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Kings County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Kings |
| Courthouse | 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230 (New Hanford Courthouse — the county's only courthouse) |
| Mailing address | 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230 |
| Phone | (559) 582-1010; probate extension x6145 (phone lines Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) |
| [email protected] | |
| Clerk / lobby hours | Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Kings County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None — statewide Judicial Council DE-series only (the county's local rules contain no probate chapter) |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys and represented parties since July 1, 2021 (via any approved EFSP on the Journal Technologies system); self-represented filers are exempt and may file in person or by mail |
| Paper-only documents | Original wills, codicils, and bonds cannot be e-filed — they must be lodged on paper |
| Online case search | Public portal at https://portal.kings.courts.ca.gov/public-portal/ |
| Remote appearance | Telephonic via CourtCall ((888) 882-6878) for probate hearings, with prior judicial approval only |
| Website | https://www.kings.courts.ca.gov |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Kings County 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. Choosing the wrong path means refiling, and in a single-courthouse county with one civil-probate calendar that costs weeks.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life insurance policy, and parcel of real property — including farmland and agricultural interests, which are common in Kings 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 Kings hears every probate matter in the county — decedents' estates, the succession and spousal property petitions, conservatorships, and guardianships — from the New Hanford Courthouse at 1640 Kings County Drive. The 2016 consolidation folded the court's former dispersed buildings into this single facility, so families everywhere in the county, from Hanford and Lemoore to Corcoran and Avenal, file in the same place.
Venue is proper in Kings County when the decedent was domiciled in the county at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Kings County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration). There is no separate probate district or branch counter — all probate filing and hearings happen at the Hanford courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path. Kings County requires no local probate forms or cover sheets.
- File the petition. Attorneys and represented parties must e-file through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider on the court's Journal Technologies system; self-represented filers may e-file voluntarily or file on paper in person at 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford (lobby hours 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) or by mail to the same address.
- Lodge paper-only items directly with the court: original wills, codicils, and bonds cannot be e-filed and must be submitted on paper.
- Pay the $435 first-paper filing fee (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a); no Kings 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 clerk sets the hearing on the court's probate calendar at the Hanford courthouse. Check your case on the public portal at portal.kings.courts.ca.gov/public-portal for the assigned department and hearing date.
- To appear remotely, request telephonic appearance through CourtCall ((888) 882-6878) with prior judicial approval; the requesting party pays CourtCall's costs and any court fee. Confirm your matter is eligible before relying on it.
- 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 Kings County exactly as described on the California page. Kings adds these local mechanics:
| Kings County-specific duty | Detail |
|---|---|
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel | Mandatory for probate and guardianship since July 1, 2021, through an approved EFSP on the Journal Technologies system |
| Lodge original wills, codicils, and bonds on paper | These cannot be e-filed and must be submitted to the court on paper |
| Self-represented filers may file on paper | Exempt from mandatory e-filing under Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(2); may still e-file voluntarily |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Kings County
Kings County has no local probate forms. Every 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 county's Local Rules of Court contain no probate chapter and impose no local cover sheet on decedents' estates.
The only Kings-specific procedural points are mechanical: represented parties must file through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider on the court's Journal Technologies system, and original wills, codicils, and bonds must be lodged on paper because they cannot be e-filed.
Local nuance
Kings County-specific considerations
One courthouse for the whole county. Since the New Hanford Courthouse opened in 2016, all Kings County probate is filed and heard at 1640 Kings County Drive in Hanford. There is no branch probate counter and no Lemoore probate location; every family in the county uses the same building.
E-filing is mandatory for counsel, optional for families. Electronic filing has been required for all probate and guardianship matters since July 1, 2021. Attorneys and represented parties must e-file through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider; the court moved from Odyssey to the Journal Technologies system on April 17, 2023. Self-represented filers are exempt under Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(2) and may file in person or by mail.
Wills, codicils, and bonds are paper-only. Even when the rest of the case is e-filed, original wills, codicils, and bonds cannot be submitted electronically and must be lodged with the court on paper.
Remote appearance is telephonic and approval-based. Kings County uses CourtCall ((888) 882-6878) for telephonic appearances at probate hearings, and only with prior judicial approval — it is not an automatic Zoom-style default, and the court publishes no RA-010 remote-appearance program for probate. The requesting party pays CourtCall's costs.
