Probate records and wills are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? How about date of death, spouses and children names, birth order, siblings and siblings spouses, parents names, and residence locations for all named persons. Also, ownership of land and/or other significant property, business names and occupation, military service, guardianships, and adoptions. Basically anything owned by the deceased is typically listed and to whom it is to be assigned to.
I won't pretend to be an expert on the probate process - all I know is that I have discovered an amazing amount of good information from probate records and wills as part of my personal genealogy research.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching probate documents and wills:
- FamilySearch - United States Probate Records
- Wills and Probate Records are Genealogy Riches
- How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors
- Probate Records Could Be the Key to Unlocking Your Family’s Hidden Past
Below, listed by state are links to probate records, wills, and indexes available for free online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired will or probate record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., (archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated August, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Allegany County Early Records, 1787-1825
- Allegany County Administration Accounts, 1792-1850
- Allegany County Administration bonds, 1790-1855
- Allegany County Court Proceedings : 1791-1852
- Allegany County Inventories, 1791-1851
- Allegany County, Citations
- Allegany County, Estate Records (Accounts, Wills and Inventories), 1779-1946
- Allegany County, Estate Records (Administrations, bonds and misc.)
- Allegany County, Guardian Accounts, 1809-1943
- Allegany County, Indentures, 1796-1925
- Allegany County, Maryland Records : volume 6, Abstracts, Wills & Administrative Accounts, 1825-1850.
- Allegany County, Real Estate Reports and Dockets
- Allegany County, Wills
- Anne Arundel County Administrator Bonds and Accounts 1777-1857; Index 1777-1884
- Anne Arundel County Court Records, 1784-1852
- Anne Arundel County Guardian Bonds, Accounts, Dockets, and Papers, 1791-1947
- Anne Arundel County Inventories 1777-1941 ; Index 1777-1893
- Anne Arundel County Probate Records, 1780-1864
- Anne Arundel County Wills, 1777-1912
- Anne Arundel County, General Index of Wills 1777-1917
- Anne Arundel County, general Index to administration and executor Accounts, 1777 to 1892
- Anne Arundel County, Probate Records, 1777-1940
- Anne Arundel County, Will book
- Baltimore City, Probate Administrations and Accounts, Petitions and Orders, 1666-1957
- Baltimore City, Probate Case Files, 1908-1941
- Baltimore City, Probate Dockets and proceedings, 1777-1947
- Baltimore City, Probate Guardianships and indentures, 1777-1951
- Baltimore City, Probate Inventories, 1666-1951
- Baltimore City, Probate releases and renunciations, 1803-1940
- Baltimore City, Real Estate Records
- Baltimore City, Wills, 1721-1974
- Baltimore County a registry of Administrations : 1776 to 1805
- Baltimore County Abstract of Wills
- Baltimore County Will and Probate Record Index
- Baltimore County Administrator Bonds, 1721-1852
- Baltimore County Inventories : 1666-1850
- Baltimore County Orphan's Court Proceedings 1777-1850 ; Index 1777-1857
- Baltimore County, Wills
- Calvert County, Probate Records, 1882-1989
- Caroline County Will and Probate Record Index
- Caroline County Administration Accounts : 1703-1850
- Caroline County Administration Bonds, 1777-1851
- Caroline County Distribution Record : 1812-1853
- Caroline County Inventories : 1680-1856
- Caroline County, Probate Case Files, 1919-1925
- Caroline County, Probate Records, 1679-1959
- Carroll County Will and Probate Record Index
- Carroll County Administration Bonds and Accounts 1837-1853
- Carroll County Inventories 1837-1852
- Carroll County, Probate Records, 1837-2009
- Cecil County Administration Accounts : 1819-1854
- Cecil County Administrator and Guardian Bonds, 1674-1859
- Cecil County, Probate Records : Wills, 1851-1940
- Cecil County, Probate Records, 1675-1931
- Charles and St. Mary's counties, Abstracts of Wills, 1744- 1772
- Charles County Will book no. 7-16 : 1777-1850
- Charles County Administrators Accounts : 1708-1806, 1825-1851
