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Shelby County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Local answer |
|---|---|
| Court | Shelby County Probate Court |
| Estate filing counter | Shelby County Probate Office, judicial division, Shelby County Courthouse, 112 N. Main Street, Room A101, Columbiana, AL 35051 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 825, Columbiana, AL 35051 |
| Phone | (205) 670-5210 for wills, estates, guardianships and conservatorships |
| Fax | (205) 669-3714 is published as the probate office department fax. Shelby does not publish a fax filing policy for estate matters. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Shelby labels these as courthouse hours and publishes no lunch closure or earlier filing cutoff. |
| Filing fee | Shelby's published schedule, which has no printed effective date, lists $45.00 for a petition for probate of a will and $45.00 for a petition for letters of administration (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus per-item charges. Confirm the current total before filing. |
| Local forms | Yes, in part. Shelby publishes a personal representative handbook with an inventory form and ledger sheets, but it does not publish a downloadable opening petition. |
| E-filing status | Shelby runs Benchmark Web for the judicial division and describes it as an attorney filing system. Original wills, codicils and surety bonds must reach the probate office on paper. Self-represented filers should ask the probate office whether they can register. |
| Case lookup | Shelby publishes no public web lookup for estate case files. Estate dockets and filed documents may be viewed in person at the probate office during regular business hours, with copy charges. The online search at probaterecords.shelbyal.com is for deeds and land records. |
| Remote appearance | Shelby publishes no probate remote-appearance policy. Ask the probate office at (205) 670-5210 when a hearing is set. |
| Website | Shelby County Probate Court; estates page: Wills and estates |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file, build the asset and debt picture. Shelby's own personal representative handbook makes that local and concrete: the personal representative must file a signed, notarized inventory of known assets within 60 days of appointment and must not pay a debt unless a written claim has been filed with the court.
Also check how any Shelby County real estate is titled before choosing an estate settlement path. Shelby's land records search can help locate the deed, and Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions so the inventory is based on accounts, debts and property the family has actually found.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Shelby County Probate Court in Columbiana serves Shelby County estate matters. Estate filings go to the Shelby County Probate Office, judicial division, Room A101, at the Shelby County Courthouse.
Venue generally belongs in the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a nonresident decedent, venue may be in a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162). Shelby's recording division in Room A401 handles deeds, land records and marriage licenses, not estate filings.
The jurisdiction process
- Find the original will, if there is one. A will must be filed for probate within five years after death (Ala. Code § 43-8-161), and a person holding the will has a duty to deliver it to someone able to secure probate (Ala. Code § 43-8-270).
- Confirm Shelby County venue. If the decedent lived in Shelby County, file in the Shelby County Probate Court. If the decedent lived outside Alabama but left assets in Shelby County, ask the probate office or an attorney whether Shelby County is the proper venue (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Shelby publishes a personal representative handbook, an inventory form and ledger sheets, but it does not publish a downloadable petition to open an estate.
- File at the Shelby County Probate Office, judicial division, Room A101, 112 N. Main Street, Columbiana, or mail filings to P.O. Box 825, Columbiana, AL 35051. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists $45.00 for a petition for probate of a will and $45.00 for a petition for letters of administration (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus per-item charges. Attorneys may use Benchmark Web for eligible filings, but original wills, codicils and surety bonds must be delivered on paper.
- The probate judge acts on the petition. In Alabama, the probate judge is the elected officer who presides over the probate court and whose office receives the filing.
- Address bond if the court requires it. Shelby's handbook states that an intestate personal representative must file a surety-company bond, with the premium paid when the bond is executed and again each year until the estate closes. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists $10.00 for approving bonds (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), and surety bonds are excluded from electronic filing.
- Obtain letters. Letters testamentary issue when there is a will, and letters of administration issue when there is no will. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists additional certified copies of letters at $3.00 each (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
- Publish notice to creditors. Shelby's handbook says notice must run in a local newspaper of general circulation in Shelby County and that the probate court currently handles the publication, while the personal representative is responsible for publication charges. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists a $3.00 order of publication charge (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
- Give written notice to known creditors. Shelby's handbook directs notice by first class mail to anyone the personal representative knows may have a claim. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists $3.00 for each notice by mail to a creditor or heir (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
- Send notice to the Alabama Medicaid Agency and file the certificate. Shelby directs personal representatives to use the agency's electronic estate notice system, which issues a serialized certificate as proof of notice to be filed with the probate court.
