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Riverside County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Riverside — Probate Division |
| Western Region courthouse | Riverside Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 — (951) 777-3147 |
| Mid-County Region courthouse | Southwest Justice Center, 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta, CA 92563 — (951) 777-3147 |
| Desert Region courthouse | Palm Springs Courthouse, 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 — (760) 393-2617 |
| Where to file | Fixed by the decedent's ZIP code under the court's Administrative Order — Where to File Probate Documents (effective December 23, 2024) |
| Probate departments | Departments 8, 11, and 12 (Riverside Historic Courthouse); PS3 (Palm Springs); S101 (Southwest Justice Center) |
| Clerk hours | Mon–Fri 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM; drop boxes until 4:00 PM; clerk phones answered only 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $450 — the statewide $435 fee (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) plus Riverside's local courthouse-construction surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70622); court fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Key mandatory local forms | RI-PR071 Certificate of Assignment (Probate) and RI-PR069 Riverside County Mandatory Attachment to Form DE-111, both required with every petition for probate |
| E-filing | No probate e-filing mandate — deliver electronically through the court's eSubmit portal ($2 per submission) or file on paper in person, by drop box, or by mail |
| Probate examiner notes | Posted about 10 court days before the hearing, finalized 3 court days before (Local Rule 7106); viewable through the court's Public Portal and calendars page |
| Initial hearing | Set within 30–45 days of filing per the court's own Petition for Probate packet |
| Online case search | ePublic Access Public Portal — epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov |
| Remote appearance | Zoom, per department, under Local Rule 7010 — no written request required for non-evidentiary hearings; rule in effect until January 1, 2027 |
| Website | https://www.riverside.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Riverside 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, and in Riverside the petition itself must disclose more than most counties require: the mandatory RI-PR069 attachment makes you list the address of every parcel of real property the estate owns (Local Rule 7132) and attach a redacted copy of the death certificate (Local Rule 7200).
A petition filed before the family understands the estate draws probate examiner notes, and uncleared deficiencies mean continuances of at least four weeks — after two continuances the court can deny the petition or take it off calendar (Local Rule 7109). Identify every bank account, retirement plan, insurance policy, business interest, and parcel of real property, 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 Riverside hears probate at three courthouses, and venue inside the county is not a choice: the court's Administrative Order — Where to File Probate Documents (effective December 23, 2024) assigns every probate filing to a region by the ZIP code the case arises from. The Western Region files at the Riverside Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main Street, Riverside (covering the city of Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Banning, among others). The Mid-County Region files at the Southwest Justice Center, 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta (covering Temecula, Murrieta, Hemet, and San Jacinto). The Desert Region files at the Palm Springs Courthouse, 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way (covering Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio, the Coachella Valley, and Blythe).
Probate is filed in Riverside County when the decedent was domiciled in the county at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Riverside County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration). Decedents' estates are heard in Departments 8, 11, and 12 at the Riverside Historic Courthouse, Department PS3 in Palm Springs, and Department S101 at the Southwest Justice Center. A probate examiner system reviews every calendared matter and publishes notes before the hearing.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path, plus Riverside's two mandatory local forms: the RI-PR071 Certificate of Assignment (Probate), required with the first paper in every Probate Code proceeding (Local Rule 7101), and the RI-PR069 Riverside County Mandatory Attachment to Form DE-111, which requires a redacted copy of the death certificate (Local Rule 7200) and the address of all estate real property (Local Rule 7132).
- If there is a will, lodge the original with the clerk within 30 days of death using local form RI-PR043 Receipt for Will, or file it with the petition.
- File at the courthouse the decedent's ZIP code is assigned to — Riverside Historic Courthouse (Western Region), Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta (Mid-County Region), or Palm Springs Courthouse (Desert Region) — in person or by drop box until 4:00 PM, by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope, or electronically through the court's eSubmit portal (PDFs, up to 15 documents, $2 per submission; documents received by 11:59 PM on a court day are deemed filed that day).
- Pay the $450 filing fee — the statewide $435 first-paper fee plus Riverside's courthouse-construction surcharge — or apply for a fee waiver (FW-001).
- Complete notice: mail DE-121 notice to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing, and publish the Notice of Petition to Administer Estate three times, with the first publication at least 15 days before the hearing, in a court-approved newspaper circulating where the decedent lived (Cal. Prob. Code § 8121; the court publishes its approved-newspapers list).
- The clerk sets the hearing — within 30 to 45 days of filing per the court's own Petition for Probate packet. Check the probate notes through the court's Public Portal about 10 court days before the hearing; clear any deficiency with local form RI-PR083 Supplement filed at least 4 court days before the hearing (Local Rules 7101, 7106).
