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Elmore County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Elmore County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Elmore County Probate Court |
| Filing office | Elmore County Probate Office, in the historic Elmore County Courthouse |
| Courthouse address | 100 East Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092. The county's judicial complex at 8935 US Highway 231 North is a different building and does not handle estate filings. |
| Mailing address | PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092 |
| Phone | (334) 567-1140 |
| Fax | (334) 512-0522 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The county states that the building's doors close to the public at 4:15 p.m. |
| Filing cost | Elmore County does not publish a probate cost schedule. Alabama probate costs include a statutory base under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 plus local charges. Call the probate office at (334) 567-1140 for the total for your proceeding. |
| Local forms | None. Elmore County publishes no estate forms and no opening packet. Its probate downloads are the Alabama RT-1 form for deeds, an electronic recording notice and notary information. |
| E-filing | Elmore County publishes no electronic filing channel for estate matters. Estate petitions are submitted in person or by mail unless the probate office gives another instruction. The county's electronic recording service is for land records through approved vendors, and its own notice excludes wills, codicils, estate claims and bonds. |
| Case search | Elmore County runs its own online records site with a probate case record lookup, separate from land records, at https://ingprobate.com/Elmore_Probate/. Since August 1, 2026, online research requires a user account, which the county describes as free. |
| Remote appearance | Not published. Ask the probate office at (334) 567-1140 when your matter is set. |
| Website | https://www.elmoreco.org/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a path in Elmore County, identify what the decedent owned and owed. The county does not publish an estate opening packet or probate cost schedule, so the probate office will need to know what type of proceeding you are opening before it can tell you what to file and what it will cost.
Debts also shape the estate settlement calendar. Claims must be presented within six months, known creditors get individual notice, and Elmore County's own electronic recording notice says estate claims are not submitted through its electronic land-recording channel. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to find accounts and policies the family may not know about before the petition is prepared.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Elmore County Probate Court serves Elmore County from one probate office in the historic Elmore County Courthouse at 100 East Commerce Street in downtown Wetumpka. The county publishes no satellite probate office and no second county seat for estate filings. Wetumpka is the county seat, and the county lists Coosada, Deatsville, Eclectic, Elmore, Holtville, Millbrook, Prattville and Tallassee among its other cities and towns.
Venue follows the decedent's county of domicile, not just the mailing address. The county notes that a small part of Prattville lies in Elmore County and that portions of Tallassee lie in Tallapoosa County, so families with a Prattville or Tallassee address should confirm the county before filing. For an Alabama resident, file in the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a nonresident decedent, venue can be in a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that the estate belongs in Elmore County. Venue is the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or for a nonresident decedent, a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162). If the address is in Prattville or Tallassee, confirm the county first.
- If there is a will, locate the original. A person holding the will has a duty to deliver it to someone able to secure probate (Ala. Code § 43-8-270), and a will must be filed for probate within five years of death (Ala. Code § 43-8-161). Elmore County's electronic recording notice excludes wills and codicils from electronic submission.
- Build the asset and debt list before drafting the petition. Elmore County publishes no estate forms and no opening packet, so you will need to ask the probate office what it wants filed for the particular proceeding.
- Prepare the petition and arrange notarization before you go. Elmore County states that Probate Court staff are not permitted to notarize documents for the public.
- File at the Elmore County Probate Office in the historic Elmore County Courthouse, 100 East Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the building's doors close to the public at 4:15 p.m. Mail goes to PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092. Ask the office how it wants an estate petition delivered.
- Pay the cost the office quotes. Elmore County does not publish a probate cost schedule. Alabama probate costs include a statutory base under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 plus local charges, so call (334) 567-1140 for the total for your proceeding.
- The probate judge acts on the petition. In Alabama, the probate judge is both the judge and the filing officer for the probate court.
- Give notice to heirs and ask whether a hearing will be set. Elmore County publishes no estate hearing days and no phone or video appearance policy, so ask the probate office when you file.
- Receive authority to act. Letters testamentary issue when a will is admitted and an executor is appointed. Letters of administration issue when an administrator is appointed. Banks and title companies usually ask for these documents.
- Publish notice to creditors and give individual notice to creditors who are known or reasonably ascertainable. Claims not presented within six months are barred (Ala. Code § 43-2-350), and a creditor entitled to actual notice gets 30 days from that notice. Elmore County's electronic recording notice lists estate claims among documents excluded from electronic submission.
- Handle inventory and any bond the court requires. Elmore County publishes no local inventory or bond figures. Bonds are also on the county's list of documents excluded from electronic submission.
- Administer the estate, pay valid claims in order and distribute only after claims and expenses are handled. If a house is sold, the deed is recorded by the Recording Division of the same probate office in Room 100. The county requires the RT-1 form or its information in the deed, the preparer's name and address, and the grantor's marital status for deeds that transfer real property.
- Close with a settlement and confirm with the probate office what it requires for the final filing.
