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Fresno County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Fresno — Probate Division |
| Courthouse | B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O Street, Fresno, CA 93721-2220 (Probate Clerk's Office: Third Floor, Room 300) |
| Probate courtroom | Department 402, B.F. Sisk Courthouse; probate calendars called at 9:00 AM |
| Phone | (559) 457-1888 (Probate Clerk) |
| Fax | (559) 457-1835 |
| Probate Clerk's Office hours | Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM; Fri 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (courthouse itself is open 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Fresno County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | One for decedents' estates: PPR-28 Declaration/Affidavit of Transfer of Personal Property Without Probate (Cal. Prob. Code § 13100). No mandatory local cover sheet |
| E-filing | Mandatory for represented parties in probate (Code Civ. Proc. § 1010.6(g)); optional but encouraged for self-represented filers; new e-Court system since April 1, 2026 |
| Online case search | publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ — also where Probate Examiner Notes post (free account required) |
| Remote appearance | Zoom, pre-approved only: file form RA-010 at least 5 court days before the hearing (Local Rule 7.21) |
| Website | https://www.fresno.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Fresno County Probate Clerk, know exactly what is in the estate. The right path — small-estate affidavit, Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, Spousal Property Petition, or full probate — depends entirely on the value and type of the assets, and in Fresno every petition is screened by a Probate Court Examiner before the hearing. A petition filed before the family understands the assets draws examiner-note deficiencies, and deficiencies that are not cured by a filed amendment or declaration get the matter continued.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage account, life insurance policy, parcel of real property — including farmland and agricultural interests, which are common in Fresno County estates — and every debt before choosing the path. 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 Fresno hears every probate matter in the county — decedents' estates, succession and spousal petitions, trusts, conservatorships, and guardianships — at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O Street in downtown Fresno. Families everywhere in the county file there: Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Reedley, Selma, Kingsburg, Coalinga, Kerman, Firebaugh, Mendota, Huron, Fowler, Parlier, and Orange Cove. None of the court's other facilities handles probate.
Petitions are filed with the Probate Clerk in Room 300 on the third floor, and hearings are held in Department 402. Venue in Fresno County is proper when the decedent was domiciled in the county at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Fresno County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
The jurisdiction process
- If you hold the original will, deposit it with the Probate Clerk's Office (Room 300, B.F. Sisk Courthouse) within 30 days of the death — Fresno directs custodians of wills to this office for the statewide § 8200 deposit duty.
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path (DE-111 Petition for Probate, DE-121 Notice, DE-140, DE-147, DE-150). Fresno requires no local cover sheet. All documents must be typed or printed in blue-black or black ink.
- File the petition. Parties represented by counsel must e-file through one of the court's approved electronic filing service providers; self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper at the Probate Clerk's Office, Room 300 (Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Fri 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM) or by mail to 1130 O Street, Third Floor, Fresno, CA 93721-2220.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Fresno County surcharge). Fee-waiver packets are available on the court's probate forms page.
- The Probate Clerk assigns the hearing date at filing, on the 9:00 AM probate calendar in Department 402.
- 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).
- Check the Probate Examiner Notes before the hearing in the court's public portal (publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ — register a free account, search the case, open the Documents tab). Cure any listed deficiency by filing a declaration, amendment, or supplement; e-mails and faxes to the examiners do not cure deficiencies, and documents should be filed at least 2 court days before the hearing.
- Attend the hearing in Department 402 — in person, or by Zoom if the court approved your RA-010 Notice of Remote Appearance filed at least 5 court days beforehand. 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, appraised by a Fresno County probate referee), and the petition for final distribution.
Executor duties
The statewide personal-representative duties (creditor notice, the 4-month Inventory and Appraisal, DHCS notice, Notice of Proposed Action under IAEA) apply in Fresno exactly as described on the California page. Fresno adds these local obligations:
| Fresno-specific duty | Timing |
|---|---|
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel | Throughout the case (Code Civ. Proc. § 1010.6(g)) |
| Accept electronic service if represented by counsel | Since July 1, 2025; the court's EFS-series forms confirm the electronic service address |
| Monitor the Probate Examiner Notes in the public portal | Notes post before every hearing; check the case's Documents tab |
| Cure examiner-note deficiencies by filed amendment, declaration, or supplement — not e-mail or fax | File at least 2 court days before the hearing |
| Arrange your own court reporter if you want a transcript | Probate matters are not assigned a court reporter |
| Use a Fresno County probate referee for the Inventory and Appraisal | DE-160, due 4 months from Letters |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Fresno County
Fresno uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series for decedents' estates, with one local form and a set of local e-service forms. There is no mandatory local cover sheet.
| Form | Name | When used |
|---|---|---|
| PPR-28 | Declaration/Affidavit of Transfer of Personal Property Without Probate | Fresno's local version of the Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 small-estate affidavit, presented to banks and asset holders — no court filing |
| EFS-005-CV | Consent to Electronic Service and Notice of Electronic Service Address | Confirms the e-service address; self-represented parties may consent to electronic service with it |
| EFS-007 / EFS-008 | Request for and Order on Exemption From Mandatory Electronic Filing and Service | For represented parties seeking excuse from the e-filing mandate |
| RA-010 | Notice of Remote Appearance (Judicial Council) | Required at least 5 court days before any hearing you want to attend by Zoom |
Fresno's other local probate forms — PPR-26 Declaration of Due Diligence and PPR-29 Petition for Visitation (guardianship) and PPR-45 Conservatorship Video Viewing Certificate — apply to guardianship and conservatorship cases, not decedents' estates. All forms are free to download from the court's probate forms page; the clerk sells hardcopy packets for small per-form charges (for example, $1.10 for the Petition for Probate packet).
