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Dallas County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Dallas County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Dallas County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 105 Lauderdale St, Selma, AL 36701 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 987, Selma, AL 36701 |
| Phone | (334) 876-4830 |
| Filing fee | Alabama uses a statutory probate fee schedule under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus local charges where they apply. Call the Dallas County Probate Office for the current total before filing. |
| Local forms | No downloadable Dallas County estate petition packet is listed in the public materials available for this page. Call the probate office to ask what papers it wants with your filing. |
| E-filing | Ask the probate office how it wants estate petitions delivered. The public Dallas County portal is a lookup portal, not a stated estate filing portal. |
| Case lookup | Dallas County offers an online lookup through https://www.ingprobate.com/Dallas_Probate/ that includes probate case lookup and land lookup. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the probate office when the hearing is set whether phone or video attendance is allowed. |
| Website | Dallas County probate online services: https://www.ingprobate.com/Dallas_Probate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Dallas County, identify the assets, debts, will status and likely heirs. The probate office can tell you filing logistics, but it does not choose the estate settlement path for you.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts before filing, so the petition, notices and later inventory are built around what actually exists.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Dallas County Probate Court in Selma serves Dallas County, including Selma and the rest of the county. Estate administration starts in the probate court for the proper county.
For an Alabama decedent, venue is generally the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a nonresident decedent, venue can be a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the original will if there is one, death information, asset information, debt information, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and any documents showing who should serve as executor or administrator.
- Call the Dallas County Probate Office at (334) 876-4830 before filing to ask what petition, bond information, copies and payment it wants for the estate settlement you are opening.
- File the petition in the Dallas County Probate Office in Selma, or follow the delivery instructions the probate office gives you. If there is an original will, ask how the office wants it presented before mailing an irreplaceable document.
- Pay the filing charges quoted by the probate office. Alabama's probate fee structure includes the statutory schedule under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), and the office should quote the Dallas County total for your filing.
- The probate judge reviews the filing, addresses any required hearing or notice issue, and decides whether to appoint a personal representative.
- If a hearing is set, ask when it is scheduled and whether phone or video attendance is allowed. Do not assume a remote option until the court allows it for that hearing.
- After appointment, the executor receives letters testamentary, or the administrator receives letters of administration. These letters are the authority documents banks, title companies and other institutions usually ask to see.
- Publish and send required creditor notices, manage known debts, and track the Alabama claims period. Claims are generally governed by the six-month nonclaim rule and the actual-notice rule for known or reasonably ascertainable creditors (Ala. Code § 43-2-350).
- Collect assets, maintain estate funds separately, sell property only with proper authority, pay valid expenses and claims in the proper order, and prepare the accounting or settlement papers the court requires.
- If a will contest or equitable dispute arises, talk with a probate attorney. Administration starts in the probate court, and a qualifying interested party may seek removal of an already-opened administration to the circuit court under (Ala. Code § 12-11-41).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dallas County
Dallas County does not list a downloadable estate petition packet in the public materials available for this page. Call the Dallas County Probate Office at (334) 876-4830 before you prepare a filing so you know what petition, copies, payment and original documents the office expects.
Alabama does not provide one public probate packet for every county. Dallas County filers should use the probate office's instructions for local intake and should have an attorney review any contested, insolvent or real-property-heavy estate.
Local nuance
Dallas County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Dallas County filing |
|---|---|
| Online lookup | Dallas County uses an online service portal at https://www.ingprobate.com/Dallas_Probate/ with probate case lookup and land lookup. If the portal does not show what you need, call the probate office. |
| Phone-first filing logistics | The most reliable local contact point for estate intake is the Dallas County Probate Office phone line, (334) 876-4830. Use it before sending an original will, payment or petition package. |
Recent updates
| Change | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Alabama small-estate law changed effective October 1, 2025 | Act 2025-431 changed the valuation formula for Alabama summary distribution under (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). Dallas County filers using that path should ask the probate office for its current summary distribution instructions. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Dallas County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Review the deed, mortgage, account titles and will. If all major assets pass outside probate, a full estate may not be needed. If assets remain in the decedent's name, file in the Dallas County Probate Office and ask what authority is needed before dealing with the home. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize title information and prepare a probate packet for attorney or probate office review. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Ask whether Alabama summary distribution fits the assets and family facts. If it does not, open administration in Dallas County and ask the probate office how filings and any hearing can be handled when you live elsewhere. | Sunset helps gather asset details remotely, create task lists and connect you with a Dallas County probate attorney when local help is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires formal authority from the probate court. File for appointment of a personal representative in Dallas County, then work with counsel before listing, contracting or closing on the sale. | Sunset helps find financial accounts, organize debts and prepare attorney-ready estate settlement materials. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas County Probate Office | Local filing logistics for Dallas County estate petitions, payment, original wills, hearing scheduling and letters testamentary or letters of administration. | 105 Lauderdale St, Selma, AL 36701. Mailing: PO Box 987, Selma, AL 36701. Phone: (334) 876-4830. |
| Dallas County online lookup | Online lookup for Dallas County probate cases and land information. | https://www.ingprobate.com/Dallas_Probate/ |
| Legal Services Alabama | Free civil legal help for eligible Alabamians, subject to case priorities. Its public topics include heirs property and estate planning, not a promise of representation in an estate administration. | Statewide intake: 866-456-4995. Selma is one of the program's office cities. |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Self-help and referral site named by Legal Services Alabama. | https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across thousands of institutions so families can locate accounts, insurance, investments and other property before the Dallas County filing is built.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the family, asset and debt information needed for estate settlement and creates a packet you can review with an attorney or the Dallas County Probate Office.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Alabama probate attorney familiar with county probate practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand next steps and get matched with professional help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Dallas County, Alabama?
File with the Dallas County Probate Office at the Dallas County Probate Court in Selma. The courthouse address is 105 Lauderdale St, Selma, AL 36701, and the mailing address is PO Box 987, Selma, AL 36701.
What phone number should I use for the Dallas County Probate Office?
Call (334) 876-4830. Use that number to ask about filing logistics, current charges, original wills, hearing scheduling and whether any local form is required.
Can I e-file a probate case in Dallas County?
For estate petitions, ask the Dallas County Probate Office how it wants the filing delivered. The Dallas County online portal is a lookup portal and is not listed as an estate petition filing portal.
How do I look up a Dallas County estate case online?
Use the Dallas County probate online services portal at https://www.ingprobate.com/Dallas_Probate/. The portal includes probate case lookup and land lookup. If the portal does not show what you need, call the probate office.
Does Dallas County have local probate forms online?
Dallas County does not list a downloadable estate petition packet in the public materials available for this page. Call the probate office before filing to ask what petition, copies and payment it wants.
What is the Dallas County probate filing fee?
Call the Dallas County Probate Office for the current total. Alabama probate charges are built from the statutory probate fee schedule under (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus any local charges that apply to the filing.
Can I attend a Dallas County probate hearing by phone or video?
Ask the probate office when the hearing is set. Remote attendance depends on what the Dallas County Probate Court allows for that hearing.
Do I have to travel to Selma to handle a Dallas County estate?
Not every estate task requires travel, but some filings, original documents or hearings may require local coordination. Call the probate office first, and consider using a Dallas County probate attorney if you live outside Alabama.
How long do creditors have in an Alabama probate estate?
Alabama's nonclaim rule generally bars claims not presented within six months, with a 30-day actual-notice rule for known or reasonably ascertainable creditors who are entitled to actual notice (Ala. Code § 43-2-350). That deadline is a creditor deadline, not a promise that the estate will close on that date.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.