Back to California
Tehama County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Tehama |
| Courthouse | 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 |
| Mailing address | 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080 (no separate P.O. box) |
| Phone | (530) 527-6441 (Civil/Probate Clerk's Office) |
| Fax | (530) 527-0984 — faxed signatures accepted only through a fax filing agency; otherwise an original signature is required |
| Clerk's office hours | Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM |
| Probate department | Department 5; Civil and Probate law and motion heard Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Tehama County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None for a decedent's estate — the statewide Judicial Council DE-series is used |
| E-filing | Available through Odyssey eFileCA for all case types except adoptions, including probate (initial and subsequent filings); paper filing in person or by mail is also accepted |
| Online case search | Online Calendar/Hearings Portal shows the court's hearing calendars; no public document-search portal |
| Remote appearance | By WebEx into Department 5 (tehamasuperiorcourt.webex.com/meet/department5, or dial 1-844-992-4726, access code 965 106 803) |
| Website | https://www.tehama.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Tehama 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. Tehama hears probate on one law-and-motion calendar a week in Department 5, so a petition filed on the wrong path or with a defect simply gets continued to a later Tuesday.
Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage account, life insurance policy, and parcel of real property — including rural acreage, ranch, and orchard property common in Tehama 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 Tehama hears every probate matter in the county from its single courthouse at 1740 Walnut Street in Red Bluff, covering Red Bluff, Corning, Tehama, Los Molinos, Gerber, Rancho Tehama, Manton, and the rest of the county. Probate is filed here when the decedent was domiciled in Tehama County at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Tehama County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
All probate matters — decedents' estates, the succession petitions, spousal property petitions, conservatorships, guardianships, and trust matters — are heard in Department 5 on the Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar. There is no separate probate business office; probate is handled through the Civil Clerk's Office. Tehama does not run a probate examiner note system.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path (DE-111 Petition for Probate and its attachments). Tehama requires no local cover sheet for a decedent's estate.
- File the petition. Tehama accepts e-filing through Odyssey eFileCA (initial and subsequent probate filings) via an authorized e-Filing Service Provider, or you may file on paper in person or by mail at 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Tehama County surcharge). Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Complete notice: publish in a newspaper of general circulation in Tehama County and mail DE-121 notice to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing.
- The clerk sets the matter on the Department 5 Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar, heard Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m.
- Appear in person in Department 5 or remotely by WebEx (tehamasuperiorcourt.webex.com/meet/department5, or dial 1-844-992-4726, access code 965 106 803). Confirm the current link and code on the court's remote-appearance page before your hearing.
- Once appointed, 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 Tehama County
Tehama County has no local probate forms for a decedent's estate. 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's Forms & Filing page lists no mandatory local cover sheet for a decedent's estate; the few local forms it publishes are for family law and guardianship matters.
Guardianship petitions do combine Judicial Council forms with local forms available in the Civil Clerk's Office, but those are not part of settling a decedent's estate. Statewide DE-series forms are downloadable from the Judicial Council's forms website.
Timeline
- File the petition (by e-filing through Odyssey eFileCA or on paper) and complete the 15-day mailed notice and newspaper publication.
- The clerk sets the hearing on the next available Department 5 Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar consistent with the notice period — typically a few weeks out.
- Hearing to Letters (DE-150): same week for an uncontested petition; a defect pushes the matter to a later Tuesday calendar.
- Creditor claim period and Inventory and Appraisal deadline: 4 months from Letters (statewide).
- Petition for final distribution to final hearing: set on the same Department 5 Tuesday calendar after filing.
- Total for a cooperative-family IAEA probate: commonly under a year in Tehama County, driven mostly by the statutory 4-month creditor period.
Local nuance
Tehama County-specific considerations
One department, one weekly calendar. Probate is heard in Department 5 on the Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar. There is no separate probate business office or examiner counter — probate is processed through the Civil Clerk's Office and heard on that single weekly calendar.
E-filing is available. Unlike the smallest rural counties, Tehama accepts e-filing through Odyssey eFileCA for all case types except adoptions, including initial and subsequent probate filings, using an authorized e-Filing Service Provider. Paper filing in person or by mail remains available. Documents filed the same day as a hearing are not guaranteed timely delivery for judicial review.
Remote appearance by WebEx. Remote appearances on the Department 5 calendar are made by WebEx (tehamasuperiorcourt.webex.com/meet/department5) or by phone at 1-844-992-4726 with access code 965 106 803. Confirm the current link and code on the court's Civil, Family, and Probate Remote Appearance page for your hearing date.