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for probate (first filing) | $435 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule; Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a). No Fresno County surcharge |
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property | $435 | Cal. Prob. Code § 13151 petitions carry the same first-paper fee |
| Hardcopy form packets at the Probate Clerk's Office | $0.40 – $1.10 per packet | Petition for Probate $1.10; succession petition $0.70; spousal petition $0.50; DE-305 affidavit $0.40; PPR-28 $1.00 — all free online |
Timeline
- File the petition; the Probate Clerk assigns the hearing date at filing on the Department 402 9:00 AM probate calendar.
- Complete the 15-day mailed notice and newspaper publication before the hearing.
- The Probate Examiner reviews the petition and posts Probate Examiner Notes to the case in the public portal before the hearing; cure deficiencies by filed amendment or declaration at least 2 court days out, or the matter is continued.
- Hearing to Letters (DE-150): same day to one week for a petition with clear examiner notes.
- Creditor claim period and Inventory and Appraisal deadline: 4 months from Letters (statewide).
- Total for a cooperative-family IAEA probate: commonly 9 months to a year and a half, driven by the statutory 4-month creditor period and how quickly examiner notes are cleared.
Local nuance
Fresno County-specific considerations
Examiner notes are the gate. A Probate Court Examiner reviews every probate pleading before the hearing and posts notes — parties, proceeding type, and a list of potential deficiencies — to the case in the court's public portal. Deficiencies must be cured by a filed declaration, amendment, or supplement in a court-acceptable format; the court states plainly that e-mails and faxes to the examiners are not sufficient. Each examiner is identified by initials in the notes' Reviewed by line, and the six examiners take direct e-mail (probateexam2 through probateexam8 @fresno.courts.ca.gov) for questions.
New e-Court system since April 1, 2026. The court converted to the e-Court case management system on April 1, 2026, after a March 2026 paper-only filing window. The old case portal was replaced: case lookup and examiner notes now live at publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/, which requires a free account. Older bookmarks and third-party links to the previous portal no longer work.
Short clerk hours. The Probate Clerk's Office (Room 300, third floor) keeps shorter hours than the courthouse: Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and Friday only 8:00 AM to noon. The courthouse itself is open until 5:00 PM, but probate counter business must fit the clerk's window.
Zoom by pre-approval only. Under revised Local Rule 7.21 (effective August 1, 2022), probate appearances are in person or by pre-approved Zoom. File RA-010 at least 5 court days before the hearing — late forms are rejected — and include an e-mail address or the clerk will not accept the form. When e-filing, RA-010 must go in its own envelope as a separate document. Only approved individuals may appear remotely; anyone else may observe only in person. Contact the Probate Zoom Coordinator at (559) 457-1608 or [email protected].
No court reporter in probate. Fresno does not assign court reporters to probate matters, so there is no official transcript unless a party hires a reporter under court rules.
Two local probate referees. Inventory and Appraisal values for non-cash assets are set by a court-appointed probate referee; Fresno County's referees are Steven D. Diebert, (559) 431-7486, and Rick P. Smith, (559) 435-6005.
