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San Bernardino County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino — Probate Division |
| Probate courthouses | Fontana District, 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335 (valley, mountain, and Morongo Basin ZIP codes) and Victorville District, 14455 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392 (High Desert ZIP codes), per General Order GO26-032 |
| Limited Needles calendar | Needles Courthouse, 1111 Bailey Avenue, Needles, CA 92363 — guardianships, small-value real property affidavits, succession and spousal property petitions, and fact-of-death petitions for the river communities only |
| Mailing address | Mail filings to the courthouse assigned to the decedent's ZIP code (Fontana or Victorville addresses above) |
| Probate phone | (909) 521-3388 — one probate, conservatorship, and guardianship line for the whole county |
| Probate examiner email | [email protected] (questions about a posted Probate Note; Local Rule 20-102) |
| Clerk's office hours | Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — includes San Bernardino's $35 courthouse-construction surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70624), which is offset against the state construction-fund distribution, so the total matches the statewide fee (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | Yes — optional Confidential Information Sheets (13-20593-360 intestate, 13-20594-360 testate) and several other local forms; none is mandatory for a standard decedent's-estate petition |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys since June 16, 2025 (Local Rule 1810.B) via an Odyssey eFileCA provider; voluntary for self-represented filers. Original wills, codicils, certified death certificates, and bonds are paper-only |
| Online case search | Court Access Portal (CAP) at cap.sb-court.org — case records and Probate Notes |
| Probate Notes | Posted to CAP about 2 weeks before the hearing; available until 7 days after (Local Rule 20-102) |
| Remote appearance | Zoom links published per department on the court's Civil and Probate Courtroom Zoom Links page; check in 15 minutes early; no remote appearance for evidentiary hearings or trials |
| Website | https://sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the San Bernardino probate 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 San Bernardino's probate examiners screen every petition. A petition filed before the family understands the estate draws deficiency notes on the Court Access Portal, and the local continuance rule pushes unready matters at least four weeks out (Local Rule 20-616).
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage account, life insurance policy, and parcel of real property — from Chino Hills to Needles — 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 San Bernardino assigns probate cases by the decedent's ZIP code under General Order GO26-032, effective January 1, 2026. The Fontana courthouse (17780 Arrow Boulevard) serves the valley and mountain communities — San Bernardino, Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino and Chino Hills, Upland, Rialto, Colton, Redlands, Highland, Loma Linda, Yucaipa, Grand Terrace, Montclair, Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, and Running Springs — and, less intuitively, the Morongo Basin: Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, and Landers. The Victorville courthouse (14455 Civic Drive) serves the High Desert: Victorville, Hesperia, Apple Valley, Adelanto, Phelan, Wrightwood, Barstow, Big Bear City and Big Bear Lake, Lucerne Valley, Fort Irwin, Trona, and Baker.
The Needles courthouse (1111 Bailey Avenue) hears only guardianships, Affidavits re Real Property of Small Value, Petitions to Determine Succession to Real Property, Spousal or Domestic Partner Property Petitions, and fact-of-death or fact-of-marriage petitions for the Colorado River communities (Needles, Havasu Lake, Big River, Earp, Parker Dam, Vidal, Essex, Cima, and Nipton); all other probate matters for those areas — including full decedents' estates — are filed and heard in Victorville. Venue lies in San Bernardino County when the decedent was domiciled here at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned county real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration). The court runs a probate examiner system: examiners review every petition and publish Probate Notes before the hearing (Local Rule 20-102).
The jurisdiction process
- Find your courthouse. General Order GO26-032 assigns probate by the decedent's ZIP code: valley, mountain, and Morongo Basin ZIP codes file at the Fontana courthouse, 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335; High Desert ZIP codes file at the Victorville courthouse, 14455 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392.
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path. Attach a copy of the decedent's death certificate with the Social Security number redacted — required with every Petition for Probate, succession petition, and spousal property petition (Local Rule 20-615). The county's Confidential Information Sheet (13-20593-360 for intestate, 13-20594-360 for testate estates) is optional.
- File the petition. Attorneys must e-file through an Odyssey eFileCA service provider (mandatory since June 16, 2025; Local Rule 1810.B); self-represented filers may e-file voluntarily or file on paper in person or by mail at the assigned courthouse (clerk hours Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM). Original wills and codicils, certified death certificates, surety bonds, and DE-305 small-value real property affidavits cannot be e-filed.