- Attend the hearing in your assigned department. Uncontested, deficiency-free matters may be heard by Zoom without any written request (Local Rule 7010) — and if the examiner recommends the matter for approval, the court may excuse your appearance entirely. Enroll in the court's eNotify service on the morning of the hearing to get a text when the court is ready for your matter.
- 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 Riverside exactly as described on the California page. Riverside adds these local obligations:
| Riverside-specific duty | Requirement |
|---|---|
| File the RI-PR071 Certificate of Assignment (Probate) | With the first paper in every Probate Code proceeding (Local Rule 7101) |
| File the RI-PR069 Mandatory Attachment to Form DE-111 | With every petition for probate; includes a redacted death certificate (Local Rule 7200) and the addresses of all estate real property (Local Rule 7132) |
| Lodge the original will with local form RI-PR043 Receipt for Will | Within 30 days of death (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200) |
| Monitor the probate notes for every hearing | Notes post about 10 court days before the hearing and are finalized 3 court days before (Local Rule 7106) |
| File supplements clearing examiner deficiencies (RI-PR083) | At least 4 court days before the hearing; matters continued twice may be denied or ordered off calendar (Local Rules 7101, 7109) |
| Lodge original financial documents under cover of RI-PR060 | Original account statements supporting an Inventory and Appraisal or accounting are lodged separately, loosely bound, with a return envelope (Local Rule 7112) |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Riverside County
Riverside uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series plus mandatory local RI-PR forms. The most important local forms for a decedent's estate:
| Form | Name | When required |
|---|---|---|
| RI-PR071 | Certificate of Assignment (Probate) | With the first paper in every proceeding under the Probate Code (Local Rule 7101) — it drives assignment to the correct regional courthouse |
| RI-PR069 | Riverside County Mandatory Attachment to Form DE-111 | With every petition for probate; attaches a redacted death certificate and lists all estate real property |
| RI-PR043 | Receipt for Will | When lodging the decedent's original will with the clerk within 30 days of death |
| RI-PR083 | Supplement | To clear probate-note deficiencies; file at least 4 court days before the hearing |
| RI-PR060 | Financial Document(s) Cover Sheet | Cover for original financial documents lodged in support of an Inventory and Appraisal or accounting (Local Rule 7112) |
| RI-PR058 | Trust Documents Cover Sheet — Confidential | When lodging trust instruments as confidential documents |
| RI-PR008 | Overbid Form | For overbids at court confirmation of real property sales |
Local forms are downloadable from the court's Local Forms page at riverside.courts.ca.gov. The statewide 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) applies in addition.
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for probate (first paper) | $450 | Riverside Superior Court Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026; Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5–70602.6 plus the local courthouse-construction surcharge authorized by Cal. Gov. Code § 70622. Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco are the only California counties above the statewide $435 |
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property | $450 | Same first-paper fee with the local surcharge (Cal. Prob. Code § 13151 petitions; Cal. Gov. Code § 70655) |
| Petitions filed after Letters issue (e.g., instructions, fiduciary approval) | $435 | Cal. Gov. Code § 70658(a) — the surcharge does not apply to these subsequent petitions |
| eSubmit transmission fee | $2 per submission | Up to 15 documents and one case per submission (CCP § 1010.6(d)(2)) |
| Fee waiver | No cost to apply | Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003 |
Timeline
- File the petition with RI-PR071 and RI-PR069; the clerk sets the initial hearing within 30–45 days of filing (per the court's own Petition for Probate packet).
- Complete the 15-day mailed notice and the three-run newspaper publication, first publication at least 15 days before the hearing (Cal. Prob. Code § 8121).
- Probate notes post about 10 court days before the hearing and are finalized 3 court days before (Local Rule 7106); file any clearing supplement (RI-PR083) at least 4 court days before the hearing.
- A matter not ready at the call of the calendar is continued at least 4 weeks; after two continuances it may be denied or ordered off calendar (Local Rule 7109).
- Hearing to Letters (DE-150): same day to about a week for a petition with cleared notes.
- Creditor claim period and Inventory and Appraisal deadline: 4 months from Letters (statewide).
- Total for a cooperative-family IAEA administration: commonly around a year, driven mostly by the statutory 4-month creditor period and the probate-notes cycle on the closing petition.
Local nuance
Riverside County-specific considerations
Venue by ZIP code. Since December 23, 2024, a standing administrative order assigns every probate filing to one of three regional courthouses by the ZIP code the case arises from — Riverside Historic Courthouse (Western), Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta (Mid-County), and Palm Springs Courthouse (Desert). File in the wrong region and the case will be routed under the order; the RI-PR071 Certificate of Assignment exists to enforce it. All later filings in the case go to the same courthouse.
