Searching records
How to check if probate has been granted
Written and reviewed by our experienced team. Checked against GOV.UK and the sources listed at the end on 15 September 2026. ProbateCheck is an independent service, not a law firm.
To check if probate has been granted, search the public probate index by the person's surname and year of death using the box below. A grant of probate or letters of administration appears there approximately 14 days after it is issued. Searching is free; a copy of the grant and will costs £16 (checked on GOV.UK, 15 September 2026). If nothing shows, probate may simply not have been granted yet.
What the result tells you
A record means a grant has been issued: it shows the full name, the date of death, the registry that issued it and whether a will was proved. You can then order the official copy for £16. An empty result means one of four things: probate has not been granted yet, the record is filed under the following year (the grant-year trap), the name on the grant differs from the one you searched, or probate was never needed (see do I need probate?).
A copy costs £16, not £1.50 or £3
GOV.UK's search service charges £16 per probate record ordered online, and the same £16 for a postal search on form PA1S, as checked on 15 September 2026. Solicitor blogs that still quote £1.50 or £3 are describing fees that ended in November 2025. The full history is on our copy of a will page.
How long after death is probate granted?
HMCTS took a mean of 5 weeks from application to grant in January to March 2026 (about 2 weeks for online applications that were not stopped, 14 weeks if stopped), but the family has to value the estate before applying, so a recent death often has no record for months. See how long probate takes for the dated figures and an estimator.
Want to be told the moment it is granted?
A standing search (£4, six months) makes the registry send you the grant and will automatically when they are issued. Our £29 managed search lodges it, monitors it and explains the documents when they arrive.
Step by step
Search the surname and year of death
Use the box above or gov.uk/search-will-probate. Both are free.
Check the following year too
Records are filed under the year the grant was issued, not the year of death.
Try name variations
Maiden names, middle names used as first names and spelling differences all return a blank.
Order the copy for £16, or lodge a £4 standing search
The copy includes the will where one was proved. The standing search covers you if no grant exists yet.
Let us do the whole search, £29 all in
We search every name variation across the correct index years, obtain the grant and the will, lodge a standing search if no grant exists yet, and explain it all in plain English. Government fees included.
Start with a free checkFrequently asked questions
How do I know if probate has been granted?+
Search the England and Wales probate index by surname and year of death. If a grant has been issued it appears there about 14 days after the grant. If nothing shows, check the following year and name variations, or lodge a £4 standing search.
Is there a free way to check if probate has been granted?+
Yes. Searching the index at gov.uk/search-will-probate, or through the box on this page, is free. You only pay £16 if you order a copy of the record.
How long after death is probate granted?+
HMCTS took a mean of 5 weeks from application to grant in January to March 2026, but the application can only be made once the estate has been valued, so weeks to months from the death is normal.
Can I find out who the executor is?+
Yes, once a grant is issued. The grant names the personal representative, and a copy costs £16.
Can I be notified when probate is granted?+
Yes. A standing search (£4 for six months) asks the registry to send you the grant and will automatically if one is issued in that period.
Why do some websites say a copy costs £1.50?+
That fee ended in November 2025, when the copy fee became £16. The £3 figure on some solicitor pages is also out of date. GOV.UK shows £16 as of 15 September 2026.
Sources checked for this guide
- GOV.UK, Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales) (read 15 September 2026)
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics Quarterly: January to March 2026, section 17 Probate Service (published 25 June 2026) (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Applying for probate: fees (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Find a will or probate document: Form PA1S (last updated 6 August 2026) (read 15 September 2026)