Back to Alabama
Houston County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Houston County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Houston County Probate Court |
| Filing office | Houston County Probate Office, Houston County Administration Building, second floor, 462 N. Oates St., Dothan, AL 36303 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302 |
| Phone | 334-677-4701 |
| Fax | Houston County does not publish a probate office fax number. |
| Hours | 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, closed Fridays and holidays. Houston County notes that department hours may vary. |
| Filing costs | Houston County publishes its own court cost schedule. Probating a will is $55.00 with no effective date printed. An administration is $65.00 with no effective date printed. A summary distribution is $55.00 with no effective date printed. Confirm the total before filing because hearings, notices, postage and extra filings may add cost. |
| Local forms | Houston County does not publish a downloadable petition packet for opening an estate. It publishes an Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook with an asset checklist, inventory form, ledger forms and a certificate used in administration. |
| Electronic filing | Houston County says electronic filing in probate cases is open to attorneys through the county Attorney Portal. Anyone filing without an attorney should ask the probate office how it wants the petition delivered. |
| Case lookup | Houston County offers online records access through an Ingenuity, Inc. records service. The county says an open estate may be viewed there or by calling the probate court at 334-677-4701. Court records require a free account. |
| Remote appearance | Houston County does not publish a phone or video appearance policy. Ask the probate office when a hearing is set. |
| Website | https://houstoncountyal.gov/probate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Houston County, identify the estate assets, debts and paperwork. The county's published handbook puts a signed, notarized initial inventory on a twenty-day clock from appointment and a final inventory on a sixty-day clock, so estate settlement planning starts before the petition reaches the probate office.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help find accounts, policies and holdings a family may not know about. That information helps you choose the right Houston County route, prepare for the separate estate bank account, and avoid starting estate settlement without the facts the inventory and creditor process will require.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Houston County Probate Court serves Houston County from the probate office on the second floor of the Administration Building at 462 N. Oates St. in Dothan. The Houston County Courthouse at 114 N. Oates St. is a separate building, so a person opening an estate should go to the Administration Building or use the probate office mailing address.
Houston County includes Dothan and the incorporated towns of Ashford, Avon, Columbia, Cottonwood, Cowarts, Gordon, Kinsey, Madrid, Rehobeth, Taylor and Webb, along with unincorporated areas of the county. Dothan is the county seat.
Alabama venue for probate 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). Houston County also says wills generally must be filed in the county where the deceased lived, and that a will must be filed for probate within five years of death (Ala. Code § 43-8-161).
The jurisdiction process
- Find the original will, if there is one. Houston County says any person holding a will must deliver it to the probate court or to someone able to have it proved, and Alabama law places that duty at Ala. Code § 43-8-270. If the will may be locked in a safe deposit box or bank account, Houston County publishes a special administrator ad colligendum route for temporary authority to look for it.
- Build the asset and debt list before filing. Houston County's handbook requires an initial inventory within twenty days of appointment and a final inventory within sixty days, so gather accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, funeral expenses and creditor information early.
- File the petition with the Houston County Probate Office on the second floor of the Administration Building at 462 N. Oates St. in Dothan, or ask the office about mailing the petition to P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302. The office is open 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and closed Fridays.
- Pay the Houston County court cost for the route being used. The county's published schedule lists probating a will at $55.00 with no effective date printed, administration at $65.00 with no effective date printed, summary distribution at $55.00 with no effective date printed, ancillary administration at $65.00 with no effective date printed, and foreign ancillary will at $55.00 with no effective date printed. Confirm the total with the probate office before filing.
- If an attorney is filing, use the Houston County Attorney Portal if appropriate. Houston County says electronic filing in probate cases is open to attorneys at this time. Anyone filing without an attorney should ask the probate office how it wants the petition delivered.
- The probate judge acts on the petition. In Alabama, the judge of probate is the filing officer and the judge for the county probate court.
- Address bond as directed by the probate court. Houston County's handbook says a personal representative is required to file a bond through a surety company, with a premium due when the bond is executed and again each year until the estate is closed. The probate court sets the amount.
- Complete Houston County's local certificate when letters of administration are involved. The county's handbook asks the personal representative and the attorney to review the handbook, sign the certificate at Exhibit D, and meet with probate office staff about accounting and inventory requirements before letters of administration are granted. Because the handbook describes timing in more than one place, ask the probate office exactly when it wants the certificate filed.