The Temecula era is over. Probate hearings formerly held in Department T1 at the Temecula courthouse moved to Department S101 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta effective January 6, 2025. Older references to filing probate in Temecula are out of date.
A $450 filing fee. Riverside is one of only three California counties (with San Bernardino and San Francisco) whose probate first-paper fee exceeds the statewide $435, because of a local courthouse-construction surcharge under Cal. Gov. Code § 70622. Budget $450 for the petition and another $450 for the final distribution petition.
Probate notes run the calendar. The examiner reviews the calendar about 10 court days out and finalizes notes 3 court days before the hearing (Local Rule 7106). Matters recommended for approval can be granted without any appearance; matters with uncleared deficiencies are continued at least 4 weeks, and two continuances can end the petition (Local Rule 7109). Questions go to [email protected] — the clerk's office is not authorized to discuss probate notes.
No probate e-filing mandate. Riverside's mandatory civil e-filing (Local Rule 3118) does not extend to probate. Probate papers are filed on paper — in person, drop box, or mail — or delivered electronically through the court's eSubmit portal for $2 per submission, with electronic submissions accepted until 11:59 PM on the filing day.
Phones close at 2:00 PM. Clerk's-office phone lines, including the probate line (951) 777-3147, are answered only 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM, and the court disabled its probate web-assistance email on May 19, 2025. After 2:00 PM, use the court's web chat, or handle filings at the counter or drop box until 4:00 PM.
Zoom by rule, eNotify by text. Local Rule 7010 (in effect until January 1, 2027) lets attorneys and self-represented parties appear by Zoom at any non-evidentiary probate hearing with no written request — just informal notice to the other parties. Each department publishes a standing Zoom meeting number. On the morning of the hearing, the eNotify service texts you when the court is ready for your matter.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | Local Rule 7109 (continuances) amended: matters not ready at the calendar call are continued at least 4 weeks; two continuances may end in denial or off-calendar | Riverside Superior Court Local Rules, Title 7 |
| January 1, 2026 | Court fee schedule reissued; the probate first-paper fee is $450 with the local courthouse-construction surcharge | Riverside Superior Court Fee Schedule (eff. 1/1/2026) |
| July 1, 2025 | Local Rule 7010 (remote appearance at non-evidentiary probate hearings) reamended and extended through January 1, 2027 | Riverside Superior Court Local Rules, Title 7 |
| May 19, 2025 | The probate web-assistance email was disabled; contact runs through (951) 777-3147 or the court's web chat | riverside.courts.ca.gov probate division page |
| January 6, 2025 | All probate hearings formerly in Department T1 (Temecula) moved to Department S101 at the Southwest Justice Center, Murrieta | Remote Appearance Information for Probate (riverside.courts.ca.gov) |
| December 23, 2024 | Administrative Order — Where to File Probate Documents took effect, assigning probate filings to the Riverside, Murrieta, and Palm Springs courthouses by ZIP code | Administrative Order signed December 13, 2024 (riverside.courts.ca.gov) |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Riverside County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed at the regional courthouse for the decedent's ZIP code, with the RI-PR071 certificate of assignment. The hearing is typically heard by Zoom under Local Rule 7010. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder to complete the title transfer. | Asset discovery to confirm community vs. separate property. Packet generation for DE-221, DE-226, MC-025, and RI-PR071. 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 Riverside filing at all. Real property up to $69,625 can pass by the § 13200 affidavit; a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition ($450 filing fee), filed by mail or eSubmit and heard by Zoom. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to travel to Riverside, Murrieta, or Palm Springs. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the regional courthouse for the child's ZIP code, with DE-111 requesting full authority plus RI-PR069 and RI-PR071. Clear the probate notes before the hearing (RI-PR083 at least 4 court days prior). The personal representative sells the home under IAEA with a Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165); a court-confirmed sale instead uses Riverside's RI-PR008 overbid procedure. | Asset discovery for the child's assets. Packet generation for DE-111, RI-PR069, RI-PR071, IAEA and bond waivers. Help responding to probate examiner notes. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Riverside Superior Court Self-Help Centers | Probate self-help assistance by appointment and workshop, with decedent's-estate form packets, at the Riverside Self-Help Center (3535 10th Street, 2nd Floor), the Southwest Justice Center (Murrieta), the Banning Justice Center, and the Larson Justice Center (Indio); open 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Court probate self-help packets (riverside.courts.ca.gov) | The court's own step-by-step Petition for Probate, succession, spousal-petition, and small-estate packets, plus the approved-newspapers list for publication and a post-appointment flowchart |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| Riverside County Law Library | Practice guides, sample forms, and research help at 3989 Lemon Street, Riverside (951-368-0368), with branches in Indio and Temecula |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving Riverside County |
When to hire an attorney
Many cooperative-family Riverside County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, supported by the court's probate self-help packets and Zoom-default hearings. 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 Riverside County real property, or probate notes keep recurring and the family cannot clear them — in Riverside, two continuances can end the petition. The Riverside County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at (951) 682-7520. Sunset can connect families to a vetted probate attorney serving Riverside County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. As part of estate settlement, Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Riverside County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, real estate (with community-property characterization), business interests, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the full Riverside filing packet: the Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path plus the mandatory RI-PR071 certificate of assignment and RI-PR069 attachment, routed to the correct regional courthouse for the decedent's ZIP code.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney serving Riverside 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 Riverside County?