Small-estate Alternatives
The statewide small-estate paths apply in Fresno with no local dollar changes. One local convenience: Fresno publishes its own form of the Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 affidavit — local form PPR-28, Declaration/Affidavit of Transfer of Personal Property Without Probate — which families present directly to banks and asset holders. It is never filed with the court.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2026 | The court converted to the e-Court case management system. Non-criminal e-filing paused March 2–31, 2026 (paper only); the online case portal was replaced by publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ | Fresno Superior Court Notice of Case Management System Upgrade |
| July 1, 2025 | Represented parties in probate must accept electronic service (Code Civ. Proc. § 1010.6); the court posted EFS-series forms to confirm electronic service addresses | fresno.courts.ca.gov probate division page |
| December 2, 2024 | The court began accepting CARE Act petitions, administered through the Probate Division | fresno.courts.ca.gov |
| August 1, 2022 | Revised Local Rule 7.21 took effect: probate appearances are in person or by pre-approved Zoom via RA-010 filed at least 5 court days before the hearing | fresno.courts.ca.gov probate division page |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Fresno County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition (DE-221) heard on the Department 402 probate calendar, in person or by pre-approved Zoom. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Fresno County Recorder to complete the title transfer. | Asset discovery to confirm community vs. separate property. Packet generation for DE-221, DE-226, MC-025. 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) — Fresno's own PPR-28 form — goes directly to the banks, no court filing. Fresno real property up to $69,625 can pass by the § 13200 affidavit (DE-305) filed with the Probate Clerk by mail; a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition, with a Zoom appearance by RA-010. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so the child does not need to travel to Fresno. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse with DE-111 requesting full authority. Clear the Probate Examiner Notes before the hearing — cure deficiencies by filed amendment or declaration, not e-mail. The personal representative sells the home under IAEA authority with a Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165). | Asset discovery for the child's assets. Packet generation for DE-111 with IAEA full authority and bond waivers. Help responding to examiner notes. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Fresno Superior Court Self-Help Center — 1130 O Street, First Floor; (559) 457-2143 | Walk-in help Mon 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Tue–Wed 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM; phone and e-mail help Thu–Fri. Focused on family law and guardianship clinics — there is no decedent's-estate facilitator, so estate filers rely on the court's forms pages and pamphlets |
| Fresno County Public Law Library — 1100 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 600, Fresno; (559) 600-2227 | Open Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on the sixth floor of the downtown courthouse; practice guides and research help for self-represented filers |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| Fresno County Bar Association Attorney Referral and Information Service — (559) 264-0137 | The referral service the court's own probate pamphlet directs families to |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving Fresno County |
When to hire an attorney
Many cooperative-family Fresno County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the Zoom-by-approval system keeps travel to a minimum. Consider counsel when the estate exceeds $1 million, a will contest or heir dispute is likely, the estate holds farmland, water rights, or business interests — common in Fresno County — when examiner notes recur and the family cannot clear them, or when ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Fresno County real property. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Fresno County probate attorney when the situation requires counsel.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Fresno County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, real estate and agricultural property, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Judicial Council DE-series forms for your estate settlement path, plus Fresno's PPR-28 small-estate form or the RA-010 remote-appearance notice where the case needs them, ready for e-filing or filing at the Probate Clerk's window.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney serving Fresno 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 Fresno County?
At the Probate Clerk's Office in the B.F. Sisk Courthouse, 1130 O Street, Third Floor, Room 300, Fresno, CA 93721-2220 — in person Mon–Thu 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM or Fri 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, by mail, or by e-filing. All Fresno County probate is heard at this courthouse.
Do I have to e-file probate documents in Fresno County?
If you have a lawyer, yes — represented parties in probate must e-file (Code Civ. Proc. § 1010.6(g)) through one of the court's approved electronic filing service providers. Self-represented filers are encouraged to e-file but may file on paper at the clerk's window or by mail. Questions go to [email protected] or (559) 457-1888.
What are Fresno County Probate Examiner Notes and where do I find them?
Before every hearing, a Probate Court Examiner reviews the pleadings for Probate Code compliance and posts notes listing any deficiencies. Read them in the court's public portal at publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ — register a free account, search your case number, and open the Documents tab. Cure deficiencies with a filed declaration, amendment, or supplement; e-mails and faxes to the examiners are not sufficient.
When and where are probate hearings held in Fresno County?
In Department 402 at the B.F. Sisk Courthouse; the court's daily master calendars call probate matters at 9:00 AM. The Probate Clerk assigns your hearing date when the petition is filed.
Can I appear at a Fresno County probate hearing by Zoom?
Yes, with pre-approval. File Judicial Council form RA-010 (Notice of Remote Appearance) at least 5 court days before the hearing and include an e-mail address — forms without one are not accepted, and late forms are denied. The clerk e-mails the Zoom link to approved participants. Contact the Probate Zoom Coordinator at (559) 457-1608 or [email protected].
Can I check my Fresno County probate case online?
Yes. The court's case information portal is publicportal.fresno.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ (free account required). It replaced the old portal when the court moved to its e-Court system on April 1, 2026, so older links no longer work.
Does Fresno County have local probate forms?
For decedents' estates, one: PPR-28, Declaration/Affidavit of Transfer of Personal Property Without Probate — Fresno's version of the § 13100 small-estate affidavit, presented directly to banks. There is no mandatory local cover sheet; everything else uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series. (Local forms PPR-26, PPR-29, and PPR-45 are for guardianship and conservatorship cases.)
How much does it cost to file for probate in Fresno County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)). Fresno adds no county surcharge. Fee-waiver packets are on the court's probate forms page.
Do I have to travel to Fresno to settle an estate in Fresno County?
Usually not. Petitions can be e-filed or mailed, hearings can be attended by Zoom with a timely RA-010, and the § 13100 small-estate affidavit (Fresno form PPR-28) never touches the court at all — it goes directly to banks and asset holders.
Who appraises estate assets in a Fresno County probate?
A court-appointed California probate referee values the non-cash assets on the Inventory and Appraisal (DE-160). Fresno County's referees are Steven D. Diebert, (559) 431-7486, and Rick P. Smith, (559) 435-6005.
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.