Back to Arizona
Yavapai County, AZ Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Yavapai County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County. Probate is heard in the superior court under A.R.S. § 14-1302. |
| Prescott filing location | Clerk of the Superior Court, 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 207, Prescott, AZ 86303. Main clerk line: (928) 771-3312. Probate specialist: (928) 777-7949. Fax: (928) 771-3111. |
| Camp Verde filing location | Clerk of the Superior Court, 2840 N. Commonwealth Drive, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Main clerk line: (928) 567-7741. Probate specialist: (928) 554-8536. Fax: (928) 567-7720. |
| Mailing | Yavapai County uses the same street addresses for mailed probate filings. The county probate packet says to mail the original and a copy with a self-addressed stamped envelope. |
| Probate email | [email protected]. General clerk email: [email protected]. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. Yavapai publishes no probate filing cutoff earlier than closing. |
| Filing fee | $191.00 for an application for informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301 or a petition in formal testacy under A.R.S. § 14-3401. The statewide fee schedule effective December 28, 2024 sets the amount under A.R.S. § 12-284 at $176.00 plus the $15.00 document storage fund under A.R.S. § 12-284.01. |
| Local forms | Yes. Yavapai County publishes numbered probate packets, including Packet 94a for informal appointment of a personal representative, plus a Probate Cover Sheet and Probate Information Form. |
| E-filing status | A probate case cannot be opened electronically. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 bars e-filing a will or any document that starts a probate case. The Judicial Branch chart lists Yavapai probate as subsequent filings only through eFileAZ under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901. |
| Case search | The statewide public case search excludes probate. For Yavapai probate files, use the clerk's records service, the public computers at the Prescott law library or Camp Verde clerk area, or the probate specialist. |
| Remote appearance | R-21-0007 authorizes virtual appearances at probate proceedings, but permission depends on the assigned superior court division. Ask early. |
| Website | https://courts.yavapaiaz.gov/Departments/Clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose Prescott or Camp Verde, make a practical estate settlement list: accounts, vehicles, real property, debts, liens and likely creditors. Sunset can search for accounts across more than 2,300 financial institutions, which helps you start with facts instead of family memory.
That asset work matters in Arizona because A.R.S. § 14-3971 uses separate net tests for personal property and Arizona real property. In Yavapai County there is also a local routing question: the county sends the filing to Prescott or Camp Verde based on where the person who died lived, so knowing the assets and the residence before the first call makes the probate specialist conversation more useful.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate in Yavapai County is heard in the Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County (A.R.S. § 14-1302). Arizona has one superior court, sitting in every county; Arizona's justice courts and city courts are courts of limited jurisdiction and do not hear decedents' estates.
Venue for a first probate proceeding is the county where the person who died was domiciled (A.R.S. § 14-3201(A)(1)), so a Yavapai County estate is filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County. Within Yavapai County, the county's own informal probate packet says the filing location is determined by where the person who died lived at the time of death. The two probate filing locations are 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 207, in Prescott and 2840 N. Commonwealth Drive in Camp Verde.
Yavapai County court pages name Prescott, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Mayer, Yarnell and Seligman. The Prescott Justice and City Court is in the same building as the Prescott superior court filing location, and the Verde Valley Justice Court is in Cottonwood, but neither handles decedents' estates.
The jurisdiction process
- Build the estate settlement inventory first. List accounts, real property, vehicles, debts and liens so you can decide whether the estate needs a court case or a statewide affidavit route under A.R.S. § 14-3971.
- Confirm venue. A Yavapai County probate belongs in Yavapai County if the person who died was domiciled there (A.R.S. § 14-3201(A)(1)).
- Choose the Yavapai filing location. The county's packet says the location is determined by the decedent's residence at death, and the Probate Cover Sheet asks whether the decedent was domiciled in the Prescott area or the Verde Valley area. If you are not sure, contact the probate registrar under A.R.S. § 14-1307 or the probate specialist before filing.
