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Placer County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Placer — probate is filed and heard through the Civil Division |
| Filing courthouse | Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse (Santucci Justice Center), 10820 Justice Center Drive, Roseville, CA 95678 |
| Probate hearing location | Department 2, Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street, Auburn — Mondays at 8:30 AM (effective July 6, 2026; Hon. Glenn M. Holley presiding) |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 619072, Roseville, CA 95661-9072 |
| Phone | (916) 408-6000, option 5 (Civil Division, which handles probate); probate calendar-note questions to the Office of Legal Research at (916) 408-6119 |
| Clerk's office window hours | Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Gibson Courthouse (excluding court holidays) |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Placer County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None required for a decedent's estate — statewide Judicial Council DE-series only (the one PL-PR local form is a conservatorship/guardianship court-investigator sheet) |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers (Local Rule 10.27), through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP); probate is an eligible e-file case type |
| Probate Calendar Notes | Published before each hearing on the court's Tentative Rulings and Calendar Notes page (Local Rule 80.1.4) |
| Online case search | eCourt Public Portal at webportal.placerco.org/eCourtPublic |
| Remote appearance | Available for the probate calendar (Local Rule 10.24(G)); $13 per appearance plus card fees (effective July 1, 2025) — schedule at least 15 hours ahead |
| Website | https://www.placer.courts.ca.gov |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Placer County Civil Division, 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 Placer publishes Probate Calendar Notes before each hearing that flag defects in a petition. A petition filed on the wrong path, or with gaps, draws a note and a continuance to the next Monday calendar.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life insurance policy, business interest, and parcel of real property — including the foothill and Tahoe-basin second homes common in Placer 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 Placer hears every probate matter in the county — decedents' estates, succession and spousal petitions, trust matters, conservatorships, and guardianships — through its Civil Division. Petitions are filed at the Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse, 10820 Justice Center Drive in Roseville, serving communities from Roseville, Rocklin, and Lincoln up through Auburn, Colfax, and the Tahoe-basin communities of Kings Beach and Tahoe City. Venue is proper in Placer County when the decedent was domiciled here at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Placer County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
Filing and the probate calendar are in two different places. Petitions are filed through the Civil Division in Roseville (in person, by mail, or by e-filing), but effective July 6, 2026 the probate calendar is heard in Department 2 at the Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street in Auburn, on Monday mornings at 8:30. Remote appearance is generally available for that calendar, so most families never make the drive to Auburn.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path. Placer County requires no local cover sheet or local form for a decedent's estate.
- File the petition through the Civil Division. Attorneys and represented parties must e-file through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider (EFSP); self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper at the Gibson Courthouse clerk's window, 10820 Justice Center Drive, Roseville (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM), or by mail to P.O. Box 619072, Roseville, CA 95661-9072.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Placer County surcharge). Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Lodge the original will and any codicil with the court; original wills cannot be e-filed and are delivered on paper.
- Complete notice: publish in a newspaper of general circulation in Placer County and mail DE-121 notice to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing.
- Read the Probate Calendar Notes for your hearing on the court's Tentative Rulings and Calendar Notes page (posted and updated before the Monday calendar under Local Rule 80.1.4). Cure any defect the note identifies before the hearing, or the matter is continued.
- Attend the hearing on the Monday 8:30 AM probate calendar in Department 2 at the Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street, Auburn — in person or by remote appearance under Local Rule 10.24(G), scheduled at least 15 hours ahead ($13 per appearance). 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, DHCS notice, Notice of Proposed Action under IAEA) apply in Placer exactly as described on the California page. Placer adds these local obligations:
| Placer-specific duty | Timing |
|---|---|
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel (originals excepted) | Throughout the case (mandatory under Local Rule 10.27) |
| Lodge the original will and any codicil on paper | They cannot be e-filed |
| Read the Probate Calendar Notes and cure any flagged defect | Before each Monday probate calendar (Local Rule 80.1.4) |
| Schedule a remote appearance if not attending in Auburn | At least 15 hours before the hearing ($13 per appearance) |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Placer County
Placer County has no local probate form or cover sheet for a decedent's estate. Every filing uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series (DE-111 Petition for Probate, DE-121 Notice of Petition to Administer Estate, DE-140 Order for Probate, DE-147 Duties and Liabilities, DE-150 Letters, DE-160 Inventory and Appraisal, and the rest). The court's only probate-prefixed local form, PL-PR001, is a Court Investigator Information Sheet used in conservatorship and guardianship cases — not in decedents' estates.