Court investigator for conservatorships and guardianships only. Tehama's court investigator (Fredrica Ditty, (530) 529-6104) assists the court in conservatorship and guardianship cases and charges a fee for most investigations. A decedent's estate does not involve the court investigator.
Fax signatures require a filing agency. The clerk cannot accept a direct faxed filing with a fax signature; faxed signatures are accepted only through a fax filing agency, otherwise an original signature is required.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Probate is heard in Department 5 on the Tuesday 8:30 a.m. Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar | Tehama Superior Court court calendars and remote appearance page |
| 2026 | Court is live with Odyssey eFileCA for all case types except adoptions, including probate (initial and subsequent filings) | Tehama Superior Court E-File CA page |
| 2026 | Statewide civil fee schedule in effect; the probate first-paper fee is $435 and Tehama adds no county surcharge | Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a); statewide civil fee schedule |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Tehama County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition set on the Department 5 Tuesday probate calendar, appearing in person or by WebEx. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Tehama 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 Tehama filing at all. A primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition on the Department 5 calendar; the § 13200 affidavit (DE-305) covers Tehama real property up to $69,625 and is filed with the clerk. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so the child never has to travel to Red Bluff. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate in Department 5, filed by e-filing through Odyssey eFileCA or by mail. 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 |
|---|---|
| Tehama SHARP (Self-Help Assistance and Referral Program) — (530) 527-8649, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff; Mon, Thu, Fri 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM; sharpcourts.org | The court's self-help program; covers family law and guardianships. It does not assist with decedent's-estate probate, so estate filers rely on the statewide guide and law library below |
| Tehama County Law Library — 545 Diamond Avenue, Red Bluff, (530) 527-0604 | Legal research databases (CEB OnLaw, Lexis+, EBSCO), practice guides, printing, and a patron research computer for self-represented filers |
| 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 serving Tehama County |
When to hire an attorney
Most cooperative-family Tehama County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the court's e-filing and WebEx 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, or ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Tehama County real property. Because Tehama's SHARP self-help program does not cover decedent's estates, self-represented families lean on the statewide self-help guide and the county law library. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Tehama County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Tehama County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Tehama 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 forms Tehama County requires for a decedent's estate, ready for signature and filing by e-filing, in person, or by mail.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Tehama 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 Tehama County?
At the Superior Court of California, County of Tehama, 1740 Walnut Street, Red Bluff, CA 96080. You can e-file through Odyssey eFileCA or file on paper in person or by mail. Probate is heard in Department 5.
When are probate hearings held in Tehama County?
On the Department 5 Civil and Probate law-and-motion calendar, Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. The clerk sets your matter on the next available Tuesday consistent with the notice period.
Can I e-file probate documents in Tehama County?
Yes. Tehama is live with Odyssey eFileCA for all case types except adoptions, including initial and subsequent probate filings, through an authorized e-Filing Service Provider. Paper filing in person or by mail is also accepted. Documents filed the same day as a hearing are not guaranteed timely judicial review.
Can I appear at a Tehama County probate hearing remotely?
Yes, by WebEx into Department 5 (tehamasuperiorcourt.webex.com/meet/department5) or by phone at 1-844-992-4726 with access code 965 106 803. Confirm the current link and code on the court's Civil, Family, and Probate Remote Appearance page before your hearing.
Does Tehama County have local probate forms?
No. A decedent's estate in Tehama County uses only the statewide Judicial Council DE-series. There is no mandatory local cover sheet for a decedent's estate; the local forms the court publishes are for family law and guardianship matters.
Can I check my Tehama County probate case online?
The court's Online Calendar/Hearings Portal shows the court's hearing calendars, but Tehama has no public document-search portal. For case status and copies, contact the Civil Clerk's Office at (530) 527-6441.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Tehama County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a), statewide civil fee schedule). Tehama adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
Is there a probate self-help center in Tehama County?
Tehama's SHARP self-help program ((530) 527-8649) covers family law and guardianships but not decedent's-estate probate. Estate filers rely on the statewide probate self-help guide and the Tehama County Law Library at 545 Diamond Avenue in Red Bluff.
Do I have to travel to Red Bluff to settle an estate in Tehama County?
Often not. Petitions can be e-filed through Odyssey eFileCA or mailed, hearings can be attended by WebEx, 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.