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Plumas County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Plumas |
| Courthouse | 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy, CA 95971 |
| Mailing address | Plumas Superior Court, 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy, CA 95971 |
| Clerk's Office (probate) | (530) 283-6058 or (530) 283-6297; general court line (530) 283-6232 |
| Fax | (530) 283-6415 |
| Clerk's office hours | Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the counter (phone lines answered 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM) |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Plumas County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None mandatory — statewide Judicial Council DE-series only |
| E-filing | Not available — file in person or by mail on paper |
| Online case search | Not available — record and copy requests are handled by the clerk (online eForm, in person, or by mail) |
| Tentative rulings | Posted online by department; to appear or contest, call (530) 283-6232 by 3:00 PM the Thursday before the hearing |
| Remote appearance | Zoom and CourtCall permitted in probate under certain circumstances; request with Judicial Council forms RA-010 and RA-015 (CRC 3.672, CCP § 367.75) |
| Website | https://plumas.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Plumas 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. Plumas is a paper-only court with a small clerk's office and short counter hours, so a petition filed on the wrong path, or a matter that has to be re-noticed, costs real time here.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life insurance policy, and parcel of real property — including cabins and recreational property, which are common in Plumas 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 Plumas serves the entire county from one courthouse in Quincy, including Portola, Chester, Greenville, Graeagle, and the Lake Almanor communities. Probate is filed here when the decedent was domiciled in Plumas County at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Plumas County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
All probate matters — decedents' estates, the succession petitions, spousal property petitions, conservatorships, and guardianships — are handled at the Quincy courthouse. There is no separate standalone probate department; matters are heard by the assigned department and resolved through the court's tentative-ruling process.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path. Plumas County requires no mandatory local probate forms or cover sheets.
- File the petition on paper with the clerk: in person at 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM) or by mail to Plumas Superior Court, 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy, CA 95971. Plumas offers no e-filing.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Plumas County surcharge). Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Get the matter set for hearing. Plumas does not automatically calendar every filing — use the court's Request to Place Matter on Calendar (local form PSC-MISC-010) if the clerk does not assign a hearing date at filing.
- 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 court's tentative ruling for your hearing date, posted online by department. To appear or contest the tentative, call (530) 283-6232 by 3:00 PM the Thursday before the hearing.
- To appear remotely, request a Zoom or CourtCall appearance using Judicial Council forms RA-010 and RA-015 (CRC 3.672, CCP § 367.75). Counsel typically appear by CourtCall; self-represented parties may appear by Zoom. The court does not provide a court reporter for probate calendars — arrange your own if you need a record.
- 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 Plumas County
Plumas County has no mandatory local probate forms. Every substantive 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). Two Plumas local forms are procedural rather than probate-specific:
| Form | Name | When used |
|---|---|---|
| PSC-MISC-010 | Request to Place Matter on Calendar | To have a matter set for hearing when the clerk does not assign a date at filing |
| RA-010 / RA-015 | Request / Order for Remote Appearance (statewide Judicial Council forms) | To appear at a probate hearing by Zoom or CourtCall (CRC 3.672, CCP § 367.75) |
The county's own PSC-RA-040 remote-appearance form is limited to traffic, criminal, and juvenile matters and does not apply to probate; probate filers use the statewide RA-010/RA-015 instead. Judicial Council forms are downloadable at courts.ca.gov, and Plumas local forms at plumas.courts.ca.gov.
Local nuance
Plumas County-specific considerations
Paper court, no online portal. Plumas offers no e-filing for any case type; probate petitions are filed in person or by mail at the Room 104 clerk's window. There is no public online case portal — case status, copies, and record searches go through the clerk (online eForm, in person, or by mail).
Get on the calendar. The court does not automatically set every filing for hearing. If the clerk does not assign a hearing date at filing, use the county's Request to Place Matter on Calendar (PSC-MISC-010) to have your probate matter scheduled.
Tentative rulings, Thursday cutoff. Plumas publishes tentative rulings online by department before the hearing. If you want to appear or contest the tentative ruling, you must call the court at (530) 283-6232 by 3:00 PM the Thursday before the hearing; otherwise the tentative may become the order.
Remote appearance by request. Zoom and CourtCall appearances are permitted in probate under certain circumstances, requested with Judicial Council forms RA-010/RA-015 and served on the other parties. Counsel are generally directed to appear by CourtCall; self-represented parties may use Zoom.
Bring your own reporter. The court does not provide an official court reporter for its probate calendars. If you need a verbatim record, you must arrange and pay for your own certified reporter.
