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El Dorado County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado — Probate Division |
| West Slope probate filing | Cameron Park Branch, 2927 Meder Road, Cameron Park, CA 95682 (the court's West Slope civil/probate branch); probate documents are also accepted at the Placerville Building C branch, 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 120, Placerville, CA 95667 |
| Tahoe Basin probate filing | South Lake Tahoe Branch, 1354 Johnson Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 |
| Probate departments | Departments 4, 8, and 9 (West Slope probate is heard in Department 9; South Lake Tahoe probate in Department 4) |
| Phone | (530) 621-5047 (West Slope); (530) 573-3075 (South Lake Tahoe) |
| Fax (West Slope probate/civil) | (530) 672-2413 (Cameron Park Branch) |
| Clerk's office hours | Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM (excluding court holidays); after-hours drop boxes available |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no El Dorado County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a); Statewide Civil Fee Schedule updated January 2026) |
| Local probate forms | One mandatory local form — C-40 Declaration of American Indian Status; the P-2 Due Diligence Statement is optional |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys and represented parties since July 1, 2025 (Local Rule 7.08.00); self-represented filers are exempt but may e-file voluntarily |
| Online case search | Public case portal at public-portal-eldorado.journaltech.com; department calendars available online |
| Tentative rulings | Posted online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing; object and request oral argument by 4:00 PM the day before |
| Remote appearance | Unicorn Digital Courtroom (UDC) since February 2, 2026; $25 probate fee (waived with a fee waiver); register up to 15 minutes before the hearing |
| Website | https://www.eldorado.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
El Dorado runs probate on a tentative-ruling system: the assigned department posts its ruling online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing, and a petition with a defect gets a tentative ruling that continues the matter. Filing before the family understands what is in the estate is the most common reason a West Slope or Tahoe probate stalls for weeks. Know the assets and debts first, then choose the path.
Identify every bank account, brokerage, retirement plan, life insurance policy, business interest, and parcel of real property — including Tahoe Basin vacation property and cabins, which are common in El Dorado County estates — and every debt, before choosing between a small-estate affidavit, a succession petition, a spousal petition, or full IAEA probate. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado hears probate in two geographic halves. West Slope estates — Placerville, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs, Diamond Springs, Pollock Pines, and the surrounding communities — file and are heard on the West Slope, with probate assigned to Departments 8 and 9 (West Slope probate hearings are in Department 9). Tahoe Basin estates — South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Tahoe communities — file at the South Lake Tahoe branch on Johnson Boulevard, where probate is heard in Department 4.
Probate is filed in El Dorado County when the decedent was domiciled in the county at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned El Dorado County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration). The court's West Slope civil and probate filings are processed at the Cameron Park Branch on Meder Road; probate documents are also accepted at the Placerville Building C branch on Fairlane Court, which houses the court's self-help center.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path, plus El Dorado's mandatory local form C-40 (Declaration of American Indian Status), which must accompany the petition.
- File the petition. Attorneys and represented parties must e-file through an approved El Dorado electronic filing service provider (mandatory since July 1, 2025, under Local Rule 7.08.00). Self-represented filers may e-file voluntarily or file on paper.
- File paper (self-represented or lodged originals) at the correct branch: West Slope probate at the Cameron Park Branch, 2927 Meder Road, Cameron Park (probate documents also accepted at the Placerville Building C branch, 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 120), or Tahoe Basin probate at 1354 Johnson Blvd., South Lake Tahoe. The clerk's office is open Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 3:30 PM.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no El Dorado County surcharge). Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Complete notice: publish in a newspaper of general circulation and mail DE-121 notice to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing (Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8120–8124).
- The matter is set on the probate calendar of the assigned department (Department 9 for West Slope, Department 4 for South Lake Tahoe). Read the tentative ruling, posted online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing.
- If you accept the tentative ruling and no one contests it, the hearing may go off calendar without an appearance. To contest a tentative ruling or otherwise appear, notify the court and all parties by 4:00 PM the day before (West Slope civil/probate: (530) 621-6551; South Lake Tahoe: (530) 573-3042).
- To appear remotely, submit a remote-appearance request through the web portal, e-filing, or the clerk, then register on the Unicorn Digital Courtroom (UDC) platform (registration opens 14 days out and closes 15 minutes before the hearing; $25 probate fee, waived with a fee waiver).
- Attend the hearing. The judge admits the will, appoints the personal representative, and issues Letters (DE-150).
- Administer and close the estate under the statewide process: creditor notice, the 4-month claim period, Inventory and Appraisal (DE-160), and the petition for final distribution.