- Pay the $435 filing fee. The total already reflects San Bernardino's $35 courthouse-construction surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70624); fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Complete notice: publish in a newspaper of general circulation and mail notice of the hearing to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing (DE-121). If an heir cannot be located, use local form 13-10840-360, Declaration of Diligent Search and Request to Dispense with Notice.
- Check the Probate Notes on the Court Access Portal (cap.sb-court.org) about two weeks before the hearing — search by case number, open the Documents tab, and download the notes. Email [email protected] with questions, and clear any deficiencies before the hearing; unready matters are continued at least four weeks (Local Rules 20-102, 20-616).
- Attend the hearing — or skip it. If the examiners recommend a decedent's-estate petition for approval, the petitioner may elect not to appear, and non-appearance is deemed submission on the recommendation (Local Rule 20-102(c)). To appear remotely, use the department's Zoom link from the court's Civil and Probate Courtroom Zoom Links page and check in 15 minutes early.
- Receive Letters (DE-150) after the judge admits the will and appoints the personal representative. Requests to waive bond must include the solvency-and-creditors declaration required by Local Rule 20-401 (local form 13-16779-360 covers it).
- 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 — San Bernardino publishes its own optional Petition for Final Distribution form (13-19620-360, rev. July 1, 2026).
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 San Bernardino exactly as described on the California page. San Bernardino adds these local obligations:
| San Bernardino-specific duty | Timing |
|---|---|
| File a copy of the death certificate (Social Security number redacted) with the petition | With every Petition for Probate, succession petition, and spousal property petition (Local Rule 20-615) |
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel (originals excepted) | Throughout the case (mandatory since June 16, 2025; Local Rule 1810.B) |
| Lodge original wills, codicils, certified death certificates, and surety bonds on paper | They are on the court's probate e-filing ineligible list |
| Monitor the Probate Notes on the Court Access Portal | Notes post about 2 weeks before each hearing and stay up 7 days after (Local Rule 20-102) |
| Support any bond-waiver request with the Rule 20-401 declaration (form 13-16779-360) | With the petition requesting waiver |
| Tell the department's judicial assistant if you will not proceed on a set date | By 4:30 PM two court days before the hearing; unready matters are continued at least 4 weeks (Local Rule 20-616) |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series plus a set of local forms. Unusually for a county this size, no local form is mandatory for a standard decedent's-estate petition — the Confidential Information Sheets are marked optional on the forms themselves. The local forms most relevant to a decedent's estate:
| Form | Name | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 13-20593-360 | Confidential Information Sheet — Intestate Probate | Optional (rev. 09/2020); lists the heirs confidentially when there is no will |
| 13-20594-360 | Confidential Information Sheet — Testate Probate | Optional (rev. 09/2020); the companion sheet when there is a will |
| 13-10840-360 | Declaration of Diligent Search and Request to Dispense with Notice | Mandatory when asking the court to excuse notice to an heir who cannot be located (rev. 01/01/25) |
| 13-16779-360 | Declaration in Support of Request for Bond Waiver | Optional form; the Local Rule 20-401 declaration contents are required with every bond-waiver request (rev. 01/01/25) |
| SB-13100 | Affidavit to Comply with California Probate Code §§ 13100–13115 | Optional local version of the small-estate collection affidavit (rev. 05/01/14) |
| 13-19620-360 | Petition for Final Distribution; Accounting; Report of Administrator | Optional (rev. 07/01/26) |
| 13-20595-360 | Confidential Information Sheet — Trust Matters | Optional (rev. 09/2020); for trust petitions |
All local forms are downloadable from the court's Local Forms page at sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov. The statewide DE-series applies in addition.
