Alberta Surrogate Court Forms: The Complete GA Form Guide for Executors

If you've been searching for Alberta probate forms and finding references to "NC" forms, stop. Those forms are outdated. In June 2022, Alberta overhauled its entire surrogate court system, replacing the Non-Contentious (NC) form family with a new Grant Application (GA) form series. The transition caught many executors off guard, and outdated law firm blog posts still reference the old system — leading to rejected applications and wasted weeks.

Here's what you actually need to know about the current forms, the filing sequence, and the digital portal that Alberta now uses for probate applications.

The 2022 Surrogate Rules Overhaul

Prior to June 2022, self-represented executors in Alberta used the NC (Non-Contentious) form series to apply for probate. Those forms were relatively straightforward — fill them out, file them, wait.

The current GA form system is fundamentally different. It imposes a strict, sequential filing process where specific forms must be completed and served in a particular order before the court will accept the application. Miss a step or file out of sequence, and the Surrogate Court will reject your application with a requisition — a formal correction notice that resets your processing timeline.

The old NC forms still have limited relevance for specialized trust applications and older matters, but for any standard Grant of Probate or Grant of Administration filed today, you need the GA forms exclusively.

The GA Form Sequence Explained

The core GA forms must be prepared and filed in a specific order. This is where most self-represented executors get tripped up — the process is not "gather everything and submit." It's a multi-step sequence with notice requirements built into the middle.

GA1 — Grant Application

This is the core application form. It identifies the deceased, the personal representative (executor or administrator), the type of grant being requested, and the basic details of the estate. You'll need the original will, the death certificate, and your own identification.

For a Grant of Probate (when there's a valid will), you attach the original, wet-ink will to the GA1. If you only have a photocopy of the will, you cannot use the standard GA1 process — you'll need a specialized court application to prove the copy, which typically requires legal representation.

GA2 — Inventory of Property

Form GA2 requires an exhaustive accounting of every asset and liability in the estate, both inside and outside Alberta. This includes real property (with legal land descriptions, not just civic addresses), bank accounts, investments, vehicles, personal effects, and all debts.

The GA2 is where most rejections originate. Common mistakes include:

• Listing a property by street address instead of its legal land description
• Omitting assets held outside Alberta (the form requires all assets, not just Alberta ones)
• Failing to deduct eligible debts when calculating net estate value
• Using estimated values instead of date-of-death valuations

The net value calculated on the GA2 determines your probate fee tier, so accuracy matters both for the court and for your own costs.

GA3 — Notice to Beneficiaries

Before the court will process your application, you must serve every beneficiary named in the will with a GA3 notice. If any beneficiary is entitled to the residue of the estate, they must also receive a complete copy of the will.

This is the step that surprises most executors. You cannot simply file your application and let the court notify people. You must personally serve notices, collect proof of service, and then swear to the court that you did it correctly.

Beneficiaries who receive a GA3 have the right to object to the grant. If no objections are filed within the notice period, the application proceeds.

GA4 — Notice to Public Trustee

If any beneficiary is a minor (under 18) or a represented adult who lacks capacity, you must serve a GA4 notice on the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT). The Public Trustee reviews the application to protect the vulnerable beneficiary's financial interests.

The Alberta Land Titles Office will also refuse to transfer any real property involving minor beneficiaries without the Public Trustee's registered consent. If your estate involves minors, expect additional processing time and consider retaining legal counsel.

GA5 — Affidavit of Service

Only after you have served all GA3 and GA4 notices can you complete the GA5. This is a sworn affidavit confirming that you properly served every required party. You'll need to detail when, where, and how each notice was delivered.

The GA5 must be sworn or affirmed before a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public. This is the final piece that completes your application package for submission to the court.

GA15 — Notice to Creditors and Claimants

Form GA15 protects you from unknown debts. You publish it in a local newspaper where the deceased lived, giving creditors a deadline to file claims against the estate.

The publication requirements depend on estate size:

• Estates $100,000 or under: publish once in a local newspaper
• Estates over $100,000: publish at least twice, with a minimum of five days between publications

Creditors get a minimum of 30 days from the final publication to file their claims. If you distribute estate assets before this period expires and a legitimate creditor surfaces later, you can be held personally liable for the debt out of your own pocket.

Our Alberta Estate Settlement Guide includes annotated examples of every GA form with field-by-field instructions to help you avoid the common mistakes that trigger court rejections.

The Surrogate Digital Service (SDS)

Alberta introduced the Surrogate Digital Service as an online portal for filing probate applications. There's an important distinction in who can — and must — use it:

• Lawyers who are members of the Law Society of Alberta are required to file through the SDS portal
• Self-represented Albertans who reside in the province can choose between the SDS portal or submitting paper GA forms

If you live outside Alberta, you cannot use the SDS portal as a self-represented applicant. You must submit paper forms to the judicial centre closest by road to where the deceased resided (or where they held property, if they lived out of province).

Applications submitted cleanly through the SDS portal typically process faster — sometimes in as little as 2 to 4 weeks for straightforward estates. Paper applications generally take 6 to 12 weeks, with urban centres like Edmonton occasionally experiencing longer backlogs.

NGA Forms: When You're Not Applying for Probate

A common misconception is that avoiding probate means avoiding paperwork entirely. It doesn't. The Estate Administration Act requires personal representatives who act without a court grant to serve statutory notices using the NGA (Notice for Grants Not Applied For) form family.

• NGA 1 — served to all beneficiaries (with a copy of the will if they're entitled to the residue)
• NGA 2 — served to family members who may have a claim under the Wills and Succession Act
• NGA 3 — served to spouses or adult interdependent partners
• NGA 4 — served to the Public Trustee if minors or represented adults are beneficiaries

These notices are not optional. Even if every bank releases funds without probate, even if there's no real property, even if the estate is small — if you're acting as a personal representative without a grant, you must serve these notices. Failing to do so exposes you to personal liability if a beneficiary or family member later claims they were never informed of their rights.

For a deeper look at the legal framework behind these requirements, see our breakdown of the Alberta Estate Administration Act.

Common Reasons Applications Get Rejected

Court clerks at the Surrogate Court review every application for completeness before it reaches a judge. The most frequent reasons for rejection include:

• Wrong form version — using outdated NC forms instead of current GA forms
• Incomplete GA2 inventory — missing asset categories, using street addresses instead of legal land descriptions, or failing to include out-of-province assets
• Missing or improper service — GA3 notices not served to all beneficiaries, or GA5 affidavit sworn before serving was complete
• Will deficiencies — submitting a photocopy instead of the original, or failing to address handwritten alterations that weren't properly witnessed
• Incorrect court location — filing at the wrong judicial centre (must be closest by road to the deceased's last residence)

Each rejection results in a requisition that pauses your application until you correct the issue and refile. For straightforward estates, most rejections are avoidable with careful preparation.

Getting Through the Forms Without a Lawyer

The GA form system is more structured than the old NC forms, but it's navigable for self-represented executors dealing with standard, uncontested estates. The key is understanding the sequence: inventory first (GA2), then application (GA1), then serve notices (GA3/GA4), then swear service (GA5), then file everything together.

Our Alberta Estate Settlement Guide walks you through each form in the exact order the court expects, with annotated field-by-field examples and the common pitfalls that trigger rejections — so your application goes through the first time.

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