- Charles County Guardian Accounts : 1790-1823
- Charles County Inventories : 1673-1852
- Charles County Proceedings : 1791-1853
- Charles County Wills 1665-1850 ; Index 1629-1947
- Charles County, Accounts of Sale, 1822-1960
- Charles County, Administration Records, 1833-1951
- Charles County, Certificates of freedom, 1826-1860
- Charles County, Court Records, 1827-1944
- Charles County, Estate and Guardianship Dockets, 1788-1965
- Charles County, Estate papers Index, 1829-1908
- Charles County, general Index to Wills, 1665-1962
- Charles County, Inventories, 1673-1951
- Charles County, Probate Accounts, 1832-1875
- Charles County, receipts and releases, 1827-1949
- Charles County, Testamentary proceedings, 1716-1767
- Charles County, Wills, 1665-1943
- Dorchester County, Probate Records, 1838-1948
- Frederick County Administration Accounts, 1750-1852
- Frederick County Administrator Bonds : 1799-1853
- Frederick County Inventories : 1749-1851
- Frederick County Wills 1737-1918 ; Indexes 1747-1930
- Frederick County, Administration Accounts : Liber A#1, 1750-1767
- Frederick County, Probate Records, 1744-1983
- Garrett County, Probate Records : Estate Records, 1873-1999
- Garrett County, Wills, 1897-1940
- Harford County Administrator's Accounts, 1800-1868
- Harford County Administrator's Bonds, 1774-1820
- Harford County Guardian Accounts, 1800-1873
- Harford County Inventories : 1777-1852
- Harford County Wills 1774-1853 ; Index 1774-1948
- Harford County, Probate Records, 1773-1985
- Harford County, Wills, 1773-1985
- Howard County Administration Accounts 1840-1853
- Howard County Administration Bonds 1840-1873
- Howard County Inventories 1840-1854
- Howard County Proceedings 1840-1849
- Howard County Wills, 1840-1862
- Howard County, Probate Records, 1854-1999
- Kent County Register of Wills, 1781-1790
- Kent County Administration Accounts : 1709-1789
- Kent County Administration Bonds : 1664-1789
- Kent County Administration Bonds : 1793-1850
- Kent County Administrator's Accounts, 1789-1848
- Kent County Guardian Bonds : 1794-1860
- Kent County Inventories : 1788-1850
- Kent County Inventory Accounts, 1709-1788
- Kent County Wills 1799-1854 ; Index 1674-1948
- Kent County, Estates Records, 1688-1940
- Kent County, Probate Records, 1664-1961
- Maryland Account book, number 33, 1752
- Maryland balances of final distribution books, prerogative court, 1751 to 1775
- Maryland calendar of Wills
- Maryland calendar of Wills
- Maryland Colonial abstracts, Wills, Accounts and inventories
- Maryland Estate Search
- Maryland inventories and Accounts Index
- Maryland Probate Estate and Guardianship Files, 1796-1940
- Maryland State Archives Prerogative Court Wills and Other Records
- Maryland State Archives Probate Records, Colonial, Index 1634-1777
- Maryland Will book
- Maryland Will book 38 Abstracts
- Maryland Wills Index 1666-1781
- Maryland Accounts of estates
- Maryland Balance books of estates after payment to heirs : Books 1-7, 1751-1776.
- Maryland Index to balances of final distribution books, 1751-1775
- Maryland Index to inventories and Accounts : 1674-1718
- Maryland Index to inventories of estates, 1718-1777
- Maryland Inventories and Accounts of Estates
- Maryland Inventories of Estates, 1718-1777
- Maryland Judicial and testamentary business of the Provincial Court : 1637-1683
- Maryland Provincial Court judgments
- Maryland Testamentary Proceedings : 1657-1777
- Maryland Will books, 1635-1777
- Maryland, Register of Wills Books, 1629-1983
- Montgomery County Probate Records 1777-1916
- Montgomery County, Probate Case Files, 1777-1906
- Montgomery County, Probate Records, 1777-1955
- Ocean City Wills
- Prince George County, Probate Records, 1698-1978
- Prince George's County Wills and Probate Records
- Prince George's County Administration Accounts, 1698-1948
- Prince George's County Bonds, 1698-1847
- Prince George's County Inventories : 1696-1854
- Prince George's County Probate Records, 1703-1858
- Prince George's County, general Index to executors' and administrators' Accounts
- Prince Georges County, General Index to Wills 1698 to 1899
- Prince George's County, Guardianships
- Queen Anne's County Administration Accounts, 1741-1855
- Queen Anne's County Bonds, 1774-1857
- Queen Anne's County Index to vol. 3 Administration bonds, 1774-1790, and Accounts, 1741-1790 ...