- Open and track the estate account. Shelby's handbook calls for a separate interest-bearing estate account in the personal representative's name as personal representative, and it asks for bank documentation that supports settlement.
- File the inventory within 60 days of appointment. Shelby publishes its own Inventory of Intestate Estate form as Exhibit B to its handbook, covering real property, personal property and bank account information, with an amended inventory if more assets are found.
- Keep the ledger. Shelby publishes accounting sheets in Exhibit C of its handbook and says additional blank ledger sheets can be obtained from the court.
- Seek court approval where Shelby requires it. Shelby's handbook states that sales, mortgages or leases of estate real or personal property require court approval before the transaction, and that settlements of claims are not final without probate court approval.
- Account and close. Shelby's handbook calls for an annual partial settlement and accounting within 12 months of appointment and every 12 months after that until the estate is closed, unless a final settlement has already been filed. Final settlements over ten pages carry $3.00 per page under Shelby's published schedule, which has no printed effective date (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
- If the case becomes contested or needs equitable relief, ask whether it stays in Shelby County Probate Court or whether an interested party must petition for removal of the administration to the circuit court (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). The estate opens in probate court either way.
Executor duties
| Local duty | What Shelby County requires |
|---|---|
| Inventory | Use Shelby's Inventory of Intestate Estate form from Exhibit B of the personal representative handbook, complete the real property, personal property and bank account sections, sign and notarize it, and deliver it to the Probate Court of Shelby County within 60 days of appointment. |
| Ledger | Use Shelby's accounting sheets from Exhibit C, one for cash receipts and disbursements and one for other assets held. Shelby says additional blank ledger sheets can be obtained from the court. |
| Medicaid notice certificate | Give notice through the Alabama Medicaid Agency's electronic estate notice system, then file the serialized proof-of-notice certificate with the probate court. |
| Creditor publication budget | Shelby says the probate court currently arranges the creditor publication in a local newspaper of general circulation in Shelby County, but the personal representative is responsible for the publication charge. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Shelby County
Shelby County publishes local estate materials, but not a full opening petition packet. The main local resource is the Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook, a court booklet for administering an estate without a will.
| Form or resource | How it is used |
|---|---|
| Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook | Explains the Shelby County steps for an intestate estate and includes local exhibits. |
| Inventory of Intestate Estate | Exhibit B of the handbook. It is the Shelby County inventory form, with sections for real property, personal property and estate bank accounts. |
| Ledgers and records | Exhibit C of the handbook. It supplies Shelby County accounting sheets for receipts, disbursements and other assets held. |
| Probate Court Fees schedule | Lists Shelby's probate charges. The schedule has no printed effective date, so confirm the current total before filing. |
| Attorney e-filing access materials | Used to request access to Benchmark Web for the judicial division. |
Shelby does not publish a downloadable petition for probate of a will or a downloadable petition for letters of administration. Alabama also has no statewide probate form set. Shelby states that the probate judge cannot advise on the law or provide forms.
Fees
Shelby County publishes an itemized Probate Court Fees schedule, but the document has no printed effective date. Use the schedule to budget, then confirm the current total with the Shelby County Probate Office before filing.
| Fee item | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Petition for probate of will | $45.00 (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Petition for letters of administration | $45.00 (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Will over five pages | $3.00 per page (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Final settlement over ten pages | $3.00 per page (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Additional certified copy of letters | $3.00 each (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Order of publication | $3.00 (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus the newspaper publication charge |
| Notice by mail to a creditor or heir | $3.00 each (Ala. Code § 12-19-90) |
| Approving bonds | $10.00 |
| Certified copies of other documents | $3.00 for each certified copy (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus $1.00 per page |
Some charges on Shelby's schedule, including guardian ad litem, court representative, administrator ad litem, certified mail and attorney fee, are listed as amounts to be determined in the individual case. Card payments also carry local service charges: Shelby lists 5.0 percent or a $4.99 minimum for online judicial e-filing payments, and 3.5 percent or a $2.99 minimum at the counter.