Executor duties
The statewide personal-representative duties (creditor notice, the 4-month Inventory and Appraisal, Department of Health Care Services notice, Notice of Proposed Action under IAEA) apply in El Dorado exactly as described on the California page. El Dorado adds these local obligations:
| El Dorado-specific duty | Timing |
|---|---|
| File the mandatory local form C-40 (Declaration of American Indian Status) | With the petition for probate |
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel (originals lodged on paper) | Throughout the case (mandatory since July 1, 2025, Local Rule 7.08.00) |
| Check the tentative ruling for each hearing | Posted online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing |
| Notify the court and all parties to contest a tentative ruling or appear | By 4:00 PM the day before the hearing |
| Register on the UDC platform to appear remotely | Up to 15 minutes before the hearing (14-day advance window) |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in El Dorado County
El Dorado uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series plus a short list of local forms. Unlike many small and mid-size counties, El Dorado has one mandatory local probate form:
| Form | Name | When required |
|---|---|---|
| C-40 | Declaration of American Indian Status | Mandatory — filed with the petition for probate (adopted July 11, 2014) |
| P-2 | Due Diligence Statement | Optional local form |
Every other filing uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series (DE-111 Petition for Probate, DE-121 Notice, DE-140 Order, DE-147 Duties and Liabilities, DE-150 Letters, DE-160 Inventory and Appraisal, and the rest). The local forms are downloadable from the court's local forms page at eldorado.courts.ca.gov.
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for probate (first filing) | $435 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (updated January 2026); Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a). No El Dorado County surcharge |
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property | $435 | Cal. Prob. Code § 13151 petitions carry the same first-paper fee |
| Remote appearance (probate) | $25.00 | Plus a convenience fee and card-processing fee; waived for parties with a valid fee waiver or other exemption (UDC platform, effective February 2, 2026) |
| E-filing service-provider fee | Varies by provider | Charged by the electronic filing service provider, not the court |
Local nuance
El Dorado County-specific considerations
A court split across the divide. El Dorado probate is geographic: West Slope estates file and are heard on the West Slope (Departments 8 and 9), while Tahoe Basin estates use the South Lake Tahoe branch (Department 4). West Slope civil and probate filings are processed at the Cameron Park Branch, 2927 Meder Road; probate documents are also accepted at the Placerville Building C branch on Fairlane Court.
Tentative rulings, not examiner notes. El Dorado posts a tentative ruling for each probate matter online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing. If you accept it and no party contests, the hearing can go off calendar without anyone appearing. To contest the tentative ruling or appear and argue, you must notify the court and all other parties by 4:00 PM the day before — West Slope civil/probate at (530) 621-6551, South Lake Tahoe at (530) 573-3042.
E-filing is mandatory for lawyers. Since July 1, 2025 (Local Rule 7.08.00), attorneys and represented parties must e-file probate documents through an approved electronic filing service provider. Self-represented filers are exempt and may still file on paper at the branch, though they may e-file voluntarily.
New remote platform in 2026. On February 2, 2026, El Dorado replaced Zoom with the Unicorn Digital Courtroom (UDC) platform for all remote appearances. Probate carries a $25 remote-appearance fee (plus small processing fees), waived for parties with a fee waiver. Register up to 15 minutes before the hearing; the registration window opens 14 days out, and same-day registration adds a late fee.
A mandatory local form. El Dorado is one of the counties that requires form C-40, a Declaration of American Indian Status, with the petition for probate. It is easy to overlook because most California counties have no equivalent.
