts and distribute what remains. That fiduciary controls assets that belong to other people, and under § 33-17-1 the bond — conditioned on returning a true inventory, administering according to law and the will, and rendering sworn accounts — is required of every executor and administrator before entering on the trust, in a sum the court sets.

The court's control is continuous: no bond is accepted until examined and approved of record (§ 33-17-7), failure to file within 30 days of appointment may be adjudged a declination of the trust (§ 33-17-5), and the court may require further bond or sureties whenever an existing bond becomes insufficient — with removal for noncompliance (§ 33-17-10). Statewide uniform forms apply, including the PC-3.1 Universal Appointment Bond with its corporate-surety option. If the fiduciary causes a loss, valid claims are paid from the bond, and the fiduciary must reimburse the surety. The bond protects the estate, not the fiduciary.

How the Probate Judge Sets Your Bond Amount

Rhode Island sets no statutory formula: the court requires bond in any sum as it shall require (§ 33-17-1), in practice keyed to the personal estate plus expected income under local court rules. The probate judge sets the figure at appointment — wait for it before purchasing.

The amount stays adjustable: the court may increase an existing surety bond by order rather than requiring a new one, may accept substitute bonds, and may cancel bonds as circumstances change (§ 33-17-11). Sureties can petition for release, triggering a substitute bond (§ 33-17-12). A corporate surety authorized in Rhode Island satisfies the requirement without the burden of finding individual sureties.

Rhode Island’s Municipal Probate Courts

There is no county probate in Rhode Island — the estate is filed in the Probate Court of the city or town where the decedent lived, at the municipal hall, before that municipality's probate judge. The town or city clerk's office doubles as the probate clerk and handles the filings. The directory below lists all 39 municipal probate courts with website, phone, and mailing address — find your town and you've found your court.

How To Get Your Rhode Island Probate Bond

1. Get appointed and receive your bond amount. The municipal probate judge sets the bond sum at appointment under § 33-17-1 and determines whether surety is required — will waivers and the spouse/sole-heir exception remove surety, not the bond. Wait for the figure before purchasing.
2. Request your quote. Apply online or call with your court documentation. For most standard estates we can quote from the bond amount alone; larger or more complex estates may involve a review of the will and the applicant's credit.
3. Complete the short application. Provide the fiduciary's information and the estate details.
4. File your bond and receive your letters. We execute the corporate surety bond — on Rhode Island's PC-3.1 Universal Appointment Bond form — with the surety's Power of Attorney attached so you can file it for the court's approval. The court then issues your letters, and you can begin settling the estate.

Bond Details at a Glance

• Bond Name: Rhode Island Executor Bond / Rhode Island Administrator Bond (Probate Bond)
• Also Known As: Fiduciary bond, estate bond; filed on uniform form PC-3.1 (Universal Appointment Bond)
• Bond Amount: Any sum the probate court requires — no statutory formula; commonly keyed to the personal estate plus expected income; adjustable as assets change (§§ 33-17-1, 33-17-10, 33-17-11)
• Starting Premium: $100 for a $10,000 bond; paid from estate funds
• Obligee: The municipal probate court, conditioned on inventory, lawful administration, and sworn accounts
• Governing Law: R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-17-1 (bond at qualification), § 33-17-1.2 (spouse/sole-heir surety waiver), § 33-17-3 (alternative bond), § 33-17-4 (will waiver = surety only), §§ 33-17-5, -7, -10, -11 (approval, deadlines, adjustment)
• Waiver: A will's exemption removes only the surety; surviving-spouse and sole-heir administrators may serve without surety; the court can require surety at any time
• Court: Municipal Probate Court in each of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns, at town or city hall
• Attorney Required: No

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Rhode Island administrator or executor bond?
The bond every Rhode Island executor and administrator gives to the municipal probate court under § 33-17-1 before entering on the trust — conditioned on returning a true inventory, administering the estate according to law and the will, and rendering sworn accounts.

Can the bond be waived?
The bond itself, no — every fiduciary files one. A will's exemption removes only the surety, and the court can reinstate surety at any time. Administrators may serve without surety when they are the surviving spouse or sole heir, or on a court-approved showing by an heir administrator.

Do administrators need a bond in Rhode Island?
Yes — and usually with surety. With no will to waive it, an administrator gives bond with sufficient sureties unless the spouse/sole-heir exception of § 33-17-1.2 applies or the court approves a waiver after weighing the heirs, conflicts, and estate size.

How much does a Rhode Island probate bond cost?
Premiums start at $100 for a $10,000 bond and scale with the court-set sum — $135 at $25,000, $260 at $50,000, $460 at $100,000, and up. The premium is paid from estate funds.

How is the bond amount determined?
The probate judge sets it case by case — the statute says simply 'in any sum as it shall require,' keyed in practice to the personal estate plus expected income under local court rules.

What happens if I don't file the bond in time?
Failure to file the approved bond within 30 days of appointment may be adjudged a declination of the trust, lapsing the appointment (§ 33-17-5). The court also won't accept any bond until it is examined and approved of record.

Which Rhode Island court handles probate?
The Probate Court of the city or town where the decedent lived — each of the 39 municipalities runs its own, at town or city hall, with the town clerk serving as probate clerk.

What happens if a claim is filed against the bond?
The surety pays valid claims — from mismanagement, fraud, or failure to inventory, account, or administer according to law — up to the bond's sum, and the fiduciary must reimburse the surety in full. The bond protects the estate, not the fiduciary.

Rhode Island Probate Court Directory

Rhode Island probate is municipal — each of the 39 cities and towns runs its own Probate Court at town hall. Find your city or town below for the court's website, phone number, and mailing address.

Click for a No Obligation Quote