- If the matter becomes contested or needs equitable relief, an interested party may petition to remove the already-opened administration to the circuit court before final settlement (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). The estate opens in the Elmore County Probate Court first, and the probate court does not remove the administration on its own motion.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Elmore County
Elmore County does not publish probate forms or an estate opening packet. The county's probate pages and general forms page do not provide a petition for administration, a petition to probate a will or a local estate checklist. Alabama also has no statewide probate form set for the public.
Call the Elmore County Probate Office at (334) 567-1140 before you prepare or mail anything. Ask what the office wants filed, whether the original will must be delivered in person or by mail, what the cost will be and whether a hearing will be set. Probate office staff can provide procedural routing, but they do not draft documents or choose a legal path for you.
The county does publish recording requirements that matter when an estate sells or transfers Elmore County real property. Deeds must include a completed Alabama RT-1 form or the required RT-1 information in the deed, the preparer's name and address, and the grantor's marital status. Those are deed-recording requirements, not estate opening forms.
Local nuance
Elmore County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for estate settlement |
|---|---|
| One probate office downtown | The Elmore County Probate Office and its divisions sit in the historic Elmore County Courthouse at 100 East Commerce Street in downtown Wetumpka. The county's judicial complex at 8935 US Highway 231 North is a different building and is not where estates are opened. |
| The doors close before the office does | The county publishes office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and states that the building's doors close to the public at 4:15 p.m. Plan an in-person filing well before then. |
| Probate staff do not notarize for the public | Elmore County states that Probate Court staff are not permitted to notarize documents for the public. Arrange notarization before you arrive with a sworn petition. |
| County-run probate case lookup | Elmore County runs its own online records site with a probate case record lookup separate from land records. It is reached from the public records link on the county's probate page. |
| Online research account requirement | Since August 1, 2026, the county's online records site requires a user account for all online research. The county describes the research account as free. |
| Electronic recording is for land records | The county's electronic recording channel runs through approved vendors and is for land records. The county's notice lists wills and codicils, estate claims and bonds among documents that must be submitted in person or by mail. |
| Free REAACT property alerts | The probate office launched REAACT, the Real Estate Activity Alert and Contact Tool, which went live March 4, 2026. It sends free email alerts when a land record is recorded matching a registered name. It watches land records, not estate case files, and can be useful when an estate includes an Elmore County house. |
| Prattville and Tallassee cross county lines | The county notes that a small part of Prattville lies in Elmore County and that portions of Tallassee lie in Tallapoosa County. A mailing address in either place does not settle venue. Venue follows domicile. |
| Deeds are recorded in Room 100 | When an estate sells a house, the deed is recorded by the Recording Division in Room 100 of the same building. The Recording Division accepts documents for recording from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with later documents recorded the next business day. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Alabama small estate rules | Act 2025-431, effective October 1, 2025, rewrote Alabama's small estate rules and tied the ceiling to the combined statutory allowances (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). This is a statewide change. See Alabama statewide guidance for the current ceiling, or ask the Elmore County Probate Office. |
| Online records research account | Since Saturday, August 1, 2026, the Elmore County online records site requires a user account for all online research, including the probate case record lookup. The county says a research account can be created free of charge. |
| REAACT property alerts | The Elmore County Probate Office announced REAACT, the Real Estate Activity Alert and Contact Tool, on February 20, 2026, and the system went live on March 4, 2026. It sends free email notifications when a recorded land record matches a name entered by a registered user. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start at the Elmore County Probate Office in the historic courthouse at 100 East Commerce Street in downtown Wetumpka. If there is a will, the original goes with the petition and is not submitted through the county's electronic land-recording channel. Elmore County publishes no estate forms and no probate cost schedule, so call (334) 567-1140 to ask what the office wants filed and what it will cost. How the home passes depends on how the deed is written, and the same probate office records deeds in Room 100. | Sunset helps locate accounts, policies and property information before the petition is drafted, so the estate settlement path matches what the couple actually owned. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | You can reach the office from out of state. Mail goes to PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092, and the county asks for a self-addressed stamped envelope when documents need to be returned. Elmore County runs its own online records site with a probate case record lookup, and since August 1, 2026, online research there requires a user account that the county describes as free. Ask the probate office at (334) 567-1140 how it wants an estate petition delivered and whether any hearing can be handled by phone or video. | Sunset helps build the asset picture remotely, so the estate's size and route are understood before anything is mailed to Wetumpka. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the administration in the Elmore County Probate Court at 100 East Commerce Street in Wetumpka. Costs are not published, so call (334) 567-1140 for the total. When the house sells, the deed is recorded by the Recording Division in Room 100 of the same building. The county requires a completed Alabama RT-1 form attached to the deed or its information set out in the deed, the preparer's name and address, and the grantor's marital status. Documents are accepted for recording from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and anything submitted later is recorded the next business day. The county's free REAACT alerts can email the family when a land record is recorded matching a registered name. | Sunset helps surface debts and accounts tied to the property early, so the sale is not delayed by an unknown claim. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Services Alabama | Free civil legal help for low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case-type priorities. Its published practice areas include heirs property and estate planning, and its site states that its offices handle civil cases only. | Statewide intake: 866-456-4995. Spanish line: 888-835-3505. Call center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Online applications are also accepted. |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Legal Services Alabama identifies this as its companion self-help and referral site. | https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/ |
| Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | A referral route for finding an Alabama attorney when the estate needs advice or representation. | https://www.alabar.org/lrs-form/ |
| Elmore County Probate Office | Use the office for procedural routing: what to file, how it wants an estate petition delivered, what the cost will be, whether a hearing is needed and how to reach a record. The office does not draft your documents, advise on the law or notarize documents for the public. | (334) 567-1140, [email protected], 100 East Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092. Mailing address: PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092. |
| Elmore County online records | The county's own site for looking up probate case records and land records, and for registering for REAACT property alerts. Online research requires a user account as of August 1, 2026, which the county describes as a free research account. | https://ingprobate.com/Elmore_Probate/ |
When to hire an attorney
Legal counsel makes sense in Elmore County when the estate includes real property that must be sold and recorded, heirs disagree, a will contest is threatened, debts may exceed assets or the matter may need removal to circuit court after it opens in the probate court. It is also useful when you need a petition drafted because Elmore County publishes no estate forms or opening packet, and the probate office does not draft documents, choose a legal path or notarize documents for the public. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and policies, helps organize debts and property, and gives families a clearer starting point before they call the Elmore County Probate Office.
