How to Find a Grant of Probate in the UK

To find a grant of probate in England and Wales, use the Government's free online Probate Search serviceat probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Enter the deceased's name and approximate date of death — results go back to 1858. A digital copy of the grant costs £1.50; a printed copy is £16. Anyone can search, not just family members. Here is everything you need to know, including what happens when no grant has ever been issued.

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What Is a Grant of Probate?

A grant of probateis a court-issued document confirming that an executor has the legal authority to administer a deceased person's estate. Banks, land registries, and investment platforms require it before releasing assets — it is the single document that unlocks an estate.

When someone dies without a will (intestate), the Probate Registry issues a different document called letters of administration, which authorises an administrator (usually a close relative) rather than an executor. Both documents are often grouped under the umbrella term grant of representation.

Not every estate requires one. Small estates, jointly owned property, and certain bank accounts may pass without probate. But for most estates with property, savings, or investments held in the deceased's sole name, a grant is essential.

Why Would You Need to Find a Grant?

People search probate records for a range of reasons:

• Confirming who the executor or administrator is for an estate you have an interest in
• Verifying that administration has actually started on a relative's estate
• Researching family history — the grant and attached will name the testator, executors, and often beneficiaries
• Identifying whether an estate is being administered or lies unclaimed
• Checking records as part of a genealogical or heir-tracing project

Probate records are public documents. There is no requirement to prove a relationship or explain why you are searching.

How to Search Probate Records Online

The quickest route is the HM Courts & Tribunals Service Probate Search at probatesearch.service.gov.uk. The service covers grants issued in England and Wales from 1858 to the present day.

To search, you need:

• Full name of the deceased (including any aliases or maiden names if relevant)
• Year of death — or a range of years if uncertain

The search itself is free. If a grant exists, you can view basic details immediately: the deceased's name, date of death, the probate date, and the names of the executors or administrators. To read the full grant — or the will attached to it — you order a copy. Digital copies arrive quickly and cost £1.50; official printed copies are £16 each.

If you need a formal postal search (for estates pre-dating the online records or for legal purposes), you can submit Form PA1S by post to the Probate Registry. This route takes longer but produces the same results.

What Is a Standing Search?

If probate has not been granted yet — for example, you are a creditor waiting to know who to contact — you can register a standing search. Submit Form PA1S with the standing search request, and the Probate Registry will notify you automatically if a grant is issued within the next six months.

Standing searches can be renewed in six-month blocks if the estate is still being sorted. The fee is £3 per search (2024–25 rates). It is a useful backstop if the estate is contentious or the timeline is unclear.

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Costs at a Glance

• Online search: free
• Digital copy of grant or will: £1.50
• Printed copy of grant or will: £16 per document
• Standing search (Form PA1S): £3 per six-month period
• Applying for probate yourself: £300 for estates over £5,000 (no fee below)

Costs are set by HMCTS and subject to change. Check the current fee schedule at gov.uk before submitting any application.

Probate Records Before 1858

Before the Probate Registry opened in 1858, proving a will was handled by the church. Ecclesiastical probate records — from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and hundreds of smaller diocesan courts — are held at the National Archives in Kew. Many have been digitised and are searchable through Ancestry and FindMyPast.

The coverage can be patchy for smaller estates, and the terminology differs from modern probate. But for significant estates going back centuries, the records are remarkably well preserved.

Scotland and Northern Ireland

The English and Welsh Probate Registry does not cover the rest of the UK. Elsewhere:

• Scotland: Probate is called Confirmation and is handled by the Sheriff Court. Historic records (from 1513) are held by the National Records of Scotland and can be searched at scotlandspeople.gov.uk.
• Northern Ireland: The Probate Office in Belfast handles grants. Records are searchable at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) for historic grants, and through the courts service for recent ones.

What If No Grant Has Been Issued?

A search that returns no result does not always mean something has gone wrong. Small estates, jointly owned property, and nominated pension funds typically pass outside probate entirely. But there is another scenario worth knowing about.

When someone dies intestate — without a will — and no relatives come forward to administer the estate, no grant of representation is ever issued. If that happens, the deceased's assets eventually pass to the Crown as bona vacantia(ownerless property). The estate is then listed on the Government's unclaimed estates register, managed by the Bona Vacantia Division of the UK Government Legal Department.

Relatives have up to 30 years to come forward and claim. Many do not realise an estate exists — or that they qualify under the intestacy rules — until years after the death.

If you think a relative may have died intestate, use our free intestacy entitlement checker to see whether you would qualify as a beneficiary under the intestacy rules. Then search the unclaimed estates list on FindMyLegacy — free, with phonetic surname matching that catches spelling variations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can anyone search probate records in England and Wales?

Yes. Probate grants and wills are public documents once issued by the registry. You do not need to be a relative, named beneficiary, or solicitor — anyone can search and order copies.

How far back do the online probate records go?

The HMCTS online service covers grants from 1858 onwards. For earlier records, you need to use the National Archives, which holds ecclesiastical probate records going back several centuries, many of which are digitised on Ancestry and FindMyPast.

Is there a difference between a grant of probate and letters of administration?

Yes. A grant of probate is issued when there is a valid will, naming the executor as the person authorised to administer the estate. Letters of administration are issued when there is no will — they appoint an administrator (usually the next of kin) to carry out the same function. Both are types of grant of representation and are searchable through the same probate registry service.

Does a grant of probate include a copy of the will?

Yes. When probate is granted, the will is registered and becomes a public document. The online service lets you order a copy of both the grant and the will together. Wills sealed by court order (rare) are the only exception — they remain private.

What does it mean if no grant has been issued?

It could mean the estate was small enough to pass without probate, assets were jointly owned, or that no one has applied yet. If the deceased died intestate and no relatives came forward, the estate may have passed to the Crown as bona vacantia and be listed on the Government's unclaimed estates register.

How long does the probate process take?

HMCTS targets a 16-week turnaround for straightforward applications. In practice, complex estates, contested wills, or inheritance tax complications can extend this significantly. Once the grant is issued, executors typically need several more months to collect assets, pay debts, and distribute the estate.