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Compare States
Pick any two states and compare probate rules, estate taxes, community property, advance directive requirements, and more. Every figure comes from our state guides and their sources.
The short answer
Probate shortcuts, estate and inheritance taxes, community property, witness rules, and transfer-on-death deeds all change at the state line. Some differences are stark: New Jersey taxes inheritances and New York doesn't, and nine states treat marital property as jointly owned while the rest don't. Pick two states below and compare the actual figures, pulled from our state guides and their sources.
Reviewed August 2026
Small estate threshold
$208,850
$75,000
Simplified probate available
Yes
Yes
State estate tax
None
None
State inheritance tax
None
None
Community property
Yes
Yes
Advance directive signing
2 witnesses, notary required. Minimum age 18.
2 witnesses, notary required. Minimum age 18.
Death certificate
$26 per certified copy. Filed within 8 days of death.
$20 per certified copy. Filed within 10 days of death.
Cremation rules
No state waiting period. Permit required.
48-hour wait. Permit required.
Transfer on death deed
Yes: revocable transfer on death (TOD) deed
Yes: transfer on death deed
Organ donor registry
RegisterMe.org
DonateLifeTexas.org
Medical aid in dying
Yes
No
Every figure above comes from the matching state guide. Each guide cites the statute, lists the date the section was last reviewed, and logs every change. Open the guides for the full picture.
Each state guide goes deep. Every section has its own source citation and last-verified date.
Want all 51 jurisdictions at once, or the raw numbers? The full dataset lives at State Death Data, with a downloadable CSV.
Comparing States
Any two jurisdictions side by side across structured facts such as probate procedures and small-estate limits, estate and inheritance taxes, will requirements, advance directive rules, and disposition law. The comparison uses the same generated state-guide facts and automated consistency checks, with links back to the full guides and primary sources.
Mostly three situations. You're planning a move, often in retirement, and want to know what changes. Your family is split across two states and you're figuring out where documents should be anchored. Or someone died owning things in two states and you're trying to understand which rules apply to what.
Domicile often determines the primary estate proceeding and intestacy law, while the law where real estate is located can control transfer of that property. A will's choice-of-law language, property ownership, trust, beneficiary designation, and the laws of each jurisdiction can change the analysis. Multistate estates may require an ancillary proceeding or another local transfer process.
A move doesn't produce one automatic result. Recognition of an existing will or directive, spousal rights, taxes, personal-representative rules, property law, and available forms can change. Compare the states, then review the documents under the new state's current law and healthcare procedures.
Browse all 51 guides →There's no single best state for every person or estate. Taxes, simplified procedures, court administration, property law, healthcare documents, family location, cost of living, and the facts used to establish domicile can point in different directions. Use the comparison to identify questions, then evaluate a move as a complete legal and financial decision.