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 September, 2019; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Atlantic County Bonds, 1878-1922
- Atlantic County Bounds and divisions : 1838-1916
- Atlantic County Collateral inheritance tax : no. 1, 1892-1908
- Atlantic County Index to Estates : 1837-1915
- Atlantic County Index to Estates of minors and wards : 1837-1920
- Atlantic County Letters of Administration and Guardianship : 1837-1927 (Volume A)
- Atlantic County Minutes of Orphans' Court, 1837-1922
- Atlantic County Sundry Records : 1841-1904
- Atlantic County Wills, 1837-1974
- Bergen County Probate Records, 1714-1962
- Bergen County Unrecorded Estate papers, 1783- early 1900's
- Burlington County Miscellaneous public and Court Records, 1889-1954
- Burlington County Probate Records, 1740-1918
- Burlington County Probate Records, 1785-1970
- Camden County Probate Records, 1844-1907
- Camden County Surrogate's Dockets, 1844-1929
- Cape May County Bonds, 1863-1902
- Cape May County Book of reports, 1802-1924
- Cape May County Collateral inheritance tax, 1895-1910
- Cape May County Court Minutes, 1786-1863
- Cape May County Court Records, 1855-1905
- Cape May County Final settlements, v. 1-3, 1871-1908
- Cape May County Letters testamentary, Administration, and Guardianship, v. 1-2, 1852-1902
- Cape May County Petitions, v. 1-2, 1871-1915
- Cape May County Records of receipts, releases, 1812-1914
- Cape May County Renunciations, v. 1, 1871-1916
- Cape May County Reports of sales, 1871-1919
- Cape May County Surrogate's Book, v. 1-2, 1863-1916
- Cape May County Surrogate's Dockets, 1917-1980 ; General Index to Estates, 1804-1980
- Cape May County Wills, 1804-1970
- Cumberland County Accounts of executors and Administrators, 1872-1901; Index to accounts, 1872-1970
- Cumberland County Administration Books, v. A-B, 1818-1911
- Cumberland County Administrations and Guardianship, v. A-A, 1804-1818
- Cumberland County Court Minutes, 1785-1904; Index, 1785-1943
- Cumberland County Genealogical data, Wills, abstracts
- Cumberland County Miscellaneous Records, 1887-1909
- Cumberland County Record of applications for letters testamentary and of Administration, 1878-1909
- Cumberland County Records of Bonds, 1861-1901; Index to Bonds, 1861-1944
- Cumberland County Wills, 1804-1970
- Essex County Probate Records, 1794-1902
- Gloucester County Executor and Administrator accounts : 1871-1901
- Gloucester County Minutes, 1785-1902
- Gloucester County Petitions for Guardianship : 1884-1923
- Gloucester County Petitions for letters of Administration : Vol. A-B, 1878-1903
- Gloucester County Petitions for Probate : Vol. A-C, 1878-1905
- Gloucester County Receipts and discharges : 1812-1901
- Gloucester County Renunciations : Vol. 1-3, 1878-1932
- Gloucester County Will Books, 1804-1922
- Hudson County Probate Records, 1804-1953
- Hunterdon County Index to files including recognizances, indictments, affidavits, appeals, insolvents and miscellaneous Records, 1700-1900
- Hunterdon County Minors Estates, 1800-1900
- Hunterdon County Probate Records, 1785-1919 ; General Index to Estates, 1804-1970
- Mercer County Accounts, 1871-1883
- Mercer County Application for Probate, 1884-1905
- Mercer County Appointment of Administrators, 1899-1920
- Mercer County Bonds of Administrators, 1861-1911
- Mercer County Court Minutes, 1838-1913; Index, 1838-1958
- Mercer County Federal inheritance taxes, 1870-1872
- Mercer County General Index to Estates, 1838-1939
- Mercer County Inventories, 1838-1898
- Mercer County Letters of Guardianship and Administrations, 1838-1910
- Mercer County Orders for division of land, 1838-1862
- Mercer County Petitions for Administration, 1884-1908
- Mercer County Releases and discharges, 1839-1918
- Mercer County Sundry Bonds, 1861-1904
- Mercer County Surrogate's journals, v. A-B, 1838-1912
- Mercer County Wills, 1838-1913
- Middlesex County Probate Records, 1780-1930; Indexes, 1803-1971
- Middlesex County, Administration Records, 1887-1921
- Middlesex County, Guardianship Records, 1908-1921
- Middlesex County, Probate applications, 1903-1921
- Middlesex County, Probate Records, 1830-1921
- Middlesex County, Wills