Short counter day. The clerk's office closes at 3:30 PM, earlier than many California courts. After-hours drop boxes are available at the branches for documents that do not need same-day processing.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| February 2, 2026 | El Dorado replaced Zoom with the Unicorn Digital Courtroom (UDC) platform for all remote appearances; probate remote appearances carry a $25 fee, waived with a fee waiver | El Dorado Superior Court remote appearances page and public notice |
| January 2026 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule reissued; the probate first-paper fee is unchanged at $435 and El Dorado adds no county surcharge | El Dorado Superior Court fees and bail schedules page |
| July 1, 2025 | E-filing became mandatory for attorneys and represented parties in Adoptions, Civil, Family Law, Family Support, Probate, and Small Claims under Local Rule 7.08.00; self-represented filers are exempt | El Dorado Superior Court e-filing page (Local Rule 7.08.00) |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in El Dorado County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed on the West Slope (Cameron Park) or at South Lake Tahoe, heard in the probate department for that side of the county. Read the tentative ruling the day before; appear on UDC if needed. The court signs DE-226; record it with the El Dorado County Recorder to complete the title transfer. | Asset discovery to confirm community vs. separate property. Packet generation for DE-221, DE-226, MC-025, and the local C-40. Title-transfer guidance. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | Small Estate Affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 (personal property up to $208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025) goes directly to the banks — no El Dorado filing. A primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition filed at the correct branch, with tentative rulings and UDC remote appearance available so the child need not travel. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to travel to Placerville or Tahoe. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the branch serving the property's side of the county, with DE-111 requesting full authority and the mandatory C-40. Clear any tentative-ruling defect before the hearing. The personal representative sells the home under IAEA with a Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165). | Asset discovery for the child's assets. Packet generation for DE-111, C-40, and IAEA and bond waivers. Help reading and clearing tentative rulings. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| El Dorado Family Law Facilitator / Self-Help Center — 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 120, Placerville; (530) 621-5098; [email protected] | The court's self-help center; note its staffed assistance is primarily family law — it does not run a dedicated probate clinic, so estate filers rely mainly on the forms and statewide guides below |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| El Dorado County Law Library | County law library for practice guides and probate research |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving El Dorado County |
When to hire an attorney
Many cooperative-family El Dorado probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the tentative-ruling system plus UDC remote appearances make that practical for families on either side of the county. Consider counsel when the estate exceeds $1 million, when a will contest or heir dispute is likely, when the estate holds business interests or out-of-state property, when ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned El Dorado County real property, or when tentative rulings keep flagging defects the family cannot clear. Because the court's self-help center is primarily family law, self-represented estate filers have limited in-person support here. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving El Dorado County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. During estate settlement, Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and El Dorado County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, West Slope and Tahoe Basin real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the full El Dorado filing packet: the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path plus the county's mandatory local form C-40, ready for e-filing or paper filing at the correct branch.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving El Dorado County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate case in El Dorado County?
It depends on which side of the county the decedent lived in. West Slope estates (Placerville, Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs, Pollock Pines) file at the Cameron Park Branch, 2927 Meder Road, Cameron Park, CA 95682 — the court's West Slope civil/probate branch — and probate documents are also accepted at the Placerville Building C branch, 2850 Fairlane Court, Suite 120. Tahoe Basin estates file at 1354 Johnson Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150.
Do I have to e-file probate documents in El Dorado County?
Attorneys and represented parties must e-file (mandatory since July 1, 2025, under Local Rule 7.08.00) through an approved electronic filing service provider. Self-represented filers are exempt and may file on paper at the branch, though they can e-file voluntarily. Original wills and other lodged originals are still submitted on paper.
What is El Dorado form C-40?
C-40 is a Declaration of American Indian Status, a mandatory El Dorado County local form that must accompany the petition for probate. Most California counties have no equivalent, so it is easy to overlook.
How do tentative rulings work in El Dorado probate?
The assigned probate department posts its tentative ruling online after 2:00 PM the day before the hearing. If you accept it and no party contests, the hearing can go off calendar without an appearance. To contest the ruling or appear and argue, notify the court and all parties by 4:00 PM the day before — West Slope civil/probate at (530) 621-6551, South Lake Tahoe at (530) 573-3042.
Can I appear at an El Dorado County probate hearing remotely?
Yes. Since February 2, 2026, remote appearances run on the Unicorn Digital Courtroom (UDC) platform. Submit a remote-appearance request through the web portal, e-filing, or the clerk, then register on UDC — the window opens 14 days out and closes 15 minutes before the hearing. Probate carries a $25 remote-appearance fee (plus small processing fees), waived for parties with a valid fee waiver.
Can I check my El Dorado County probate case online?
Yes. The court's public case portal at public-portal-eldorado.journaltech.com lets you search case information, and department calendars are available online. Tentative rulings are posted separately after 2:00 PM the day before each hearing.
How much does it cost to file for probate in El Dorado County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a); Statewide Civil Fee Schedule updated January 2026). El Dorado adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
What are the clerk's office hours in El Dorado County?
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, excluding court holidays — a shorter counter day than many California courts. After-hours drop boxes are available at the branches for documents that do not need same-day processing.
Do I have to travel to Placerville or South Lake Tahoe to settle an estate?
Often not. Documents can be e-filed or mailed, remote appearances run on the UDC platform, and many uncontested matters resolve on the tentative ruling without an appearance. The small-estate affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 never touches the court — it is presented directly to banks and asset holders.
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.