- Complete the required fiduciary training before letters. Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 and Administrative Order No. 2012-62 require training before a non-licensed fiduciary under A.R.S. § 14-5651 can serve. The Administrative Office of the Courts publishes module AOCPBPZ2 for the general overview and AOCPBPZ6 for personal representatives. In Yavapai County, the certificates of completion go in with the application.
- Use the county packet. Yavapai County's Law Library Self Service Center publishes Packet 94a for informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301, including the application, Probate Cover Sheet, Probate Information Form, waivers, proposed papers, notice forms and inventory forms.
- Prepare the original will if there is one. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 does not allow e-filing a will or the document that starts a probate case, and A.R.S. § 14-3301(B)(2)(a) requires the original will to be in the court's possession or to accompany the application. Hand an original will to the clerk at the counter, or ask the probate specialist how the office wants it delivered.
- File on paper with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County. Use 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 207, Prescott, AZ 86303, or 2840 N. Commonwealth Drive, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Yavapai's packet says to include the original and a copy plus a self-addressed stamped envelope if filing by mail. The county also provides 24-hour depository boxes for filings at the Prescott location, the Camp Verde location and the Yavapai County Justice Center, but ask before leaving an original will in a drop box.
- Pay the filing fee or ask for help with court costs. Yavapai lists the opening probate filing fee at $191.00, the statewide amount effective December 28, 2024 under A.R.S. § 12-284 and A.R.S. § 12-284.01. Fee deferral and waiver are governed by A.R.S. § 12-302, and Yavapai publishes the application packet and supplemental application in English and Spanish.
- Give notice as Arizona requires. Notice to creditors, publication and mailed notice are statewide rules under A.R.S. § 14-3801, and Yavapai Packet 94a includes the notice to creditors, letter to the newspaper and proofs of delivery and publication.
- If a hearing is needed, get the date promptly. Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 18(a), amended effective January 1, 2026, gives the petitioner thirty days after filing to obtain an initial hearing date before the court must warn that the petition may be dismissed. Ask whether a remote appearance is possible under R-21-0007; Yavapai publishes remote appearance instructions by superior court division.
- Wait for appointment and letters. Under A.R.S. § 14-3103, authority begins when letters issue after appointment and qualification. Yavapai's packet says the review is not done at the filing counter and can take some time, and it directs filers to the probate specialist for current processing information.
- Administer and close the estate. Yavapai publishes packets for accounting, estate status reporting, proof of authority, more time to file an inventory and closing. Keep the estate settlement file organized because banks, title companies and heirs may ask for certified copies or proof of the personal representative's authority.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Yavapai County
Arizona publishes a statewide set of probate forms through the Administrative Office of the Courts, but the statewide set covers fiduciary orders, conservator accounts and adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions, not the application that opens a decedent's estate. The Judicial Branch says its forms are generic and that each court might have its own preferred forms. In Yavapai County, the forms that open a decedent's estate come from the county.
| Packet or form | What Yavapai County uses it for |
|---|---|
| Packet 94a | Appointment of a personal representative through informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301. |
| Probate Cover Sheet | The first item in Yavapai's filing list. It asks for party and decedent information and asks whether the decedent was domiciled in the Prescott area or the Verde Valley area. |
| Probate Information Form | Filed with the opening papers in Packet 94a. |
| Training certificates | Yavapai's packet lists the certificate for the non-licensed fiduciary overview under A.R.S. § 14-5651 and the certificate for the personal representative training. Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 requires the training. |
| Packet 94b | Distribution of assets and closing the estate. |
| Packet 95 | Annual or final accounting. |
| Packet 98 | Estate status report. |
| Packets 92 and 93 | Small estate transfer packets for personal property and real property under A.R.S. § 14-3971. |
| Packets 90, 91, 96 and 97 | Claim or objection, demand for notice, proof of authority and more time to file the inventory. |
Yavapai's packet also includes waivers, notice papers and inventory forms. The county's clerk page points Spanish-speaking readers to the Arizona Judicial Branch's El Centro de Autoservicio, and Yavapai's Self Service Center publishes fee deferral materials under A.R.S. § 12-302 in English and Spanish.