- Receive letters testamentary if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is no will or no executor able to serve. Houston County's handbook tells the personal representative to keep certified copies available during administration.
- Publish notice to creditors in a local newspaper of general circulation in Houston County and file proof of publication with the probate office. Houston County's FAQ says notice runs once a week for three weeks, and the handbook says written notice should also be mailed by first class mail to known or reasonably suspected creditors.
- File the inventory. Houston County's handbook requires a signed, notarized initial inventory within twenty days of appointment, a signed, notarized final inventory within sixty days, and an amended inventory if additional assets are discovered. Houston County lists the inventory court cost at $35.00 with no effective date printed.
- Keep estate money separate. Houston County's handbook requires a separate interest-bearing bank account in the personal representative's name as personal representative, opened with an estate tax ID, and a ledger of every estate receipt and expenditure.
- Handle creditor claims through the court. Houston County lists claims against an estate at $13.00 with no effective date printed, says the claim must be notarized, and says funds are due at filing. The personal representative should not pay a debt of the decedent unless a written claim has been filed with the court.
- If estate real property must be sold, get the needed court authority and record the deed in the probate office. Houston County lists sale of property costs as variable, with a hearing and docket charge of $50.00 with no effective date printed, plus notice, postage and document charges. The separate Houston County recording schedule for deeds has been effective since August 1, 2019, and lists a $13.00 filing fee plus deed tax stated as fifty cents per five hundred dollars of the sale price.
- Render final settlement. Houston County's handbook requires a detailed accounting with supporting evidence and notice to heirs, and says the estate may be closed by consent if the heirs are satisfied. After settlement, the personal representative receives a discharge.
- If the administration becomes contested or needs equitable relief, an interested party may seek removal of the administration to the Circuit Court of Houston County (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). The administration still opens in the Houston County Probate Court first.
Executor duties
Houston County publishes local instructions for a personal representative in its Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook. These duties are local additions and practical filing expectations, not a full list of Alabama probate duties.
| Local duty | What Houston County asks for |
|---|---|
| Review the county handbook | The personal representative and the estate attorney review the Houston County handbook and sign the certificate at Exhibit D. The county ties that certificate to letters of administration. |
| Meet with probate office staff | After the petition is filed, the personal representative meets with probate office staff to review accounting and inventory requirements. |
| File two inventories | The handbook requires a signed, notarized initial inventory within twenty days of appointment and a signed, notarized final inventory within sixty days, with an amended inventory if more assets are found. |
| Open the estate account | The handbook requires a separate interest-bearing bank account in the name of the personal representative as personal representative, using an estate tax ID. |
| Keep records for settlement | The handbook requires a ledger of every receipt and expenditure. Houston County provides suggested ledger forms and says additional blank ledger sheets can be obtained from the court. |
| File proof of publication | Houston County says proof of newspaper publication must be provided to the probate office. |
| Avoid early distributions | The handbook strongly discourages partial distributions without prior court approval and warns that improper distributions can create personal liability. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Houston County
Houston County publishes a probate Forms page, but the items listed there are not a petition packet for opening an estate. The page includes vehicle, health-care and other documents, including a state motor vehicle next-of-kin affidavit for retitling a vehicle when an estate has not been probated and does not require probate. That vehicle document is not a general estate petition.
The main Houston County estate document is the Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook, linked from the county's Estate page. It includes an asset checklist, a suggested inventory form, suggested ledger forms and the certificate the county uses in administration. Houston County's FAQ also says the probate judge cannot advise on the law or provide forms, so anyone filing without a prepared packet should call the probate office before appearing.
| Document | How it is used locally |
|---|---|
| Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook | County guide for intestate administration, with checklist, inventory form, ledger forms and certificate. |
| Exhibit A | Asset checklist for preparing the inventory. |
| Exhibit B | Suggested inventory of intestate estate form. |
| Exhibit C | Suggested ledger forms. |
| Exhibit D | Certificate signed by the personal representative and attorney, with probate office review tied to letters of administration. |
| Vehicle next-of-kin affidavit | State motor vehicle title affidavit republished by Houston County for a vehicle title situation, not a general probate filing. |
Fees
Houston County publishes a detailed court cost schedule for probate matters. The schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total with the probate office before filing. The amounts below are the county's current published court costs with that date limitation.