At the regional courthouse assigned to the decedent's ZIP code under the court's standing administrative order: the Riverside Historic Courthouse, 4050 Main Street, Riverside (Western Region — including Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, Perris, and Banning); the Southwest Justice Center, 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta (Mid-County — including Temecula, Murrieta, Hemet, and San Jacinto); or the Palm Springs Courthouse, 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way (Desert — including Palm Springs, Indio, the Coachella Valley, and Blythe).
How much does it cost to file for probate in Riverside County?
$450 for the petition for probate — the statewide $435 fee (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) plus Riverside's local courthouse-construction surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70622), per the court's fee schedule effective January 1, 2026. Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco are the only California counties above $435. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council form FW-001.
Can I e-file probate documents in Riverside County?
There is no e-filing mandate for probate — Riverside's mandatory civil e-filing rule does not cover probate cases. You can deliver probate documents electronically through the court's eSubmit portal (non-editable PDFs, up to 15 documents per submission, $2 fee; received by 11:59 PM on a court day means filed that day) or file on paper in person, by drop box until 4:00 PM, or by mail.
How long until the first probate hearing in Riverside County?
The court's own Petition for Probate packet states the hearing will be set within 30 to 45 days of filing. Deficiencies flagged in the probate notes can push the effective date out: uncleared matters are continued at least 4 weeks, and after two continuances the petition may be denied or ordered off calendar (Local Rule 7109).
How do I check probate notes in Riverside County?
Probate notes post about 10 court days before the hearing and are finalized 3 court days before (Local Rule 7106). View them through the court's ePublic Access Public Portal (epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov) or the online court calendars page. Fix any deficiency by filing a Supplement (local form RI-PR083) at least 4 court days before the hearing. Questions go to [email protected] — email is checked daily.
Can I appear at a Riverside County probate hearing by Zoom?
Yes. Under Local Rule 7010 (in effect until January 1, 2027), attorneys and self-represented parties may appear by Zoom at any non-evidentiary probate hearing with no written request — just tell the other parties informally beforehand. Each probate department (8, 11, and 12 in Riverside; PS3 in Palm Springs; S101 in Murrieta) has a standing Zoom meeting number. Evidentiary matters — elder-abuse restraining orders, temporary conservatorships and guardianships, and reports of sale — require in-person appearance.
Does Riverside County have local probate forms?
Yes. Two are mandatory with every petition for probate: RI-PR071 Certificate of Assignment (Probate) and RI-PR069 Riverside County Mandatory Attachment to Form DE-111, which requires a redacted death certificate and the addresses of all estate real property. Others include RI-PR043 (Receipt for Will), RI-PR083 (Supplement, for clearing probate notes), RI-PR060 (Financial Documents Cover Sheet), and RI-PR008 (real-property overbid form).
How do I look up a Riverside County probate case online?
Use the court's ePublic Access Public Portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov to search cases, view the register of actions, and check probate notes. For status questions, the clerk answers (951) 777-3147 from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, and the court's web chat is available on its website — the probate email address was retired in May 2025.
How do I ask for a continuance of a Riverside probate hearing?
For an uncontested petition, email [email protected] at least 4 court days before the hearing, confirming you have notified everyone entitled to notice. The court rules on the request at the hearing (Local Rule 7109). Email requests are not accepted for contested matters or orders to show cause.
Do I have to travel to Riverside to settle an estate in Riverside County?
Usually not. Petitions can be filed by mail or through eSubmit, non-evidentiary hearings are heard by Zoom under Local Rule 7010, matters recommended for approval in the probate notes can be granted without any appearance, 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.