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Mono County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Mono |
| Probate courthouse | South County (Mammoth Lakes) Courthouse, 100 Thompsons Way, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 |
| Other branch | North County (Bridgeport) Courthouse, 278 Main St., Bridgeport, CA 93517 — county seat; clerk window open Tuesdays 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM; does not take probate filings |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 1037, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 |
| Phone | (760) 924-5444 — answered Mon–Fri 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon only |
| Fax | (760) 924-5419 — general fax; fax FILING was discontinued March 15, 2025 |
| [email protected] | |
| Clerk's office hours (Mammoth Lakes) | Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Fri 8:30 AM – 12:00 noon (phones answered 9:00 AM – 12:00 noon) |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Mono County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None — statewide Judicial Council DE-series only |
| E-filing | Available (since February 10, 2025) for probate through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider; encouraged but not mandatory for self-represented filers, who may still file on paper or by mail |
| Online case search | No public online case index; name searches and record requests are handled by court staff |
| Remote appearance | Zoom (free) or CourtCall (audio, paid); give notice at least 2 court days before the hearing and retrieve the Zoom link from the online court calendar for your date and courtroom |
| Website | https://www.mono.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate-conservatorship |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Mono 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. Mono is a two-branch rural court that answers its phones only three hours a day, so a petition filed on the wrong path is slow and costly to correct here.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, insurance policy, and parcel of real property — including the cabins and second homes common in Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and the Bridgeport valley — 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 Mono serves the entire county from two branches: the South County courthouse in Mammoth Lakes and the North County courthouse in Bridgeport, the county seat. Communities served include Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, Lee Vining, Bridgeport, Walker, Coleville, Benton, Chalfant, and Crowley Lake. Probate is filed here when the decedent was domiciled in Mono County at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Mono County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
Probate and conservatorship matters are handled at the Mammoth Lakes courthouse; petitions are filed there in person, by mail, or by e-filing. Bridgeport is the county seat and holds general court sessions, but its clerk window is open only on Tuesdays (9:30 AM – 3:30 PM) and it does not process probate filings. There is no separate probate department — the court's judicial officers hear probate on the regular calendar.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path. Mono County requires no local probate forms or cover sheets.
- File the petition with the Mammoth Lakes courthouse: e-file 24/7 through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider, or file on paper in person at 100 Thompsons Way, Mammoth Lakes (Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Fri until 12:00 noon), or by mail to P.O. Box 1037, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. Fax filing is no longer accepted (discontinued March 15, 2025).
- Lodge paper-only items in person or by mail: original wills and codicils, bonds and undertakings, and the Affidavit Re Real Property (Probate) cannot be e-filed and must be submitted on paper.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Mono 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.
- The clerk sets the hearing; court calendars are posted each Friday afternoon for the following week and are subject to change.
- To appear remotely, give the court and all parties notice at least 2 court days before the hearing (the statewide Notice of Remote Appearance, form RA-010, satisfies this), then retrieve the Zoom link from the online court calendar for your hearing date and courtroom.
- 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.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Mono County
Mono 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 court directs probate filers to the statewide forms under the Judicial Council's Probate — Guardianships and Conservatorships category.
The only Mono-specific procedural point is filing channel: probate may be e-filed through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider, but original wills and codicils, bonds and undertakings, and the Affidavit Re Real Property (Probate) must be filed on paper.
Local nuance
Mono County-specific considerations
Two courthouses, one probate location. Mono County runs two branches nearly 90 miles apart — Mammoth Lakes (South County) and Bridgeport (North County, the county seat). Probate is handled at Mammoth Lakes. Bridgeport holds general sessions but its clerk window is open only Tuesdays 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM and takes no probate filings.
Phones answered mornings only. The clerk answers (760) 924-5444 only from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday, even though the Mammoth Lakes counter is open until 4:00 PM Monday through Thursday. Plan calls for the morning window.
E-filing is available but not required. Since February 10, 2025, Mono accepts e-filing for probate through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider. Self-represented filers are encouraged to use it but may still file on paper or by mail. Original wills, bonds, and the Affidavit Re Real Property (Probate) are paper-only exceptions.
No fax filing. Mono discontinued fax filing on March 15, 2025. The (760) 924-5419 line is a general fax only — it is no longer a way to file court documents. Use e-filing, the counter, or mail.
