North Carolina Probate Court Finder
For detailed information about the probate court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code or select your county. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the probate court in your area.
North Carolina Probate Courts
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Wake County Probate Court
County Seat: (Raleigh) FIPS: 37183 - pop.1,129,410 -
Mecklenburg County Probate Court
County Seat: (Charlotte) FIPS: 37119 - pop.1,115,482 -
Guilford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greensboro and High Point) FIPS: 37081 - pop.541,299 -
Forsyth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Winston-Salem) FIPS: 37067 - pop.382,590 -
Cumberland County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fayetteville) FIPS: 37051 - pop.334,728 -
Durham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Durham) FIPS: 37063 - pop.324,833 -
Buncombe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Asheville) FIPS: 37021 - pop.269,452 -
Union County Probate Court
County Seat: (Monroe) FIPS: 37179 - pop.238,267 -
Gaston County Probate Court
County Seat: (Gastonia) FIPS: 37071 - pop.227,943 -
Cabarrus County Probate Court
County Seat: (Concord) FIPS: 37025 - pop.225,804 -
New Hanover County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wilmington) FIPS: 37129 - pop.225,702 -
Johnston County Probate Court
County Seat: (Smithfield) FIPS: 37101 - pop.215,999 -
Onslow County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jacksonville) FIPS: 37133 - pop.204,576 -
Iredell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Statesville) FIPS: 37097 - pop.186,693 -
Alamance County Probate Court
County Seat: (Graham) FIPS: 37001 - pop.171,415 -
Pitt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greenville) FIPS: 37147 - pop.170,243 -
Davidson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lexington) FIPS: 37057 - pop.168,930 -
Catawba County Probate Court
County Seat: (Newton) FIPS: 37035 - pop.160,610 -
Orange County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hillsborough) FIPS: 37135 - pop.148,696 -
Rowan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Salisbury) FIPS: 37159 - pop.146,875 -
Randolph County Probate Court
County Seat: (Asheboro) FIPS: 37151 - pop.144,171 -
Brunswick County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bolivia) FIPS: 37019 - pop.136,693 -
Harnett County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lillington) FIPS: 37085 - pop.133,568 -
Wayne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Goldsboro) FIPS: 37191 - pop.117,333 -
Robeson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lumberton) FIPS: 37155 - pop.116,530 -
Henderson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hendersonville) FIPS: 37089 - pop.116,281 -
Craven County Probate Court
County Seat: (New Bern) FIPS: 37049 - pop.100,720 -
Moore County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carthage) FIPS: 37125 - pop.99,727 -
Cleveland County Probate Court
County Seat: (Shelby) FIPS: 37045 - pop.99,519 -
Nash County Probate Court
County Seat: (Nashville) FIPS: 37127 - pop.94,970 -
Rockingham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wentworth) FIPS: 37157 - pop.91,096 -
Burke County Probate Court
County Seat: (Morganton) FIPS: 37023 - pop.87,570 -
Lincoln County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lincolnton) FIPS: 37109 - pop.86,810 -
Caldwell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lenoir) FIPS: 37027 - pop.80,652 -
Wilson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wilson) FIPS: 37195 - pop.78,784 -
Chatham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pittsboro) FIPS: 37037 - pop.76,285 -
Surry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dobson) FIPS: 37171 - pop.71,359 -
Franklin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Louisburg) FIPS: 37069 - pop.68,573 -
Carteret County Probate Court
County Seat: (Beaufort) FIPS: 37031 - pop.67,686 -
Wilkes County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wilkesboro) FIPS: 37193 - pop.65,969 -
Rutherford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rutherfordton) FIPS: 37161 - pop.64,444 -
Lee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sanford) FIPS: 37105 - pop.63,285 -
Stanly County Probate Court
County Seat: (Albemarle) FIPS: 37167 - pop.62,504 -
Haywood County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waynesville) FIPS: 37087 - pop.62,089 -
Granville County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oxford) FIPS: 37077 - pop.60,992 -
Pender County Probate Court
County Seat: (Burgaw) FIPS: 37141 - pop.60,203 -
Sampson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clinton) FIPS: 37163 - pop.59,036 -
Lenoir County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kinston) FIPS: 37107 - pop.55,122 -
Watauga County Probate Court
County Seat: (Boone) FIPS: 37189 - pop.54,086 -
Hoke County Probate Court
County Seat: (Raeford) FIPS: 37093 - pop.52,082 -
Columbus County Probate Court
County Seat: (Whiteville) FIPS: 37047 - pop.50,623 -
Edgecombe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tarboro) FIPS: 37065 - pop.48,900 -
Duplin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kenansville) FIPS: 37061 - pop.48,715 -
Halifax County Probate Court
County Seat: (Halifax) FIPS: 37083 - pop.48,622 -
Beaufort County Probate Court
County Seat: (Washington) FIPS: 37013 - pop.44,652 -
McDowell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marion) FIPS: 37111 - pop.44,578 -
Stokes County Probate Court
County Seat: (Danbury) FIPS: 37169 - pop.44,520 -
Jackson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sylva) FIPS: 37099 - pop.43,109 -
Richmond County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rockingham) FIPS: 37153 - pop.42,946 -
Davie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mocksville) FIPS: 37059 - pop.42,712 -
Vance County Probate Court
County Seat: (Henderson) FIPS: 37181 - pop.42,578 -
Pasquotank County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elizabeth City) FIPS: 37139 - pop.40,568 -
Person County Probate Court
County Seat: (Roxboro) FIPS: 37145 - pop.39,097 -
Yadkin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Yadkinville) FIPS: 37197 - pop.37,214 -
Macon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Franklin) FIPS: 37113 - pop.37,014 -