- Monmouth County Surrogate Index of Estates - 1991 to Present
- Monmouth County Administrators Bonds, 1861-1886
- Monmouth County Administrators Bonds, 1887-1902
- Monmouth County Applications for Probate, 1879-1903
- Monmouth County Estate Index, 1800-1969
- Monmouth County Estate Index, T-Z, 1800-1969
- Monmouth County Index to Minutes, 1785-1867
- Monmouth County Inventories for Guardians, v. A-B, 1813-1919
- Monmouth County Letters of Administration, 1804-1913
- Monmouth County Minutes, 1785-1906
- Monmouth County Petitions for Administration, 1879-1898
- Monmouth County Proceedings Index, 1800-1969
- Monmouth County Receipts and discharges, 1814-1891
- Monmouth County Receipts and discharges, 1891-1900
- Monmouth County Recorded Wills, 1804-1844
- Monmouth County Recorded Wills, 1844-1894
- Monmouth County Recorded Wills, 1894-1909
- Monmouth County Recorded Wills, 1909-1911
- Morris County Probated Estates
- New Jersey Probate Records, 1678-1980
- New Jersey, Calendar of Wills, Vol. 1, Wills 1670-1730
- New Jersey, Calendar of Wills, Vol. 2, Wills 1730-1750
- New Jersey, Calendar of Wills, Vol. 6, Wills 1781-1785
- New Jersey, Calendar of Wills, Vol. 7, Wills 1810-1813
- New Jersey, Indexes of Wills and Inventories
- New Jersey, Index of Wills, inventories, etc. prior to 1901
- New Jersey, Index of Wills, Office of Secretary of State
- New Jersey, New Jersey archives, abstract of Wills, 1670-1730
- Ocean County Administrations (1850-1902, 1917) and Guardianship (1851-1919)
- Ocean County Application for Administration, 1878-1927
- Ocean County Application for Probate of Wills, 1885-1925
- Ocean County Bonds, 1861-1924
- Ocean County Dockets, 1850-1955
- Ocean County Inventories, 1850-1926
- Ocean County Inventory for Guardians, 1856-1919
- Ocean County Minutes, 1851-1923
- Ocean County Packets, 1850-1900
- Ocean County Partitions of real Estate by commissioners, 1850-1901, 1914
- Ocean County Partitions, v.1, 1852-1909
- Ocean County Receipts and discharges, 1852-1925
- Ocean County Wills, 1850-1922
- Passaic County Administrator's Bonds, 1861-1902 [Passaic, New Jersey]
- Passaic County Index of Wills and proceedings : 1838-1919
- Passaic County Letters of Administration and Guardianship, 1837-1903
- Passaic County Miscellaneous Bonds, 1870-1899
- Passaic County Orphans Court Records, 1837-1900
- Passaic County Petitions for letters of Administration, vol. A-D, 1884-1903
- Passaic County Petitions for Probates of Wills : 1884-1903
- Passaic County Probate Records, 1837-1902
- Passaic County Requests, renunciations and releases : 1871-1900
- Passaic County Wills, 1835-1911
- Salem County Wills - Book A, 1803-1830
- Salem County Wills - Book B, 1803-1830
- Salem County Applications for Administrators, 1883-1900
- Salem County Applications of executors, 1883-1908
- Salem County Bonds and letters of Administration, 1804-1901; Index to Administrations, 1804-1907
- Salem County Court Minutes, 1802-1908
- Salem County Divisions, 1791-1935
- Salem County Docket files, 1748-1804,1824-1845
- Salem County Salem County Wills Recorded
- Salem County Surrogates Minutes, 1855-1895
- Salem County Wills, 1804-1970
- Somerset County Probate Records, 1794-1945; Indexes, 1804-1972
- Sussex County Administration Bonds, 1861-1908
- Sussex County Division; partitions of lands proceedings, 1820-1880
- Sussex County Divisions of land proceedings, vol. A-C, 1795-1922
- Sussex County Estate Index, 1804-1974; proceedings Index, 1804-1973
- Sussex County Guardians and sale of lands, 1861-1915
- Sussex County Inventories, 1803-1903
- Sussex County Petitions and renunciations, 1871-1903
- Sussex County Receipts (releases and refunding Bonds) 1813-1901
- Sussex County Wills, 1804-1905
- Union County Probate Records, 1854-1931 : Index to Probate Records, 1857-1949
- Warren County Accounts of executors, Administrators, and etc., 1871-1898
- Warren County Division of real Estate, vol. 1-2, 1825-1877
- Warren County Orphans' Court Minutes, 1825-1901
- Warren County Partitions : 1825-1946
- Warren County Probate Records, 1825-1924; Index to Probate Records, 1825-1956
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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