The Self-Help Center does not cover decedents' estates. The court's Self-Help Center ((559) 582-1010, option 8) assists with guardianships of the person but does not handle decedents' estate probate. Estate filers rely on the statewide self-help guide, the county law library, and, where needed, an attorney.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule reissued; the probate first-paper fee is unchanged at $435 and Kings County adds no county surcharge | Judicial Council Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (eff. 1/1/2026) |
| April 17, 2023 | The court's electronic filing service changed from Odyssey eFileCA to the Journal Technologies system | Kings County Superior Court online case filing page |
| July 1, 2021 | Electronic filing became mandatory for all probate and guardianship case types; self-represented filers remain exempt (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(2)) | Kings County Superior Court online case filing page |
| February 16, 2016 | The New Hanford Courthouse opened, consolidating all case types — including probate — into a single 12-courtroom facility | Judicial Branch of California facility page |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Kings County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal or Domestic Partner Property Petition (DE-221) filed at the Hanford courthouse. If counsel files, it is e-filed; a self-represented spouse can file on paper. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Kings 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) needs no Kings County filing at all — it goes directly to the banks. Kings County real property up to $69,625 can pass by the § 13200 affidavit (DE-305); a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition filed at the Hanford courthouse. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so the child does not have to travel to Hanford. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the Hanford courthouse. The personal representative sells the property under IAEA authority with a Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165). If an attorney is engaged, filings are e-filed; the original will is lodged on paper. | Asset discovery for the child's assets. Packet generation for DE-111 with IAEA full authority requested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Kings County Self-Help Center — (559) 582-1010 option 8, [email protected] (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM) | Court self-help staff assist with legal forms in person, by email, or by phone — but the center covers guardianships of the person, not decedents' estate probate |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| Kings County Law Library — 1400 W. Lacey Blvd., Building 4, Hanford; (559) 852-4430 | Public law library with probate practice guides and forms; open Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM and Tue/Thu 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving Kings County |
When to hire an attorney
Many cooperative-family Kings County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney. Consider counsel when the estate exceeds $1 million, a will contest or heir dispute is likely, the estate holds a farm, business interest, or out-of-state property, or ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Kings County real property. Because the court's Self-Help Center does not cover decedents' estates, self-represented families here lean on the statewide self-help guide and the county law library, which is thin support for a contested matter. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Kings County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Kings County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, real estate and farmland, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for the estate settlement path you are using, the only forms Kings County requires, ready for signature and filing on paper or through an e-filing service provider.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Kings 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 Kings County?
At the Superior Court of California, County of Kings, in the New Hanford Courthouse at 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230. It is the county's only courthouse and handles all probate. Attorneys e-file; self-represented filers can file in person (lobby hours 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM) or by mail to the same address.
Do I have to e-file probate documents in Kings County?
Attorneys and represented parties must e-file — electronic filing has been mandatory for probate and guardianship since July 1, 2021, through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider on the court's Journal Technologies system. Self-represented filers are exempt under Cal. Rules of Court, rule 2.253(b)(2) and may file on paper. Original wills, codicils, and bonds must be lodged on paper regardless.
Does Kings County have local probate forms?
No. Kings County requires only the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms. The county's Local Rules of Court contain no probate chapter and add no local cover sheet.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Kings County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)). Kings County adds no local surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003; an e-filing service provider will charge its own separate fee.
Can I appear at a Kings County probate hearing remotely?
Sometimes. Kings County uses CourtCall ((888) 882-6878) for telephonic appearances at probate hearings, but only with prior judicial approval — it is not an automatic remote-by-default system. The court publishes no Zoom-based RA-010 program for probate, so confirm eligibility and get approval before relying on a remote appearance.
Can I check my Kings County probate case online?
Yes. The court's public portal at portal.kings.courts.ca.gov/public-portal lets you look up case information, including the department and hearing date assigned to your matter.
Does the Kings County Self-Help Center handle probate?
No. The Self-Help Center ((559) 582-1010, option 8) assists with guardianships of the person but does not cover decedents' estate probate. For estate filings, use the statewide self-help guide at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate and the Kings County Law Library, or engage an attorney.
Do I have to travel to Hanford to settle an estate in Kings County?
Often not. A small-estate affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 never touches the court — it is presented directly to banks and asset holders. When a court filing is required, self-represented filers can file by mail, and telephonic appearance through CourtCall is available for hearings with the court's approval.
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.