Fees
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for probate (first-filed petition for letters) | $435 | Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5, 70602.6; total includes San Bernardino's $35 courthouse-construction surcharge under Gov. Code § 70624, offset against the state construction-fund distribution — so the county surcharge does not raise the headline fee (court-posted Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, eff. 1/1/2025, rev. 3/7/2025) |
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property | $435 | Same first-paper fee (Cal. Gov. Code § 70655(c)(2); Cal. Prob. Code § 13151 petitions) |
| Petition for special letters of administration without powers of a general personal representative | $200 | Cal. Gov. Code § 70657.5(a)(3) |
| E-filing service-provider fee | Varies by provider | Charged by the Odyssey eFileCA service provider, not the court |
Local nuance
San Bernardino County-specific considerations
Probate left downtown. The probate clerk's office moved out of the San Bernardino Justice Center on February 13, 2024. Do not file a probate petition at 247 West Third Street — decedents' estates are filed and heard only in Fontana and Victorville (plus the limited Needles calendar), even though older directories still point downtown.
Your ZIP code picks the courthouse. General Order GO26-032 (effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027) assigns every probate case by the decedent's ZIP code. The split is not intuitive: the Morongo Basin (Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley) files at Fontana, while Big Bear files at Victorville.
Probate Notes, and a hearing you may skip. Examiners post Probate Notes to the Court Access Portal about two weeks before the hearing. When a decedent's-estate petition is recommended for approval, the petitioner may elect not to appear — non-appearance is deemed submission on the recommendation (Local Rule 20-102(c)). Guardianship and conservatorship appointments always require an appearance.
A four-week continuance floor. A matter not ready at the call of the calendar is continued at least four weeks, and a matter continued twice for unreadiness can be ordered off calendar or denied (Local Rule 20-616). Clearing examiner notes before the hearing is the difference between a one-hearing probate and a multi-month one.
Death certificate with every petition. Local Rule 20-615 requires a copy of the decedent's death certificate, Social Security number redacted, with every Petition for Probate, succession petition, spousal property petition, and trust petition — and a marriage certificate with every spousal property petition. Certified death certificates themselves cannot be e-filed.
One probate phone line. A single number, (909) 521-3388, answers probate, conservatorship, and guardianship questions for the entire county, whichever courthouse holds your case.
Small-estate Alternatives
The statewide small-estate paths apply in San Bernardino with no local dollar changes, and the § 13100 affidavit for personal property goes directly to banks and asset holders without any court filing. Two local wrinkles: the court publishes its own optional affidavit form, SB-13100 (Affidavit to Comply with California Probate Code §§ 13100–13115), and the Affidavit re Real Property of Small Value (DE-305) is on the probate e-filing ineligible list — file it on paper, in person or by mail, at the courthouse assigned to the decedent's ZIP code (or at Needles for the river communities).
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | Local probate forms revised, including the optional Petition for Final Distribution; Accounting; Report of Administrator (13-19620-360) | sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov Local Forms page |
| January 1, 2026 | General Order GO26-032, Where Probate Cases are Filed and Heard, reissued the ZIP-code courthouse assignments (Fontana, Victorville, and the limited Needles calendar), effective through December 31, 2027 | GO26-032, Presiding Judge Rod Cortez |
| June 16, 2025 | E-filing and e-service became mandatory for attorneys in probate case types (voluntary for self-represented filers) | SBSC probate e-filing requirements; Local Rule 1810.B |
| February 13, 2024 | The probate clerk's office and all probate in-person services at the San Bernardino Justice Center permanently relocated to the Fontana District | SBSC news release |
| November 15, 2022 | Probate Notes moved to the Court Access Portal (cap.sb-court.org) for all hearings on or after this date | SBSC How to Access Probate Notes |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in San Bernardino County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition at the Fontana or Victorville courthouse (by ZIP code), filed with a copy of the death certificate and the marriage certificate (Local Rule 20-615). Check the Probate Notes on CAP before the hearing; the court signs DE-226, which is recorded with the San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino filing at all, and the court's optional SB-13100 form is available. County real property up to $69,625 uses the § 13200 affidavit (DE-305), filed on paper; a primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition, heard at the courthouse assigned to the decedent's ZIP code with a Zoom appearance available. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so nobody has to fly to California. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate at the Fontana or Victorville courthouse with DE-111 requesting full authority and a redacted death certificate attached. Clear the Probate Notes before the hearing — if the petition is recommended for approval, no appearance is needed. The personal representative sells 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 and the Rule 20-401 bond-waiver declaration. Help clearing examiner notes. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| SBSC Probate Division pages (sanbernardino.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate) | Local forms, the GO26-032 filing-location order, Probate Notes instructions, and e-filing requirements |
| SBSC Self-Help Resource Center | The court's self-help staff cover family law, child support, civil harassment, landlord/tenant, and small claims — not decedents' estates; estate filers rely on the statewide guide and the probate pages |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| Law Library for San Bernardino County (sblawlibrary.org) | Practice guides and research help at 402 North D Street, San Bernardino, with a High Desert branch in Victorville |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving San Bernardino County |
When to hire an attorney
Most cooperative-family San Bernardino probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — can be completed without an attorney, and the recommended-for-approval rule means a clean petition may never require a court appearance at all. 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 county real property, or examiner notes recur and the family cannot clear them — the court's self-help center does not assist with decedents' estates. Sunset can connect families to a vetted probate attorney serving San Bernardino County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. For estate settlement, Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and San Bernardino County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, real estate (with community-property characterization), and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the full San Bernardino filing packet: the Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path, the redacted death certificate attachment Local Rule 20-615 requires, and the county's optional confidential information sheet, routed to the Fontana or Victorville courthouse your ZIP code requires.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney serving San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County?
