How to Fill Out and File the Florida Probate Inventory Form

As personal representative, you complete the Florida probate inventory form by listing every asset the decedent owned solely in their name at death, assigning each a fair market value as of the date of death, signing under penalty of perjury, and filing it with the Clerk of the Circuit Court within 60 days of receiving your Letters of Administration. Florida Probate Rule 5.340 sets the deadline and content requirements, and Florida Statute 733.604 controls what “verified” means and who receives a copy.¹²

Where To Get the Form

Florida has no single statewide inventory template. Each judicial circuit publishes its own version, all built on the same rule and statute. The Eleventh Judicial Circuit (Miami-Dade) offers a downloadable estate inventory through its website,³ and the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Broward) publishes its own.⁴ Start with the probate division page for your county’s circuit. If your circuit does not publish one, a probate attorney can draft the document from scratch as long as it meets Rule 5.340 and Section 733.604.

The 60-Day Deadline

Rule 5.340 gives you 60 days from the date your Letters of Administration are issued to file the inventory with the Clerk of the Circuit Court.¹ Filing runs through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which generates a confirmation once the clerk accepts the document.

Missing the deadline has real consequences. Failing to file the inventory or produce estate assets when ordered is grounds for removal as personal representative under Florida Statute 733.504.⁵ In practice the court usually issues a show-cause order first, giving you a chance to explain. Without a good reason or an extension, the judge can revoke your letters and appoint someone else, and you may be personally liable for costs the delay caused.

If an appraisal is still pending, mark the item “unknown” on the original inventory and file a supplement once you have the number. Rule 5.340(c) contemplates this.¹ The clock does not pause for missing valuations.

What Goes on the Inventory

Only probate assets belong on the form. Those are items titled solely in the decedent’s name, or the decedent’s share of property held as tenants in common, with no automatic transfer mechanism. Typical entries include:

Bank accounts with no payable-on-death designation
Individually owned real estate
Vehicles titled in the decedent’s name alone
Personal belongings such as jewelry and furniture
Business interests, including sole proprietorships and LLC membership interests

Florida Statute 733.604 requires each item to be listed “with reasonable detail” and given an estimated fair market value as of the date of death.² Fair market value is what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller, not what the decedent originally paid.

Assets That Stay Off

Several common asset types transfer outside probate and do not belong on the inventory. Listing them creates confusion about what the estate actually holds.

Bank accounts or real estate held as joint tenants with right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety pass automatically to the surviving co-owner.
Life insurance, IRAs, 401(k) plans, and annuities paid to a named living beneficiary go directly to that person. They become probate assets only if no living beneficiary exists or the estate itself was named.
Transfer-on-death securities registrations and payable-on-death bank accounts pass outside probate. Section 711.509 explicitly provides that TOD transfers are not testamentary.⁶
Property the decedent transferred into a revocable or irrevocable trust during life is owned by the trust and distributed under its terms.

When in doubt, ask whether the decedent held sole legal title at death with no survivorship or beneficiary designation that would transfer the asset automatically. If yes, it goes on the inventory.

Filling In Each Category

Most circuit forms divide the inventory into real property, personal property, and protected homestead property, with a case caption at the top for the decedent’s name, case number, and division.

Real Property

For each parcel list the street address, the legal description from the deed, and the county parcel identification number found on the property appraiser’s website or the most recent tax bill. Report the estimated fair market value at the date of death. A recent comparable sales analysis or an appraisal from a licensed appraiser typically covers a standard single-family home. Commercial property and vacant land almost always need a professional appraisal because public records alone do not fix their value.

Protected Homestead

Rule 5.340(a) requires you to list real property that appears to be protected homestead and designate it as such, but you do not include its value in the estate total.¹ The Eleventh Circuit’s form places these entries in a separate section labeled “Real Estate in Florida — Exempt Homestead (Not an Estate Asset)” and notes that homestead status is ultimately a judicial determination.³

Homestead property has constitutional protection: it is exempt from forced sale by creditors and passes to heirs free of creditor claims.⁷ You still list it and provide the estimated fair market value for informational purposes; the estate total should exclude it because it is not available to pay debts.