Local nuance
Shelby County-specific considerations
Equitable estate matters may stay in probate court only if a condition is met
Most Alabama probate courts do not have general equity jurisdiction. Shelby County is one of the limited Alabama counties where the probate court has been granted limited equitable jurisdiction, but the grant is conditional: it applies where the probate judge is licensed to practice law in Alabama. Anyone with a contested or equitable estate issue should ask the probate office or an attorney whether the matter can be heard in the Shelby County Probate Court or whether an interested party must petition for removal of the administration to the circuit court (Ala. Code § 12-11-41).
Trust proceedings are a Shelby County local distinction
The probate courts of Jefferson, Mobile and Shelby counties share jurisdiction with their circuit courts over proceedings brought by a trustee or beneficiary concerning the administration of a trust. Shelby's own Trusts page states that a probate court granted statutory equitable jurisdiction has concurrent jurisdiction with the circuit court in a proceeding involving a testamentary or inter vivos trust.
Two counters are in the courthouse, and estates use Room A101
The Shelby County Probate Office has a judicial division and a recording division in the Shelby County Courthouse. Estates, wills, guardianships and conservatorships are handled by the judicial division in Room A101 at (205) 670-5210. Deeds, mortgages, land records and marriage licenses are handled by the recording division in Room A401 at (205) 670-5220.
The court arranges creditor publication
Shelby's personal representative handbook says notice to creditors must be published in a local newspaper of general circulation in Shelby County. It also says the probate court currently handles the publication, while the personal representative is responsible for the publication charge.
Attorney e-filing does not make estate files public on the web
Shelby's judicial division runs Benchmark Web for electronic filing and describes it as an attorney system. Original wills, codicils and surety bonds are excluded and must be filed on paper. Separately, estate dockets and filed documents may be viewed free in person at the probate office during regular business hours, but Shelby publishes no public web lookup for estate case files.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| February 21, 2025 | The Shelby County Probate Court issued Administrative Policies and Procedures for Electronic Filing in the Judicial Division. The order governs Benchmark Web filings, payment through the system, size limits and the documents that still must be filed on paper. |
| October 1, 2025 | Statewide, Act 2025-431 rewrote Alabama's small estate rules and replaced the old ceiling mechanism (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). Check current small-estate routing with the Shelby County Probate Office before relying on older county materials. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | File in the Shelby County Probate Court, judicial division, Room A101, or by mail to P.O. Box 825. Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists $45.00 for a petition for probate of a will and $45.00 for a petition for letters of administration (Ala. Code § 12-19-90). Check the deed first, because how the home is titled determines whether it is part of the estate. | Sunset finds accounts, debts and property details before filing, so the surviving spouse can choose the right estate settlement path with a clearer inventory. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the parent lived in Shelby County, venue is in the Shelby County Probate Court even if the child lives elsewhere (Ala. Code § 43-8-162). Petitions and correspondence can be mailed to P.O. Box 825, and certified copies can be ordered by mail with a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope and payment. Ask the probate office at (205) 670-5210 whether any hearing can be attended remotely. | Sunset assembles the asset picture remotely, so the adult child is not traveling to Columbiana just to learn what the parent owned. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File for letters of administration in the Shelby County Probate Court. Shelby's handbook gives the local steps after appointment, including bond, the inventory on Exhibit B within 60 days and ledger records. A sale of estate real property requires court approval before the sale, and Shelby says real property cannot be sold simply to make distribution among heirs unless the heirs consent. | Sunset helps locate the mortgage, liens, accounts and other property information so the petition to sell is built on a complete estate settlement picture. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it can help with | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County Probate Office, judicial division | Estate filing logistics, local procedures, copies and routing. Shelby states that the office cannot give legal advice. | Room A101, 112 N. Main Street, Columbiana, AL 35051; (205) 670-5210 |
| Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Lawyer referrals. Shelby's probate page directs residents to this service after explaining that the office cannot give legal advice. | (800) 392-5660 or (334) 269-1515 |
| Legal Services Alabama | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case-type priorities. Its published areas include heirs property and estate planning, but it does not advertise estate-administration representation. | 866-456-4995 |
| Shelby County Personal Representative Handbook | The probate court's booklet for administering an intestate estate, with the local inventory form and ledger sheets. | Personal Representative Handbook |
| Shelby County land records search | Deeds and land records from 1819 to the present, useful when estate real estate is involved. It is not an estate case-file lookup. | probaterecords.shelbyal.com |
When to hire an attorney
Legal help often makes sense in Shelby County when the estate is intestate and bond is required, when real property must be sold, when a creditor claim needs court approval, when the opening petition must be drafted without a county petition form, or when a contested or equitable issue raises the question of whether the Shelby County Probate Court can hear it. Shelby's own estates page tells families that estate complexity normally makes an attorney necessary because the probate judge cannot advise on the law or provide forms. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Shelby's 60-day inventory requirement is only as good as the search behind it. Sunset helps find bank accounts, investments, insurance, debts and property clues before the family files or amends the inventory.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized probate packet, including the family details, asset list, debt list and document checklist a Shelby County filing needs.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs a petition drafted, a property sale approved, a claim resolved or an equity question answered, Sunset can connect the family with local probate counsel.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is a free estate settlement platform for families, with optional attorney help when the estate needs it.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Shelby County, Alabama?