| Probate item | Houston County court cost | Date context |
|---|---|---|
| Probate a will | $55.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Administration | $65.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Ancillary administration | $65.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Foreign ancillary will | $55.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Summary distribution | $55.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Claim against estate | $13.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Inventory | $35.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Sale of property | Varies, with a $50.00 hearing and docket charge | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Reopen estate | $55.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
| Special administrator ad colligendum | $65.00 | No effective date printed on the court cost schedule. |
The county's separate recording schedule applies when an estate deed is recorded. That recording schedule has been effective since August 1, 2019, and lists a deed recording filing fee of $13.00 plus deed tax stated as fifty cents per five hundred dollars of the total sales price.
Local nuance
Houston County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Four-day public schedule | The probate office is open 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and closed Fridays. Houston County also notes that department hours may vary and offices close on holidays. |
| Administration Building location | The probate office is on the second floor of the Administration Building at 462 N. Oates St. The courthouse at 114 N. Oates St. is a separate building, so use the Administration Building for estate filings. |
| Local certificate | Houston County uses the certificate at Exhibit D of its Personal Representative Handbook and ties the certificate and office review to letters of administration. |
| Fast inventory clock | The county handbook requires an initial inventory within twenty days of appointment and a final inventory within sixty days. |
| Itemized court costs | Houston County prices many estate steps separately instead of publishing one single probate total. The court cost schedule prints no effective date. |
| Attorney electronic filing | Houston County says electronic filing in probate cases is open to attorneys through the Attorney Portal. Its e-recording service is a separate service for recordable real-estate documents. |
| Online records service | Houston County offers online records access through Ingenuity, Inc. The county says an open estate may be viewed there or by calling the probate court. |
Recent updates
| Update | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama small estate law | Effective October 1, 2025 | Act 2025-431 rewrote Alabama's small estate rules and replaced the prior ceiling mechanism with one tied to combined statutory allowances (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). |
| Houston County recording fees | Effective August 1, 2019 | Houston County's recording fee schedule applies when an estate deed is recorded in the probate office. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Persona | Localized path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the Houston County Probate Office on the second floor of the Administration Building at 462 N. Oates St. in Dothan, and plan around the Friday closure. If there is a will, Houston County lists probating a will at $55.00 with no effective date printed. How the co-owned home passes depends on the deed, and any later deed recording is handled through the probate office recording function. | Sunset assembles the accounts, assets, debts and property information so the spouse can see whether a full estate settlement is needed and what questions to take to the probate office or attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | The probate office accepts mail at P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302, and Houston County offers online records access with copies priced by page. If the parent lived outside Houston County but left property there, Houston County publishes ancillary routes, including a foreign ancillary will at $55.00 with no effective date printed and ancillary administration at $65.00 with no effective date printed. If the only titled asset is a vehicle and no probate is needed, the county republishes the state vehicle next-of-kin affidavit. | Sunset helps the adult child find accounts and policies before calling Houston County, so the family can ask about the correct route instead of guessing from incomplete information. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A parent administering a child's estate that includes a Houston County house will usually need letters of administration before acting for the estate. Houston County adds its handbook certificate and a meeting with probate office staff about accounting and inventory before letters of administration are granted. The twenty-day initial inventory clock starts at appointment. If a sale is needed, Houston County lists sale of property costs as variable with a $50.00 hearing and docket charge with no effective date printed, and the deed is recorded under the county recording schedule effective August 1, 2019. | Sunset finds the accounts, mortgage, debts and insurance clues that determine whether the home sale is necessary and helps prepare the family for attorney review. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it can help with | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Houston County Probate Office | Filing counter and mailing address for estate matters, court cost schedule, county handbook and filing logistics. Staff process filings but cannot advise on the law or supply legal forms. | 334-677-4701. Second floor of the Administration Building, 462 N. Oates St., Dothan, AL 36303. Mail to P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302. Hours are 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, closed Fridays. |
| Houston County Personal Representative Handbook | County guide for intestate administration, with asset checklist, inventory form, ledger forms and certificate. | Available from the Houston County Estate page: https://houstoncountyal.gov/probate/estate/ |
| Houston County online records access | Online records service. The county says an open estate may be viewed there or by calling the probate court. Court records require a free account. | https://houstoncountyal.gov/probate/online_real_property_records_access/ or 334-677-4701 |
| 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 it lists an office in Dothan. | Statewide intake 866-456-4995. Call center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Online applications accepted. |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Legal Services Alabama's companion self-help and referral site. | www.alabamalegalhelp.org |
When to hire an attorney
Houston County's own materials are written around a represented personal representative: the county FAQ says estate complexity normally makes an attorney necessary because the probate judge cannot advise on the law or provide forms, and the handbook certificate includes an attorney signature line. Counsel is especially useful when Houston County real property must be sold, the twenty-day initial inventory cannot be met without help, a creditor claim is disputed, an ancillary route is needed for an out-of-county decedent, or an interested party may seek removal of the administration to Circuit Court. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families locate accounts, policies and holdings before filing. In Houston County, that matters because the handbook requires an initial inventory within twenty days of appointment and a separate estate bank account.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for petitions, inventories, notices and settlement paperwork. Houston County does not publish a downloadable petition packet for opening an estate, so a clean estate settlement file helps the attorney and the probate office move faster.