Judicial Council DE-series forms are downloadable from the California Courts website. Placer's local forms and local rules are posted on the court's Forms, Fees & Rules pages at placer.courts.ca.gov.
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for probate (first filing) | $435 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule; Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a). No Placer County surcharge |
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property | $435 | Cal. Prob. Code § 13151 petitions carry the same first-paper fee |
| Remote (video/audio) appearance | $13 per appearance | Effective July 1, 2025, plus credit-card transaction fees; schedule at least 15 hours before the hearing |
| E-filing service-provider fee | Varies by provider | Charged by the approved EFSP, not the court |
Timeline
- File the petition through the Civil Division and complete the 15-day mailed notice (DE-121) and newspaper publication.
- The probate calendar is set for a Monday at 8:30 AM in Department 2, Auburn; the weekly calendar is posted each Friday at about 5:00 PM for the following week.
- Probate Calendar Notes for your matter post before the hearing on the Tentative Rulings and Calendar Notes page; cure any flagged defect before the Monday calendar or the matter is continued.
- Hearing to Letters (DE-150): same day to about a week for a clean petition; unresolved calendar-note defects push a continuance to a later Monday.
- Creditor claim period and Inventory and Appraisal deadline: 4 months from Letters (statewide).
- Petition for final distribution to final hearing: set on the same weekly Monday probate calendar.
- Total for a cooperative-family IAEA probate: commonly under a year in Placer County, driven mostly by the statutory 4-month creditor period.
Local nuance
Placer County-specific considerations
File in Roseville, appear in Auburn. Probate petitions are filed through the Civil Division at the Gibson Courthouse in Roseville, but effective July 6, 2026 the probate calendar is heard in Department 2 at the Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street, Auburn, Mondays at 8:30 AM (Hon. Glenn M. Holley). Remote appearance is generally available, so the geographic split rarely requires travel.
Read the Probate Calendar Notes. Placer posts Probate Calendar Notes before each Monday calendar on its Tentative Rulings and Calendar Notes page under Local Rule 80.1.4. They are not tentative rulings on the merits, but they flag the defects that will otherwise get your matter continued — cure them before the hearing. Note questions go to the Office of Legal Research at (916) 408-6119; do not call the department directly.
E-filing is mandatory for attorneys. Under Local Rule 10.27, e-filing is mandatory for attorneys and optional for self-represented filers, through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider. Probate is an eligible e-file case type. Original wills and other documents requiring an original signature are lodged on paper.
Remote appearances are cheap and available. The probate calendar allows remote video/audio appearances under Local Rule 10.24(G). Effective July 1, 2025, the remote-appearance fee dropped to $13 per appearance (plus card fees); schedule at least 15 hours before the hearing.
