Iowa heirs can collect a relative’s personal property without probate when the estate is worth $100,000 or less and holds no real estate, under a law approved April 16, 2026. Illinois rewrites its own small-estate affidavit rules for deaths on or after Jan. 1, 2027.
The Iowa change is House File 2660, Chapter 1048 of the 2026 Acts, which raises the limit for a small estate affidavit to $100,000. The Illinois change is Public Act 104-0624, which amends the state’s Probate Act. Both let family members claim property with a sworn statement instead of opening a full court case…