At the courthouse General Order GO26-032 assigns to the decedent's ZIP code: the Fontana District, 17780 Arrow Boulevard, Fontana, CA 92335, for the valley, mountain, and Morongo Basin communities, or the Victorville District, 14455 Civic Drive, Victorville, CA 92392, for the High Desert. Clerk hours are Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, and the probate line for the whole county is (909) 521-3388.
Can I file probate at the San Bernardino Justice Center downtown?
No. The probate clerk's office left the San Bernardino Justice Center on February 13, 2024. Probate petitions filed downtown will not be accepted there — file at Fontana or Victorville according to the decedent's ZIP code.
Do I have to e-file probate documents in San Bernardino County?
Attorneys must e-file (mandatory since June 16, 2025, under Local Rule 1810.B) through an Odyssey eFileCA service provider. Self-represented filers may e-file voluntarily or file on paper in person or by mail. Original wills and codicils, certified death certificates, surety bonds, and DE-305 small-value real property affidavits are always filed on paper.
What are Probate Notes in San Bernardino and how do I check them?
Probate examiners review every petition and post their notes to the Court Access Portal at cap.sb-court.org about two weeks before the hearing — search by case number, open the Documents tab, and download the notes; they stay up until 7 days after the hearing. Questions about a note go to [email protected] (Local Rule 20-102).
Do I have to attend my San Bernardino probate hearing?
Not always. If the Probate Notes recommend a decedent's-estate petition for approval, the petitioner may elect not to appear, and non-appearance is deemed submission on that recommendation (Local Rule 20-102(c)). Appearances are always required for guardianship and conservatorship appointments.
Can I appear at a San Bernardino probate hearing by Zoom?
Yes. The court publishes per-department Zoom links on its Civil and Probate Courtroom Zoom Links page — Victorville probate sits in Department V15, and the Fontana civil/probate departments publish links the same way. Check in 15 minutes before the hearing; evidentiary hearings and trials cannot be attended remotely.
How do I look up a San Bernardino probate case online?
Use the Court Access Portal (CAP) at cap.sb-court.org. You can search by case number without registering; probate case numbers start with letters followed by numbers (for example, PROPS2200279).
Does San Bernardino County require local probate forms?
No local form is mandatory for a standard petition. The county's Confidential Information Sheets — 13-20593-360 for intestate and 13-20594-360 for testate estates — are marked optional on the forms themselves. The one commonly mandatory local form, 13-10840-360, applies only when you ask the court to dispense with notice to an heir you cannot locate after diligent search.
How much does it cost to file for probate in San Bernardino County?
$435 for the first petition. San Bernardino is one of three California counties with a local courthouse-construction surcharge ($35 under Cal. Gov. Code § 70624), but the surcharge is offset against the state construction-fund distribution, so the total still comes to the statewide $435 (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)). Fee waivers are available on forms FW-001/FW-003.
I live near Needles — do I have to drive to Victorville for probate?
For some matters, no: the Needles courthouse (1111 Bailey Avenue) hears guardianships, small-value real property affidavits, succession petitions, spousal property petitions, and fact-of-death petitions for the river communities. A full decedent's-estate probate for those areas is filed and heard in Victorville — though filing can be done by mail or e-filing, and hearings by Zoom.
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.