Zoom hearings, link from the calendar. Probate hearings may be attended remotely by Zoom (free) or CourtCall (audio, paid). Give notice at least 2 court days before the hearing, then open the online court calendar for your date and courtroom to get the Zoom link. Calendars post each Friday afternoon for the following week.
Small-estate Alternatives
The statewide small-estate paths apply in Mono County with no local dollar changes. One local filing quirk: when a § 13200 Affidavit Re Real Property of Small Value (DE-305) is filed with the court, Mono requires it on paper — it is one of the court's e-filing exceptions. The standard § 13100 affidavit for personal property is presented directly to a bank or transfer agent and never touches the court at all.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2025 | Mono Superior Court began accepting e-filing for Civil, Family Law, Probate, and Small Claims through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers; encouraged but not mandatory for self-represented filers | mono.courts.ca.gov e-filing page |
| March 15, 2025 | Mono Superior Court stopped accepting fax filings for all case types | mono.courts.ca.gov fax-filing page |
| January–February 2026 | The Bridgeport courtroom was temporarily closed and all proceedings moved to the Mammoth Lakes courthouse | mono.courts.ca.gov court announcements |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Mono County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed at the Mammoth Lakes courthouse, usually attended by Zoom. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Mono 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) goes directly to the banks — no Mono filing. A cabin or other Mono real property up to $69,625 can pass by the § 13200 Affidavit Re Real Property (DE-305), which must be filed on paper; a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 petition at Mammoth Lakes, attended by Zoom. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to travel to Mammoth Lakes. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the Mammoth Lakes courthouse. File by e-filing or mail and appear by Zoom. The personal representative sells the property 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 requested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Mono County Self-Help Center & Family Law Facilitator — (760) 923-2314, [email protected], Mammoth Lakes Courthouse | General procedural self-help for people without a lawyer (small claims, conservatorships, and other civil matters); Tuesdays walk-ins welcome, Wednesday–Thursday by appointment, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Not a dedicated decedent's-estate probate clinic |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs |
When to hire an attorney
Most cooperative-family Mono County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the court's Zoom-friendly posture makes that practical even for out-of-area families with second homes in the Eastern Sierra. Consider counsel when the estate exceeds $1 million, a will contest or heir dispute is likely, the estate holds business interests or out-of-state property, or ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Mono County real property. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Mono County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and California public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Mono County real estate, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path, the only forms Mono County requires, ready for e-filing or filing by mail.
Find a local probate attorney. When estate settlement calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Mono 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 Mono County?
At the South County (Mammoth Lakes) courthouse, 100 Thompsons Way, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546: e-file through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider, file on paper at the counter (Mon–Thu 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM, Fri until noon), or mail to P.O. Box 1037, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. Probate is not filed at the Bridgeport courthouse.
Can I e-file probate documents in Mono County?
Yes. Mono has accepted e-filing for probate since February 10, 2025, through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider. Self-represented filers are encouraged to e-file but may still file on paper or by mail. Original wills, bonds and undertakings, and the Affidavit Re Real Property (Probate) must be filed on paper.
Can I fax-file probate documents in Mono County?
No. Mono County discontinued fax filing on March 15, 2025. The (760) 924-5419 line is a general fax only. File by e-filing, at the counter, or by mail.
Can I appear at a Mono County probate hearing by Zoom?
Yes. Probate hearings may be attended remotely by Zoom (free) or CourtCall (audio, paid). Give the court and all parties notice at least 2 court days before the hearing, then open the online court calendar for your hearing date and courtroom to get the Zoom link.
Is probate handled in Bridgeport or Mammoth Lakes?
Mammoth Lakes. Although Bridgeport is the Mono County seat, probate and conservatorship matters are handled at the South County courthouse in Mammoth Lakes. The Bridgeport clerk window is open only on Tuesdays and does not take probate filings.
Can I check my Mono County probate case status online?
There is no public online case index. Name searches and record requests are handled by court staff. Court calendars, which list hearing dates and Zoom links, are posted each Friday afternoon for the following week.
Does Mono County have local probate forms?
No. Mono requires only the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms; it has no local probate forms or mandatory cover sheets.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Mono County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)). Mono adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
Do I have to travel to Mammoth Lakes to settle an estate in Mono County?
Usually not. Petitions can be e-filed or mailed, hearings can be attended by Zoom, and 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.