Generate the probate packet. Elmore County does not publish estate forms or an opening packet. Sunset helps turn the family information, asset list and court routing into a probate packet that is ready for attorney review or filing instructions from the probate office.
Find a local probate attorney. When an Elmore County estate includes a house, creditor issues, a possible contest or a question about removal after the estate opens, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Alabama probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools help families organize the work, track what has been found and understand the next local step without paying to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Elmore County, Alabama?
File at the Elmore County Probate Office in the historic Elmore County Courthouse, 100 East Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the building's doors close to the public at 4:15 p.m. Mail goes to PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092. The county's judicial complex on US Highway 231 North is a different building and is not where estates are opened.
How much does it cost to file probate in Elmore County?
Elmore County does not publish a probate cost schedule. Alabama probate costs include a statutory base under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 plus local charges. Call the Elmore County Probate Office at (334) 567-1140 for the total for your proceeding.
Can I e-file a probate petition in Elmore County?
Elmore County publishes no electronic filing channel for estate petitions. Its electronic recording service runs through approved vendors and is for land records. The county's own notice lists wills and codicils, estate claims and bonds among documents that cannot go through that electronic channel and must be submitted in person or by mail. Ask the office at (334) 567-1140 how it wants your petition delivered.
Does Elmore County have probate forms I can download?
No. Elmore County publishes no estate forms and no opening packet, and Alabama has no statewide public probate form set. The probate section's downloads are the Alabama RT-1 real estate validation form for deeds, an electronic recording notice and notary information. Ask the probate office what it wants filed.
How do I look up a probate case in Elmore County?
Elmore County runs its own online records site, reached from the public records link on the county's probate page, and it offers a probate case record lookup separately from land records. Since August 1, 2026, online research there requires a user account, which the county describes as a free research account. For records in person, call the probate office at (334) 567-1140 first.
Can I attend an Elmore County probate hearing by phone or video?
That is set by the Elmore County Probate Court. The county publishes no appearance policy, so ask the probate office at (334) 567-1140 when your matter is set.
Do I have to travel to Wetumpka to settle an estate in Elmore County?
Not necessarily to start. The office takes mail at PO Box 280, Wetumpka, AL 36092, asks for a self-addressed stamped envelope when documents need returning, and runs an online records site you can use from anywhere with an account. Whether you need to appear depends on the matter, so ask when you file.
Do I file in Elmore County if the address is in Prattville or Tallassee?
Check the county of domicile, not only the mailing address. The county notes that a small part of Prattville lies in Elmore County and that portions of Tallassee lie in Tallapoosa County. Alabama venue is the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or for a nonresident, a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
How long do creditors have to make a claim against an estate in Elmore County?
Claims must be presented within six months or they are barred (Ala. Code § 43-2-350). A creditor entitled to actual notice gets 30 days from that notice, and the personal representative must give individual notice to creditors who are known or reasonably ascertainable. Elmore County's own notice lists estate claims among documents excluded from electronic submission.
Who is in charge of probate in Elmore County?
An elected probate judge. In Alabama, the probate judge is both the judge and the filing officer for the probate court. The Elmore County Probate Office also runs recording and elections divisions from the same building.
Can the probate office notarize my petition in Elmore County?
No. The county states that Elmore County Probate Court staff are not permitted to notarize documents for the public. Arrange notarization before you go to the office.
What if someone contests the will in Elmore County?
A contest before the will is admitted may be brought in the probate court. If an already-opened administration becomes contested or needs equitable relief, an interested party may petition to remove it to the circuit court before final settlement (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). The estate opens in the Elmore County Probate Court first.
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.