Personal Property

Personal property covers everything that is not real estate. Standard entries include:

Financial accounts, with the institution name, account type, and last four digits of the account number. Use the balance as of the date of death, not the date you pulled the statement.
Vehicles and boats, with year, make, model, and VIN. Kelley Blue Book or NADA Guides give defensible fair market values; use the private-party figure rather than dealer retail.
Tangible personal property, which can usually be grouped and valued collectively. Individual items of significant value (a high-end watch, artwork, or collectibles) warrant a written appraisal from a qualified professional.
Business interests in closely held companies, partnerships, or LLCs, which need a formal business valuation from a CPA experienced in estate work or an accredited business appraiser.

Every entry needs enough detail that a reader can identify the specific asset. “Bank account — $14,200” is insufficient. “Chase Bank checking account ending in 4571, $14,200” works.

Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets

Cryptocurrency is volatile, so fair market value should reflect the trading price on a recognized exchange at the close of business on the date of death. Pull documentation from the exchange or wallet provider showing holdings and price at that date. Tokens held on a hardware wallet or a decentralized platform without account statements may require a forensic blockchain analysis to identify and value. Other digital assets such as domain names, royalty streams, and digital storefronts need case-by-case appraisal against the same standard: what a willing buyer would pay on the date of death.

Verifying, Filing, and Serving

Section 733.604 requires a “verified” inventory, meaning you sign under penalty of perjury.² Circuit forms typically carry this language: “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have read the foregoing, and the facts alleged are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.”⁴ Signing a verified document you know to be inaccurate exposes you to personal liability and possible removal.

Filing is not the end of your obligation. Rule 5.340(d) requires you to serve a copy on the surviving spouse, each heir at law in an intestate estate, each residuary beneficiary in a testate estate, and any other interested person who has submitted a written request.¹ Service typically goes by certified mail, formal service of process, or electronic service through the e-filing system. Keep proof of service in case anyone later claims they were not notified.

Beneficiaries have the right to request a written explanation of how you determined any asset’s value and to receive copies of any appraisals you obtained. Section 733.604(3) spells this out, and the inventory itself must contain a notice informing beneficiaries of these rights.²¹ Missing the notice is a common oversight that invites objections. Keep a supporting file — appraisals, account statements, comparable sales data, exchange screenshots — so you can answer a request with a document rather than a guess.

Supplemental and Amended Inventories

Estates rarely close without surprises. When you discover property that was not on the original inventory, learn that a listed value was wrong, or determine the value of an item you originally marked unknown, file a supplemental or amended inventory.² The supplement follows the same format and verification requirement as the original and must be served on the same group.¹

Common triggers include a bank account revealed by forwarded mail, a safe deposit box opened after the original filing, a tax refund arriving months later, or an appraisal that comes back well off your initial estimate. File each correction promptly rather than batching them, so the court record stays current.

Why the Values Matter Beyond Probate

The values you report ripple into federal tax obligations.

Under 26 U.S.C. § 1014, when a beneficiary inherits an asset, its tax basis resets to the fair market value at the date of death.⁸ Stock the decedent bought for $10,000 that was worth $50,000 at death gives the beneficiary a $50,000 basis; a sale at $50,000 generates no capital gains tax. Your inventory valuations are usually the documentation for that basis, so accuracy directly affects what beneficiaries owe the IRS when they sell inherited property.

If the estate generates more than $600 in gross income during administration from interest, dividends, rent, or gains on asset sales, you must file IRS Form 1041.⁹ The inventory helps you identify which assets are producing income.

For 2026, a federal estate tax return is required when the gross estate exceeds $15,000,000.¹⁰ Most estates fall well below that threshold, but for larger estates the inventory valuations become the foundation of the estate tax return.

1
DDPA Law. Florida Probate Rule 5.340 – Inventory
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 733.604 – Inventories and Accountings; Public Records Exemptions
3
Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. Estate Inventory
4
17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Florida Probate Inventory Form
5
Florida Senate. Florida Code 733.504 – Removal of Personal Representative; Causes for Removal
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 711.509 – Nontestamentary Transfer on Death
7
The Florida Bar. The Use of the Florida Homestead to Defraud Creditors
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 1014 – Basis of Property Acquired From a Decedent
9
Internal Revenue Service. File an Estate Tax Income Tax Return
10
Internal Revenue Service. Estate Tax