Fees
Arizona's probate filing fee has two parts. The statewide base is set by A.R.S. § 12-284 and raised by the Supreme Court under A.R.S. § 12-284(L); the current statewide amount is in Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 3-404, effective December 28, 2024. Yavapai County's published probate fee list prices both an application for informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301 and a petition in formal testacy under A.R.S. § 14-3401 at $191.00, made up of the $176.00 base and the $15.00 document storage fund under A.R.S. § 12-284.01.
| Fee item | Amount and note |
|---|---|
| Opening probate filing | $191.00, statewide amount effective December 28, 2024 under A.R.S. § 12-284 and A.R.S. § 12-284.01. |
| Real property succession filing | $191.00, statewide amount effective December 28, 2024 under A.R.S. § 12-284, A.R.S. § 12-284.01 and A.R.S. § 14-3971. |
| Objection opposing or contesting a petition | $102.00 on Yavapai County's published probate fee list available in August 2026. |
| Post-judgment probate petition | $87.00 on Yavapai County's published probate fee list available in August 2026. |
| Annual, final or other accounting | Yavapai's published fee list says the amount varies by estate asset value, ranges from $0.00 to $500.00, and estates valued at $10,000.00 or less are exempt. The county list was available in August 2026 and does not print a separate effective date. |
| Application for deferral or waiver | $35.00 on Yavapai County's published miscellaneous fee list available in August 2026. Yavapai's own packet explains that if deferral is approved, the additional fee is assessed at filing and may also be deferred or waived under A.R.S. § 12-302. |
| Certified copy | $35.00 plus $0.50 per page on Yavapai County's records fee list available in August 2026. The records page cites A.R.S. § 12-284 for copy fees. |
A county board of supervisors may add local fees under A.R.S. § 11-251.08. Yavapai's listed opening probate amount matches the statewide amount, but you should check the clerk's current fee schedule before writing the check.
Court fees can be deferred or waived. Under A.R.S. § 12-302, the court shall grant a deferral if you receive TANF, food stamp benefits or supplemental security income, or if your gross monthly income is 150 percent or less of the federal poverty level, and shall waive fees on proof that you are permanently unable to pay. Yavapai County publishes the Application for Deferral or Waiver of Court Fees and Costs (AOCDFGF1F) and the supplemental application (AOCDFGF9F) in English and Spanish, and a deferral requires a consent to judgment for amounts still unpaid thirty days after final judgment.
Local nuance
Yavapai County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Two probate filing locations | Yavapai County has probate filing locations in Prescott and Camp Verde. The county's own packet says the location is determined by the decedent's residence at death, and the Probate Cover Sheet asks whether the decedent was domiciled in the Prescott area or the Verde Valley area. Contact the probate registrar under A.R.S. § 14-1307 if you are unsure. |
| Local cover sheet | Yavapai's filing list puts the Probate Cover Sheet and Probate Information Form before the application. The cover sheet is also part of the county's real property small estate packet under A.R.S. § 14-3971. |
| County packet set | Yavapai publishes numbered probate packets for opening, closing, accounting, estate status reports, objections, demands for notice, small estate transfers under A.R.S. § 14-3971, proof of authority and more time to file an inventory. |
| Training proof with the filing | Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 requires non-licensed fiduciary training under A.R.S. § 14-5651. Yavapai's Packet 94a tells filers to include the overview certificate and personal representative training certificate with the application. |
| Probate specialist contacts | Yavapai publishes probate specialist lines for Prescott and Camp Verde and the mailbox [email protected]. The county packet tells filers to use that contact for current processing information. |
| After-hours paper filing | Because Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 does not allow a probate case to be opened electronically, Yavapai's 24-hour depository boxes can matter for paper filings. Ask the probate specialist before leaving an original will in a depository box. |
| Law library terminals | The statewide public case search excludes probate. Yavapai's Prescott law library and Camp Verde clerk area provide public computers that view Yavapai County Superior Court case documents under A.R.S. § 14-1302. |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| December 28, 2024 | Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 3-404 and Administrative Order 2024-210 set the statewide superior court probate filing amount at $191.00 under A.R.S. § 12-284 and A.R.S. § 12-284.01. Yavapai's published opening probate fee matches that amount. |
| March 13, 2025 | Yavapai County reissued its informal probate information sheet. The sheet tells filers how Prescott and Camp Verde filings are routed, what to bring to the probate registrar under A.R.S. § 14-1307, and how to file proof of Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 training. |
| January 1, 2026 | Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 18(a), through R-25-0021, now gives the petitioner thirty days after filing to obtain an initial hearing date before the court must notify the petitioner that the petition may be dismissed. |