Weekly Friday calendar posting. The court's weekly calendar is generated each Friday at about 5:00 PM for the following week and is not updated afterward, so a matter set after the Friday run appears only in the next weekly posting. Confirm your hearing on the eCourt Public Portal if you file late in the week.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2026 | Probate calendar moved to Department 2 at the Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street, Auburn, heard Mondays at 8:30 AM (Hon. Glenn M. Holley) | Placer Superior Court Probate Calendar Notes (July 2026) |
| July 1, 2025 | Remote-appearance fee for civil, family, and probate cases reduced to $13 per appearance (plus card fees) | Placer Superior Court Remote Appearance System page |
| 2026 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule in effect; the probate first-paper fee is $435 and Placer adds no county surcharge | Placer Superior Court Fee Schedule page |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Placer County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed through the Civil Division in Roseville and heard on the Monday 8:30 AM probate calendar in Auburn, usually by remote appearance. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Placer 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 Placer filing at all. A primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition, filed in Roseville and heard by remote appearance from anywhere. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to travel to Placer County. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate: file DE-111 through the Civil Division requesting full authority, clear the Probate Calendar Notes before the Monday hearing, then sell 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 requested. Help responding to Probate Calendar Notes. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Placer Superior Court Self-Help Center (Gibson Courthouse, first floor, Roseville) | Free help for self-represented litigants by phone, video, or in person Mon/Tue/Thu; its regular caseload is family law, guardianship, small claims, evictions, and restraining orders rather than decedent's-estate probate — for estates, the court directs filers to the statewide self-help guide below |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/wills-estates-probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path — the court's primary referral for decedents' estates |
| Placer County Law Library (Auburn) | Print and online legal and self-help materials with public computers and Wi-Fi; open Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM and the first Saturday of each month 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (closed Wednesdays) |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving Placer County |
When to hire an attorney
Many cooperative-family Placer County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the court's remote-appearance option and published calendar notes make that practical even for out-of-area families. Because the Self-Help Center does not routinely handle decedents' estates, self-represented filers lean on the statewide self-help guide and the calendar notes. 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, ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Placer County real property, or calendar-note defects recur and the family cannot clear them. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Placer County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Placer County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Placer County real estate (with community-property characterization), business interests, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path, the only forms Placer County requires for a decedent's estate, ready for signature and e-filing or paper filing through the Civil Division.
Find a local probate attorney. When estate settlement calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Placer 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 Placer County?
Through the Civil Division at the Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse, 10820 Justice Center Drive, Roseville, CA 95678: e-file through an approved service provider, file on paper at the clerk's window (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM), or mail to P.O. Box 619072, Roseville, CA 95661-9072.
Where are Placer County probate hearings held?
On the Monday 8:30 AM probate calendar in Department 2 at the Historic Courthouse, 101 Maple Street, Auburn. The calendar moved to Auburn effective July 6, 2026; filings are still made through the Civil Division in Roseville. Remote appearance is generally available, so most families do not travel to Auburn.
Do I have to e-file in Placer County probate?
Attorneys and represented parties must e-file under Local Rule 10.27, through an approved Electronic Filing Service Provider. Self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper. Original wills and documents requiring an original signature are lodged on paper.
What are Placer County Probate Calendar Notes?
They are the court's pre-hearing notes on the probate calendar, posted before each Monday hearing on the Tentative Rulings and Calendar Notes page under Local Rule 80.1.4. They are not tentative rulings, but they identify defects you must cure before the hearing or the matter will be continued. Questions go to the Office of Legal Research at (916) 408-6119.
Can I appear at a Placer County probate hearing remotely?
Yes. Remote video/audio appearances are generally available for the probate calendar under Local Rule 10.24(G). Effective July 1, 2025 the remote-appearance fee is $13 per appearance (plus card fees); schedule at least 15 hours before the hearing.
Can I check my Placer County probate case online?
Yes. Use the court's eCourt Public Portal at webportal.placerco.org/eCourtPublic to look up a case by number. The weekly hearing calendar is generated each Friday at about 5:00 PM for the following week.
Does Placer County have local probate forms?
No. A decedent's estate uses only the statewide Judicial Council DE-series. The court's one probate-prefixed local form (PL-PR001, Court Investigator Information Sheet) is used in conservatorship and guardianship cases, not decedents' estates.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Placer County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a), Statewide Civil Fee Schedule). Placer adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
Do I have to travel to settle an estate in Placer County?
Usually not. Petitions can be e-filed or mailed, the probate calendar allows remote appearances for $13, and the small-estate affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 never touches the court at all — 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.