File with the Shelby County Probate Court through the Shelby County Probate Office, judicial division, Room A101, 112 N. Main Street, Columbiana, AL 35051. Mail goes to P.O. Box 825, Columbiana, AL 35051, and the estates phone number is (205) 670-5210. Venue generally follows the county where the decedent lived (Ala. Code § 43-8-162). The recording division in Room A401 handles deeds and marriage licenses, not estates.
Can I file probate documents online in Shelby County?
Shelby runs Benchmark Web for the judicial division and describes it as an attorney filing system. It is governed by the court's February 21, 2025 administrative order. Original wills, codicils and surety bonds are excluded from electronic filing and must reach the probate office on paper. A self-represented filer should ask the probate office whether registration is allowed.
Can I look up a Shelby County estate case online?
Shelby publishes no public web lookup for estate case files. Estate dockets and filed documents can be viewed free in person at the probate office during regular business hours, with a charge for copies. The county's public search at probaterecords.shelbyal.com is for deeds and land records from 1819 onward.
What does it cost to open an estate in Shelby County?
Shelby's published schedule, which has no printed effective date, lists $45.00 for a petition for probate of a will and $45.00 for a petition for letters of administration (Ala. Code § 12-19-90). It also lists $3.00 per page for a will over five pages, $3.00 for each mailed notice to a creditor or heir, $3.00 for an order of publication, $10.00 for approving a bond and $3.00 for each additional certified copy of letters (Ala. Code § 12-19-90). Some charges are set case by case. Confirm the current total before filing.
Does Shelby County have its own probate forms?
Yes, in part. Shelby publishes an Intestate Estate Administration Personal Representative Handbook with an Inventory of Intestate Estate form and the court's own ledger accounting sheets. It also publishes a fee schedule and attorney e-filing access materials. It does not publish a downloadable petition to open an estate, and Alabama has no statewide probate form set.
Can the Shelby County Probate Court decide a contested estate dispute?
Sometimes, but the local rule is conditional. Shelby County is one of a limited number of Alabama counties granted limited equitable jurisdiction, but the grant applies where the probate judge is licensed to practice law in Alabama. If the issue cannot be heard in probate court, an interested party may petition for removal of the administration to the circuit court (Ala. Code § 12-11-41). Ask the probate office or an attorney before assuming the forum.
Can I attend a Shelby County probate hearing by phone or video?
Shelby publishes no probate remote-appearance policy. Whether a specific hearing can be attended by phone or video is set by the Shelby County Probate Court, so ask the probate office at (205) 670-5210 when a hearing date is set.
Do I have to travel to Columbiana to settle an estate here?
Many tasks can be handled by mail. Petitions and correspondence go to P.O. Box 825, certified copies can be ordered by mail, and the probate office answers routing questions at (205) 670-5210. Original wills and codicils must reach the probate office on paper, and the court will tell you whether a hearing requires attendance in a particular form.
How do I get certified copies of letters testamentary in Shelby County?
Shelby's published schedule, with no printed effective date, lists additional certified copies of letters at $3.00 each (Ala. Code § 12-19-90). Certified copies of other documents are listed at $3.00 for each certified copy (Ala. Code § 12-19-90), plus $1.00 per page. Requests by mail should include the case name or number, the document requested, a daytime phone number, payment and a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope. Call (205) 670-5210 for the exact page count if unsure.
What are the Shelby County Probate Office hours?
The courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Shelby publishes no lunch closure and no separate filing cutoff for the estate counter. Check the county holiday calendar before traveling around a holiday.
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.