Short counter hours, split phone lines. The clerk's counter is open only 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM and phone lines are answered from 8:30 AM. The probate division page directs callers to the Clerk's Office at (530) 283-6058 or (530) 283-6297; the general court line is (530) 283-6232 and the Civil filing line is (530) 283-6305.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Statewide Civil Fee Schedule reissued; the probate first-paper fee is unchanged at $435 and Plumas adds no county surcharge | Plumas Superior Court Civil Fee Schedule (eff. 1/1/2026) |
| 2026 | Court confirms probate remote appearances use Judicial Council forms RA-010/RA-015 (CRC 3.672, CCP § 367.75); the county's PSC-RA-040 form applies to traffic, criminal, and juvenile cases only | plumas.courts.ca.gov Remote Appearances page |
| 2026 | Court continues to publish tentative rulings by department, with the requirement to call by 3:00 PM the Thursday before the hearing to appear or contest | plumas.courts.ca.gov Tentative Rulings page |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Plumas County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed on paper at the Quincy courthouse and set for hearing (use PSC-MISC-010 if needed), often with a remote Zoom or CourtCall appearance. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Plumas 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 Plumas filing at all — it goes directly to the banks. A cabin or other Plumas real property up to $69,625 can pass by the § 13200 affidavit (DE-305) filed by mail; a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 petition, with a remote appearance. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to travel to Quincy. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the Quincy courthouse. With no e-filing, file on paper by mail, request calendaring if needed, and appear remotely. 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 |
|---|---|
| Plumas Superior Court Self-Help (plumas.courts.ca.gov/self-help) — (530) 283-6232 | The court's self-help services; note the on-site Family Law Facilitator covers family law and guardianships, not decedent's-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 |
| Plumas County Law Library — 514 Jackson Street, Quincy (behind the courthouse) | Public law library with California practice guides and legal research materials, open to self-represented filers |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs |
When to hire an attorney
Most cooperative-family Plumas County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — can be completed without an attorney, and the court's remote-appearance options make that practical even for out-of-area families. 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 Plumas County real property, or tentative rulings keep flagging problems the family cannot resolve. Because Plumas has no probate facilitator, self-represented families lean on the statewide self-help guide and the law library. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Plumas 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, Plumas County real estate, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your estate settlement path, the only forms Plumas County requires, ready for signature and paper filing by mail.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Plumas 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 Plumas County?
At the Superior Court of California, County of Plumas, Clerk's Office in Room 104: in person at 520 Main Street, Quincy (Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM), or by mail to Plumas Superior Court, 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy, CA 95971. Filings are on paper — there is no e-filing.
Can I e-file probate documents in Plumas County?
No. Plumas Superior Court does not offer e-filing for any case type. Probate petitions must be filed on paper, in person or by mail, at the Room 104 clerk's window in Quincy.
How do I get my Plumas County probate matter set for a hearing?
If the clerk does not assign a hearing date when you file, use the county's Request to Place Matter on Calendar (local form PSC-MISC-010). The court does not automatically calendar every filing.
What are tentative rulings and how do they affect my Plumas County hearing?
The court posts tentative rulings online by department before the hearing. If you want to appear or argue against the tentative ruling, you must call the court at (530) 283-6232 by 3:00 PM the Thursday before the hearing; otherwise the tentative ruling may become the order.
Can I appear at a Plumas County probate hearing remotely?
Yes, under certain circumstances. Zoom and CourtCall (telephonic) appearances are permitted in probate. Request one using Judicial Council forms RA-010 and RA-015 (CRC 3.672, CCP § 367.75) and serve the other parties. Counsel are generally directed to CourtCall; self-represented parties may use Zoom. Note the county's PSC-RA-040 form is for traffic, criminal, and juvenile cases only, not probate.
Can I check my Plumas County probate case status online?
No. Plumas has no public online case portal. Case status, copies, and record searches are handled by the clerk — through the online Record Request eForm, in person, or by mail.
Does Plumas County have local probate forms?
No mandatory local probate forms. Plumas uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series. The only related local form is PSC-MISC-010 (Request to Place Matter on Calendar), which is procedural, not probate-specific.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Plumas County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a), Statewide Civil Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026). Plumas adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
Does the Plumas County court provide a court reporter for probate hearings?
No. The court does not provide an official court reporter for its probate calendars. If you need a verbatim record, you must arrange and pay for your own certified court reporter.
Do I have to travel to Quincy to settle an estate in Plumas County?
Often not. Petitions can be filed by mail, remote Zoom or CourtCall appearances are available, 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.