| April 17, 2026 | The Arizona Judicial Branch eFileAZ availability chart lists Yavapai County probate as subsequent filings only under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Yavapai County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County under A.R.S. § 14-1302, in Prescott or Camp Verde depending on where the person who died lived. The Probate Cover Sheet asks whether the decedent was domiciled in the Prescott area or the Verde Valley area. The probate registrar acts under A.R.S. § 14-1307. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and liens so the spouse can see whether estate settlement needs a court case or can use a statewide affidavit route under A.R.S. § 14-3971. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Nothing that opens an Arizona probate can be e-filed under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901. Yavapai's packet says to mail the original and a copy with a self-addressed stamped envelope. If a hearing is set, ask early about remote appearance under R-21-0007. | Sunset helps assemble the asset list and probate packet from out of state so one mailing is more complete. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale may require letters testamentary or letters of administration after appointment and qualification under A.R.S. § 14-3103. Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 training should be completed before filing because Yavapai wants the certificates filed with the application. The county packet includes a waiver of bond, and the registrar under A.R.S. § 14-1307 may require bond before letters issue. | Sunset helps put training, waivers, certified copies and asset information on the estate settlement checklist early so the sale does not stall. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County | Files probate papers for the Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County under A.R.S. § 14-1302. The clerk's page says clerks cannot provide legal advice. | Prescott: 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 207, (928) 771-3312. Camp Verde: 2840 N. Commonwealth Drive, (928) 567-7741. General email: [email protected]. |
| Yavapai County probate specialist | County probate contact for questions about the proper filing location, current processing information and probate packet filing details. | Prescott: (928) 777-7949. Camp Verde: (928) 554-8536. [email protected]. |
| Yavapai County Law Library and Self Service Center | Provides forms for filing in the Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County under A.R.S. § 14-1302, public access to legal materials, self-service forms and public computers that view Yavapai County Superior Court case documents. The Prescott law library is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. | 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 112, Prescott, AZ 86303. (928) 771-3309. [email protected]. |
| Community Legal Services, Prescott office | Income-eligible legal aid. Its office page labels the service area as Prescott and Yavapai County. Settling a decedent's estate is not listed among its published practice areas, so call and ask whether it can help with your issue. | 141 S. McCormick Street, Suite 200, Prescott, AZ 86303. (928) 445-9240. Toll free 1-800-852-9075. Call before going in person. |
| AZCourtHelp | Arizona Bar Foundation self-help site with a self-help center, form finder, court finder and legal aid options. Yavapai County links to it. | https://azcourthelp.org/ |
| Arizona Judicial Branch Self-Service Center and El Centro de Autoservicio | Statewide legal information and forms for people representing themselves. Court staff can provide legal information, not legal advice. | https://www.azcourts.gov/selfservicecenter and https://www.azcourts.gov/elcentrodeautoservicio |
| Certified legal document preparers | Arizona certifies nonlawyers to prepare court documents under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 7-208. A certified legal document preparer is not a lawyer, cannot give legal advice, cannot go to court with you unless ordered, and must tell you in writing that communications are not privileged. | Yavapai County links the statewide directory from its legal and self-help resources page. |
| State Bar of Arizona lawyer referral | Yavapai County links the State Bar of Arizona's lawyer-finding resource as a referral route. | Use the link from Yavapai County's legal and self-help resources page. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a probate attorney if the will is missing, heirs disagree, creditor claims are expected, a home must be sold, bond may be required, or the estate settlement involves tax, title or business issues. Yavapai's forms are useful, but the clerk cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney when legal help makes sense.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a clear estate settlement inventory by identifying financial accounts, real property, debts and other assets that may affect whether probate is needed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the Yavapai County packet, including the personal representative information, asset list, notices and filing checklist.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal advice, a court hearing, a bond issue resolved or help with a home sale, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Arizona probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement path, collect information and decide what to do next without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Yavapai County, Prescott or Camp Verde?