- Queen Anne's County Inventories, 1739-1851
- Queen Anne's County, Probate Records : Case Files, Wills, 1710-1974
- Queen Anne's County, Probate Records : Minutes, Dockets and proceedings, Wills, 1791-1983
- Somerset County Wills Index 1664-195
- Somerset County Administration Accounts : 1685-1858
- Somerset County Administrators and Guardian Bonds : 1780-1850
- Somerset County Inventories : 1725-1850
- Somerset County Probate Records 1664-1859 ; Index 1664-1948
- Somerset County, Probate Records, 1664-1972
- St. Mary's County Wills Index 1662-1960
- St. Mary's County Administration Bonds : 1799-1912
- St. Mary's County Administration reference Docket (estate Docket) : 1808-1959
- St. Mary's County Administrator's Accounts, 1798-1901
- St. Mary's County Distributions to heirs, 1782-1829
- St. Mary's County Guardian Bonds : 1799-1912
- St. Mary's County, Account of sales, 1803-1971
- St. Mary's County, Administration Records, 1799-1997
- St. Mary's County, certificates of freedom, 1806-1852
- St. Mary's County, Estate Records, 1945-1996
- St. Mary's County, General Index of Wills 1634-1900
- St. Mary's County, Guardian Records, 1779-1997
- St. Mary's County, Inventory Records, 1845-1973
- St. Mary's County, miscellaneous Probate Records, 1809-1997
- St. Mary's County, Petition and Orders, 1956-1975
- St. Mary's County, Probate general Index, 1658-1967
- St. Mary's County, Probate Records, 1777-2011
- St. Mary's County, Real Estate Records, 1826-1919
- St. Mary's County, Wills, 1658-1997
- Talbot County Administration Accounts : 1674-1960
- Talbot County Bonds, 1664-1852
- Talbot County Distributions of Estates, 1788-1857
- Talbot County Guardian Accounts : 1785-1879
- Talbot County Probate Records, 1668-1851
- Talbot County, Probate Records, 1708-1966
- Washington County Probate Records 1777-1918 ; Index 1777-1850
- Washington County, assignments, 1893-1966
- Washington County, Dockets, 1854-1973
- Washington County, executor and Administrator Accounts, 1852-1950
- Washington County, Inventories of appraisement, 1853-1945
- Washington County, list of debts, 1842-1970
- Washington County, list of sales, 1853-1952
- Washington County, Minutes and proceedings, 1806-1941
- Washington County, Probate Records, 1777-1971
- Washington County, releases, 1852-1960
- Washington County, Wills, 1918-1948
- Wicomico County Wills 1867-1879
- Worcester County Accounts : 1792-1853
- Worcester County Bonds, 1667-1850
- Worcester County General Index : 1742-1850
- Worcester County, Estate Dockets, 1743-1940
- Worcester County, Guardianship Records, 1787-1997
- Worcester County, Index to Estate Records, 1908-2010
- Worcester County, Maryland Administrators bonds and Inventories 1783-1790
- Worcester County, Orphan's Court proceedings and Minutes : Probates, 1824-1939
- Worcester County, Probate Accounts, 1853-1921
- Worcester County, Probate Administration Records, 1850-1946
- Worcester County, Probate claims, 1855-1950
- Worcester County, Probate fee books, 1828-1893
- Worcester County, Probate Inventories, sales and debts, 1792-1942
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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