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Chapter 733 — Administration of Estates

Florida Statute 733.604

“Inventories and accountings; public records exemptions”

What it means

Unless an inventory has already been filed, the PR must file a verified inventory of estate property, listed with reasonable detail, with each item's estimated fair market value at the date of death (subsection (1)(a)). The statute states no deadline. Rule 5.340(a) requires filing within 60 days after issuance of letters, and the court may extend the time for cause (Rule 5.340(b)). If the PR learns of property not in the inventory, or that a value or description is erroneous or misleading, the PR must file a verified amended or supplementary inventory (subsection (2)).

Inventories and accountings filed with the clerk are confidential and exempt from public records disclosure (subsection (1)(b)). The custodian must disclose them to the PR, the PR's attorney, an interested person as defined in s. 731.201, or by court order on a showing of good cause. On written request, a beneficiary must be given a written explanation of how an inventory value was determined, or a copy of the appraisal (subsection (3)).

— What it says
  • The inventory is verified, lists property in reasonable detail, and gives estimated fair market value at the date of death (§ 733.604(1)(a)).
  • The 60-day filing deadline comes from the rule: within 60 days after issuance of letters (Rule 5.340(a)).
  • Omitted property or an erroneous value or description requires a verified amended or supplementary inventory (§ 733.604(2)).
  • Filed inventories and accountings are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I, State Constitution (§ 733.604(1)(b)1.-3.).
  • They are disclosed to the PR, the PR's attorney, an interested person, or by court order on good cause (§ 733.604(1)(b)4.).
  • A residuary beneficiary or intestate heir may request an explanation of all inventoried assets; other beneficiaries, of assets distributed or proposed to be distributed to them (§ 733.604(3)).

Text of the statute (2026)

§ 733.604(1)(a)
(1)(a) Unless an inventory has been previously filed, a personal representative shall file a verified inventory of property of the estate, listing it with reasonable detail and including for each listed item its estimated fair market value at the date of the decedent’s death.
§ 733.604(1)(b)1.
(b)1. Any inventory of an estate, whether initial, amended, or supplementary, filed with the clerk of the court in conjunction with the administration of an estate is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution.
§ 733.604(1)(b)3.-4.
3. Any accounting, whether interim, final, amended, or supplementary, filed with the clerk of court in an estate proceeding is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution. 4. Any inventory or accounting made confidential and exempt by subparagraph 1., subparagraph 2., or subparagraph 3. shall be disclosed by the custodian for inspection or copying: a. To the personal representative; b. To the personal representative’s attorney; c. To an interested person as defined in s. 731.201; or d. By court order upon a showing of good cause.
§ 733.604(2)
(2) If the personal representative learns of any property not included in the original inventory, or learns that the estimated value or description indicated in the original inventory for any item is erroneous or misleading, the personal representative shall file a verified amended or supplementary inventory showing any new items and their estimated value at the date of the decedent’s death, or the revised estimated value or description.
§ 733.604(3)
(3) Upon written request to the personal representative, a beneficiary shall be furnished a written explanation of how the inventory value for an asset was determined, or, if an appraisal was obtained, a copy of the appraisal, as follows: (a) To a residuary beneficiary or heir in an intestate estate, regarding all inventoried assets. (b) To any other beneficiary, regarding all assets distributed or proposed to be distributed to that beneficiary. The personal representative must notify each beneficiary of that beneficiary’s rights under this subsection. Neither a request nor the failure to request information under this subsection affects any rights of a beneficiary in subsequent proceedings concerning any accounting of the personal representative or the propriety of any action of the personal representative.
§ Fla. Prob. R. 5.340(a) (first sentence), (b)
(a) Contents and Filing. Unless an inventory has been previously filed, the personal representative must file an inventory of the estate within 60 days after issuance of letters. (b) Extension. On petition the time for filing the inventory may be extended by the court for cause shown without notice, except that the personal representative must serve copies of the petition and order on the persons described in subdivision (d).

Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 733.604.

History. s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 76, ch. 75-220; s. 1, ch. 80-127; s. 4, ch. 84-106; s. 1, ch. 85-72; s. 29, ch. 85-342; s. 68, ch. 87-226; s. 28, ch. 95-401; s. 1003, ch. 97-102; s. 13, ch. 97-240; s. 127, ch. 2001-226; s. 1, ch. 2009-230; s. 1, ch. 2014-82.

— In a Florida probate

How it applies

The inventory lists estate property with reasonable detail and an estimated fair market value at the date of death (§ 733.604(1)(a)). The filing deadline is stated in Rule 5.340(a), not in the statute, so both sources apply. An interested person may obtain a filed inventory despite its confidential status (§ 733.604(1)(b)4.c.), and a beneficiary may ask in writing how a listed value was determined (§ 733.604(3)). The PR must notify each beneficiary of those rights, and neither a request nor the lack of one affects rights in later proceedings.

Questions people ask

Is a Florida probate inventory a public record?
No. Section 733.604(1)(b) makes estate inventories and accountings filed with the clerk confidential and exempt from the public records law. They are disclosed to the PR, the PR's attorney, interested persons, or by court order showing good cause.
When is the inventory due in a Florida probate?
The statute sets no deadline. Rule 5.340(a) requires the inventory within 60 days after issuance of letters, and Rule 5.340(b) lets the court extend the time for cause shown. Amended inventories are required when new property or corrected values are learned.

Sources

Last checked: October 17, 2026

The official text
This page is a plain-English summary, verified against the 2026 Florida Statutes — it is not the statute, and it isn't legal advice for your situation.
Read § 733.604

Published by the Probate.Help editorial team.How these pages are written and checked.

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