File with the Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County under A.R.S. § 14-1302. Yavapai's own packet says the location depends on where the person who died lived at death, and its Probate Cover Sheet asks whether the decedent was domiciled in the Prescott area or the Verde Valley area. If you are unsure, contact the probate registrar under A.R.S. § 14-1307 or the probate specialist before filing.
Can I file a probate case online in Yavapai County?
No. You cannot open an Arizona probate online. Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901 bars e-filing a will and bars e-filing any document used to start a probate case. The Judicial Branch chart lists Yavapai probate as subsequent filings only through eFileAZ under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901.
How much does it cost to file probate in Yavapai County?
Yavapai's published fee list prices an application for informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301 and a petition in formal testacy under A.R.S. § 14-3401 at $191.00. That is the statewide amount effective December 28, 2024 under A.R.S. § 12-284, made up of $176.00 plus the $15.00 document storage fund under A.R.S. § 12-284.01.
Does Yavapai County have its own probate forms?
Yes. Yavapai County publishes numbered probate packets through its Law Library Self Service Center. Packet 94a opens informal probate under A.R.S. § 14-3301, and the packet includes the Probate Cover Sheet, Probate Information Form, application, waivers, notices and inventory materials. Packets 92 and 93 cover small estate transfer routes under A.R.S. § 14-3971.
Do I have to take training before I can serve as personal representative in Yavapai County?
Yes, if you are a non-licensed fiduciary under A.R.S. § 14-5651. Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure Rule 42 and Administrative Order No. 2012-62 require the training before letters issue. Yavapai's packet says to file the certificate for the overview module and the certificate for the personal representative module with the application.
Can I attend a Yavapai County probate hearing remotely?
Possibly, but it is not automatic. R-21-0007 authorizes virtual appearances at probate proceedings, and Yavapai publishes remote appearance information by superior court division under A.R.S. § 14-1302. Ask the court early after your case is assigned.
How do I look up a Yavapai County probate case?
Arizona's statewide public case search excludes probate and uses randomly generated verification words. Yavapai County does not publish a separate probate case portal. Use the public computer at the Prescott law library or Camp Verde clerk area, contact the clerk's records service, or contact the probate specialist.
What are the Yavapai County clerk's hours, and can I file after hours?
The clerk's hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. Yavapai also publishes 24-hour self-service depository boxes for filings at the Prescott location, the Camp Verde location and the Yavapai County Justice Center. Because an original will is not replaceable and cannot be e-filed under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 1-901, ask the probate specialist before using a depository box for a will.
How do I get certified copies of my letters in Yavapai County?
After appointment and qualification, letters issue under A.R.S. § 14-3103. Ask the Clerk of the Superior Court in Yavapai County for certified copies. Yavapai's records fee list available in August 2026 prices certified copies at $35.00 plus $0.50 per page, and its records page cites A.R.S. § 12-284 for copy fees.
Does Arizona have an estate tax for a Yavapai County estate?
Arizona does not impose an estate tax for estates of decedents dying after 2004, and the Arizona Department of Revenue says Arizona also does not impose an inheritance or gift tax. The repeal is tied to Laws 2006, Ch. 262, § 3. The federal estate tax is separate, and A.R.S. § 14-3971 requires a real property successor using that affidavit route to state that no federal estate tax is due.
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.