25 CFR § 15.11 - What are the basic steps of the probate process?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t25/s15.11"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "25 CFR § 15.11 - What are the basic steps of the probate process?"
title_number: 25
title_name: "Indians"
section_number: "15.11"
section_name: "What are the basic steps of the probate process?"
chapter_name: "BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR"
subchapter_number: "C"
subchapter_name: "PROBATE"
part_number: "15"
part_name: "PROBATE OF INDIAN ESTATES, EXCEPT FOR MEMBERS OF THE OSAGE NATION AND THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 301; 25 U.S.C. 2, 9, 372-74, 410, 2201  44 U.S.C. 3101"
regulatory_source: "73 FR 67278, Nov. 13, 2008, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "15"
---


# 15.11 What are the basic steps of the probate process?

The basic steps of the probate process are:

(a) We learn about a person's death (see subpart B for details);

(b) We prepare a probate file that includes documents sent to the agency (see subpart C for details);

(c) We refer the completed probate file to OHA for assignment to a judge or ADM (see subpart D for details); and

(d) The judge or ADM decides how to distribute any trust or restricted land and/or trust personalty, and we make the distribution (see subpart D for details).