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California: rules and deadlines at a glance
Every 9 topic we track for California on one page. Open a topic for the details, the law it comes from and how California compares.
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Medicaid long-term care · Small estate limits · Will and trust rules · Estate and inheritance tax · Common law marriage · Property tax rates · Medicaid expansion · Inheritance tax · Social Security tax
General information only, not legal, insurance or financial advice. Not affiliated with any government agency. Exceptions can apply; open a topic for the details.
| Home equity limit | No limit |
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| Look-back | 30 months for nursing home Medi-Cal (being phased in; none for home-care waivers) |
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| Small estate limit | $208,850 personal property (deaths on or after Apr. 1, 2025) |
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| Wait after death | 40 days |
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| Real estate | Home up to $750,000 by court petition; other real estate up to $69,625 by affidavit |
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| Witnesses | 2 (present at the same time) |
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| Handwritten will | Valid if the signature and material parts are in your handwriting |
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| Uniform Trust Code | No |
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| Estate tax | No state estate tax |
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| Inheritance tax | No inheritance tax |
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| New ones allowed? | No |
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| Status | Not allowed since 1895 |
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| Effective rate | 0.70% |
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| On a $300,000 home | $2,100 a year |
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| Expanded? | Yes |
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| Since | Jan. 1, 2014 |
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| Inheritance tax? | No |
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| Sibling pays | No inheritance tax |
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