Find the file, verify the appointment, identify the next milestone
Start with the official public search. You do not need to submit a Wills & Trust form to find the Master's Office or estate number.
Two official systems, two different jobs
Use this to look for a reported estate and identify its estate number, file number, responsible Master's Office and other available record details. The Department says the portal contains Master's Office information from 2008 onward.
Open ICMS deceased searchUse this when you or your service provider submitted an online deceased-estate application. Sign in to the application account to view status updates, rework requests, bookings or appointment-letter functions available for that submission.
Open DOJ Online ServicesA public ICMS result is useful for locating the file, but it is not a guarantee that every recent action is visible online. A DOJ Online Services application status belongs to the relevant account and is not a substitute for the public estate search.
Free step-by-step instructions
Use the deceased's full name, South African identity number if lawfully available, date of birth or death, and last ordinary address. Keep sensitive details off public emails and social posts.
Complete the portal captcha, choose Deceased Search and use one or two accurate fields first. Try the identity number or name with a date range before adding several filters.
Save the estate number, file number or URN, Master's Office, date created and any account-lodged date shown. Take a dated screenshot for your records.
Ask for the Master's Letters of Executorship or Letters of Authority. A person named in the will is only a nominee until the Master appoints them.
Request a dated answer and supporting reference: appointment date, advert date, account lodgement, Master query, inspection notice, transfer or distribution.
Quote the estate number, state your relationship or legal interest, attach earlier correspondence and ask one precise question with a reasonable reply date.
No result does not prove no estate exists
The reference that keeps follow-ups attached to the file
The estate number is the Master's reference for the deceased-estate file. Use it in every subject line, letter and call. Do not confuse it with a DOJ Online Services application reference, a SARS number, bank-estate reference or conveyancer's file number.
Record the number exactly as issued, together with the deceased's name and the Master's Office. The public portal may also show a file number or unique reference number. Preserve each identifier because different systems or officials may ask for different references.
Turn “it is with the Master” into a specific status
Reported
Ask whether all reporting documents and the original will, if any, were accepted or whether rework is outstanding.
Appointed
Verify the appointee, appointment date and whether Letters of Executorship or section 18(3) Letters of Authority were issued.
Claims
For full administration, ask for the publication dates and expiry of the creditor-claim period, which must be at least 30 days.
Account
The account is ordinarily due within six months of Letters of Executorship unless the Master allows more time. Ask about any query sheet or extension.
Examined
Lodgement is not approval. Ask whether the Master examined the account and whether each requisition was answered.
Inspection
Ask where and when the account lies open for at least 21 days so an interested person can inspect and, if justified, object.
Distribution
After the account process and required tax or property steps, ask which transfers or payments remain and what blocks them.
Closed
Final distribution does not by itself close the file. Ask whether proof was lodged and the executor was formally discharged.
Nomination is not appointment
Do not deal with estate property merely because someone says they are the executor. Authority comes from the Master's issued letter.
Diagnose the blocked step before escalating
A delay may result from an executor's inaction, but it can also result from appointment requirements, SARS, a property sale, disputed claims, court proceedings, missing beneficiaries or a Master's requisition. Do not accuse a person of misconduct without the file evidence.
Search safely
Use sensitive identifiers only on official systems or with an authorised professional who explains why they are needed. Do not post an identity number, death certificate, will, appointment letter, bank record or beneficiary schedule in a public forum.
Wills & Trust does not need the deceased's identity number for you to use these tracking instructions. If you later request professional help, submit only the minimum necessary information through the stated channel after reviewing its privacy terms.
Help after the official search
Get help identifying the next step. Bring the estate number, appointment letter, last written status and any Master query. Do not send original documents or banking credentials.
This is general South African information, not legal advice, a Master's file search performed for you, proof of appointment, a complaint, removal application or promise of turnaround time.
Official portals and contact details can change. Use the linked Department of Justice pages and preserve the date of each check.