Find a local probate attorney. Houston County's materials assume attorney involvement for many estate tasks, including the handbook certificate. Sunset can help connect the family with a local probate attorney for the Houston County Probate Court.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, find assets and understand next steps without paying Sunset. If attorney help is needed, Sunset can make the connection.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Houston County, Alabama?
File with the Houston County Probate Office on the second floor of the Administration Building at 462 N. Oates St. in Dothan. Mail goes to P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302. The office is a different building from the Houston County Courthouse at 114 N. Oates St. Call 334-677-4701 before mailing or visiting.
What are the Houston County Probate Office hours?
The probate office is open 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. It is closed Fridays and holidays, and Houston County says department hours may vary.
What does it cost to open an estate in Houston County?
Houston County publishes an itemized court cost schedule. Probating a will is $55.00 with no effective date printed, administration is $65.00 with no effective date printed, summary distribution is $55.00 with no effective date printed, and the ancillary routes for a decedent who lived elsewhere are $55.00 or $65.00 with no effective date printed. Hearings, extra filings, notices and postage can add cost, so confirm the total with the probate office at 334-677-4701.
Can I e-file a probate case in Houston County?
Houston County says that electronic filing in probate cases is open to attorneys at this time through the county Attorney Portal. If you are filing without an attorney, ask the Houston County Probate Office at 334-677-4701 how it wants your petition delivered. The county's separate e-recording service is for real-estate documents rather than estate petitions.
Can I look up a Houston County estate case online?
Houston County offers online records access through a partnership with Ingenuity, Inc. The county's guidance says you may use its online probate records service to view an open estate or call the probate court at 334-677-4701. Court records require a free account, and copies are priced by page.
Does Houston County publish probate forms?
Houston County does not publish a downloadable petition packet for opening an estate. It does publish an Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook with an asset checklist, a suggested inventory form, ledger forms and a certificate the county uses in administration. The county's Forms page otherwise lists vehicle, health-care and other documents rather than estate petitions.
What is the certificate Houston County uses before letters of administration?
The certificate appears at Exhibit D of the Houston County Personal Representative Handbook. The county asks the personal representative and the attorney to review the handbook and sign the certificate, and asks the personal representative to meet with probate office staff about accounting and inventory requirements before letters of administration are granted. Ask the probate office exactly when it wants the certificate filed.
How quickly do I have to file an inventory in Houston County?
Houston County's handbook requires a signed, notarized initial inventory within twenty days of appointment and a signed, notarized final inventory within sixty days. If additional assets are discovered, the handbook calls for an amended inventory. The county lists the inventory cost at $35.00 with no effective date printed.
Can I attend a Houston County probate hearing by phone or video?
Houston County does not publish a phone or video appearance policy for probate matters. Whether a particular hearing can be handled by phone or video is set by the Houston County Probate Court, so ask the probate office at 334-677-4701 when the matter is scheduled.
Do I have to travel to Dothan to settle an estate in Houston County?
Not for every task. The probate office accepts mail at P.O. Drawer 6406, Dothan, AL 36302, attorneys can use the county Attorney Portal, and Houston County offers online records access. Some steps, including the handbook certificate process and the meeting with probate office staff about accounting and inventory, require direct coordination with the probate office, so ask what can be handled before you travel.
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.