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Probate Search: How to Find a Grant or a Will (UK)

Data last checked on .

Checked against GOV.UK, mygov.scot, scotlandspeople.gov.uk and other official sources. Edited by Steven Butler.

All the pages checked

You can search for a grant of probate or a will in England or Wales for a death from 1858 onwards, using GOV.UK's online search. Each copy of a probate record ordered online costs £16, and Scotland and Northern Ireland use different services covering different date ranges.

Key points
  • ✓GOV.UK's probate search covers England and Wales for a death in or after 1858. You can use it to check if probate has been issued, and each copy of a probate record ordered online costs £16.
  • ✓Records are filed by the year the grant was issued, not the year of death, so check later years too, especially for deaths from the early 1990s onwards.
  • ✓If the person died in the last 6 months, probate may not have been granted yet. A 'standing search' using form PA1S costs £4 and asks for a copy of the probate record to be sent to you if it is granted in the next 6 months. You can extend it after 6 months.
  • ✓In Scotland, the grant of representation (also known as probate) is called 'confirmation'. Wills and testaments from 1513 to 1925 are searchable on ScotlandsPeople. A will registered in the Books of Council and Session can be searched through Registers of Scotland from 15 March 1993 onwards. Registers of Scotland charges £25 plus VAT per name search.
  • ✓Northern Ireland's PRONI Will Calendar Application searches will calendar entries from 1858 to 1965. For probate records held since 1 January 1986, the courts service's online search costs £33.

What a probate search shows

In England and Wales, GOV.UK's probate search lets you:

  • search for a probate record for a death in 1858 or later
  • check whether probate has been issued
  • check the type of grant issued
  • order a copy of the probate record, including the will, if there is one

Not every probate record includes a will. The grant types that contain a will include 'Probate' or 'Grant and Will', and 'Admon with Will' or 'Grant and Will'. 'Administration (Admon) or Grant' does not contain a will.

How to search in England and Wales

1
Go to GOV.UK's probate search service
Start at gov.uk/search-will-probate and choose 'Start now'.
2
Search for the probate record
Search for a probate record for the person who died. A new probate record will be online approximately 14 days after probate has been issued.
3
Check the result
See whether probate was issued and which type of grant it was, so you know whether it includes a will.
4
Order a copy
Order a copy of the probate record online for £16, including the will if there is one.
Probate records are stored under the year the grant was issued, not the year of death. If you can't find the record, check the years after the death. To find the will of someone who died in the early 1990s, you may need to check the records that cover 1996 onwards.

You can also search by post: download and fill in form PA1S and send it to the address on the form. This also costs £16, which includes a copy of the probate record and will (if there is one), and you should get a response within 4 weeks.

If the person died in the last 6 months, probate may not have been granted yet. You can use form PA1S to ask to be sent a copy of the probate record if it's granted in the next 6 months. This is called a 'standing search' and costs £4. You can extend the standing search after 6 months.

Scotland: searching for a will or confirmation

In Scotland, the grant of representation (also known as probate) is called 'confirmation'.

mygov.scot lists three places to try for a will: the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service if a will has been registered with a court, Registers of Scotland if it has been registered in the Books of Council and Session, and National Records of Scotland for information on finding historical wills.

  • Wills and testaments from 1513 to 1925: search the index on ScotlandsPeople. You need to register an account to search the records. Viewing or downloading a will or testament costs 10 credits (£2.50).
  • A will registered in the Books of Council and Session (registration is voluntary, so not every will is there): search through Registers of Scotland. It can search deeds from 15 March 1993 onwards, and supply copies of deeds registered from 1 September 2006 onwards. For earlier deeds, contact National Records of Scotland instead.
Registers of Scotland charges £25 plus VAT per name search, even if the search returns no results, and that fee does not include a copy deed.

Northern Ireland: searching for a will or grant of probate

  • Wills from 1858 to 1965: search the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland's (PRONI) Will Calendar Application, for the district probate registries of Armagh, Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. Digitised copy wills are available for Armagh (1858 to 1918), Belfast (1858 to 1909) and Londonderry (1858 to 1899).
  • Probate records held since 1 January 1986: use the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service's ICOS Public Search Service, which costs £33 per search. You'll need to register for an account to use it.

See also our guides to Probate, What to Do When Someone Dies and Dying Without a Will.

Where to go next

Wills and probate
Probate
When you need probate, how to apply, and what it costs.
What to Do When Someone Dies
The step-by-step checklist after a death.
Dying Without a Will
Who inherits under the intestacy rules.
Inheritance Tax
The threshold, and how much you must pay before the grant is issued.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search for probate records?

In England and Wales, go to GOV.UK's probate search service, search for the probate record, and check the result. Records are filed by the year probate was granted, not the year of death, so check later years if you can't find what you're looking for. Scotland and Northern Ireland use separate services covering different date ranges.

Can I search probate records online?

Yes in England and Wales, where each copy of a probate record ordered online costs £16. In Scotland, wills and testaments from 1513 to 1925 can be searched on ScotlandsPeople, and wills registered in the Books of Council and Session can be searched through Registers of Scotland. In Northern Ireland, will calendar entries from 1858 to 1965 can be searched through PRONI. Probate records held since 1 January 1986 can be searched through the courts service for £33.

How much does a probate search cost?

In England and Wales, each copy of a probate record ordered online costs £16. A search by post using form PA1S also costs £16. A standing search before probate is granted costs £4. In Scotland, viewing or downloading a will or testament on ScotlandsPeople costs 10 credits (£2.50). Registers of Scotland charges £25 plus VAT per name search. In Northern Ireland, the courts service charges £33 per search for probate records held since 1 January 1986.

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Know Your Rights UK. "Probate Search: How to Find a Grant or a Will (UK)." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/wills/probate/search