Dare County Probate Court
County Seat: (Manteo) FIPS: 37055 - pop.36,915 -
Alexander County Probate Court
County Seat: (Taylorsville) FIPS: 37003 - pop.36,444 -
Scotland County Probate Court
County Seat: (Laurinburg) FIPS: 37165 - pop.34,174 -
Transylvania County Probate Court
County Seat: (Brevard) FIPS: 37175 - pop.32,986 -
Bladen County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elizabethtown) FIPS: 37017 - pop.29,606 -
Cherokee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Murphy) FIPS: 37039 - pop.28,774 -
Currituck County Probate Court
County Seat: (Currituck) FIPS: 37053 - pop.28,100 -
Ashe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jefferson) FIPS: 37009 - pop.26,577 -
Montgomery County Probate Court
County Seat: (Troy) FIPS: 37123 - pop.25,751 -
Caswell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Yanceyville) FIPS: 37033 - pop.22,736 -
Anson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wadesboro) FIPS: 37007 - pop.22,055 -
Martin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Williamston) FIPS: 37117 - pop.22,031 -
Hertford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Winton) FIPS: 37091 - pop.21,552 -
Madison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marshall) FIPS: 37115 - pop.21,193 -
Greene County Probate Court
County Seat: (Snow Hill) FIPS: 37079 - pop.20,451 -
Polk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Columbus) FIPS: 37149 - pop.19,328 -
Warren County Probate Court
County Seat: (Warrenton) FIPS: 37185 - pop.18,642 -
Yancey County Probate Court
County Seat: (Burnsville) FIPS: 37199 - pop.18,470 -
Bertie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Windsor) FIPS: 37015 - pop.17,934 -
Avery County Probate Court
County Seat: (Newland) FIPS: 37011 - pop.17,806 -
Northampton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jackson) FIPS: 37131 - pop.17,471 -
Mitchell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bakersville) FIPS: 37121 - pop.14,903 -
Swain County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bryson City) FIPS: 37173 - pop.14,117 -
Chowan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Edenton) FIPS: 37041 - pop.13,708 -
Perquimans County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hertford) FIPS: 37143 - pop.13,005 -
Pamlico County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bayboro) FIPS: 37137 - pop.12,276 -
Clay County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hayesville) FIPS: 37043 - pop.11,089 -
Washington County Probate Court
County Seat: (Plymouth) FIPS: 37187 - pop.11,003 -
Alleghany County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sparta) FIPS: 37005 - pop.10,888 -
Gates County Probate Court
County Seat: (Gatesville) FIPS: 37073 - pop.10,478 -
Camden County Probate Court
County Seat: (Camden) FIPS: 37029 - pop.10,355 -
Jones County Probate Court
County Seat: (Trenton) FIPS: 37103 - pop.9,172 -
Graham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Robbinsville) FIPS: 37075 - pop.8,030 -
Hyde County Probate Court
County Seat: (Swan Quarter) FIPS: 37095 - pop.4,589 -
Tyrrell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Columbia) FIPS: 37177 - pop.3,245
How North Carolina Probate Courts Work
What Is Probate?
Probate refers to the legal process through which a deceased person's will is validated by a court. This process ensures that the deceased's assets are distributed according to their wishes as stated in the will, after any debts and taxes are paid.
What Are Probate Courts?
Probate courts, which are specialized judicial bodies, oversee these proceedings.
They also handle matters related to:
- estate administration,
- guardianships, and conservatorships
- when a will is not present
- or in cases of dispute.
It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements of probate courts can vary significantly from one county to another across the United States. This variation is due to differences in state laws and local court rules. As a result, engaging with a probate court in one jurisdiction might be quite different from doing so in another.
Also, every state has simplified procedures for dealing with small estates... and most estates end up being "small," and most estates do not require the full probate process, especially if the deceased person owned property in one or more of the ways described below.
Types of Property That Does NOT Pass Through Probate Court
Many types of property are designed to bypass the probate process, allowing for a more streamlined transfer of assets upon someone's death. These include:
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Jointly Owned Property: Assets owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety automatically pass to the surviving owner without the need for probate. This is common with real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles owned jointly by two or more individuals.
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Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Accounts: Financial accounts and securities that are designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) can be transferred directly to the named beneficiary upon the account holder's death. This designation allows these assets to skip probate.
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Retirement Accounts and Life Insurance Policies: Funds from retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and the proceeds from life insurance policies, when a beneficiary is named outside of the will, do not go through probate. These assets go directly to the beneficiaries named in the policies or account documents.
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Living Trusts: Property held in a living trust is another major category that avoids probate. The trust owns the assets, and upon the death of the individual who created the trust (the grantor), the property is transferred according to the terms of the trust, without the need for probate intervention.
These mechanisms are designed to simplify the transfer of assets, reduce the time and cost associated with probate, and ensure privacy since probate is a public process. Understanding which assets fall into these categories can be crucial for estate planning and ensuring a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries.