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Gulf County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Gulf County; probate is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller (James M. Terry, appointed February 2026), Probate Division |
| Courthouse | 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, Port St. Joe, FL 32456 (Eastern time) |
| Mailing address | Gulf County Clerk of Courts, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, Port St. Joe, FL 32456 (street address only; the Clerk publishes no post office box, and mail should not be sent to the Wewahitchka annex, which has no mail receptacle) |
| Phone | (850) 229-6112 or (850) 639-5068; extension 2306 reaches the probate line |
| Fax | (850) 229-1990 |
| [email protected] | |
| Office hours | Port St. Joe courthouse: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time. Wewahitchka annex office: Fridays only, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM Central time. Closed legal holidays |
| Filing fee | Set by statute under F.S. 28.2401: the Clerk's service charge is $395 for formal administration and $340 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more, plus a $4 additional charge on the petition. With the remaining mandatory statutory charges, the fee distribution schedule posted on the Clerk's fees page shows totals of $400 for formal administration, $345 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more, $235 for summary administration under $1,000, and $231 for disposition of personal property without administration (2024 schedule, verified July 2026). Confirm the current total with the Clerk before filing. |
| Local probate forms | None. The Clerk publishes no downloadable local probate forms, and Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set; probate filings are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney |
| E-filing | Through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers, who may also file on paper at the Clerk's counter |
| Online case search | Statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Gulf County (county 23); the public option allows anonymous searching, and attorneys of record and case parties can request a user id and password from the Clerk for fuller access |
| Remote appearance | The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit hears some proceedings by Zoom video conferencing; whether a remote appearance is available depends on the matter and the assigned judge, so confirm with the judge's office when a hearing is set |
| Website | https://www.gulfclerk.com |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Gulf County, know exactly what is in the estate. Which Florida path fits depends on whether there is a will and on the value and type of the assets: formal administration under F.S. Chapter 733, summary administration under F.S. 735.201 for a smaller estate, or disposition of personal property without administration under F.S. 735.301 for a limited class of estates with no real property. The dollar thresholds that separate these paths are statewide and are explained on the Florida state page; identify the estate first so you and your attorney file the right petition once.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of real property, along with every debt, before you go to the Clerk. Whether the decedent's Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, or beach-community home was homestead property matters, because Florida homestead often passes outside the probate estate and is not counted toward the summary-administration limit. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Circuit Court of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit serves Gulf County along with Bay, Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties. Within Gulf, the court covers the whole county, including Port St. Joe (the county seat), Wewahitchka, St. Joe Beach, Highland View, White City, and the surrounding rural and coastal communities. Gulf County probate matters are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller at the courthouse at 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, in Port St. Joe, and are heard by a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge.
Venue for a decedent's estate is governed by F.S. 733.101. Administration is proper first in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, then, if the decedent had no Florida domicile, in a county where the decedent's property is located, and, if the decedent had neither domicile nor property in Florida, in the county where any debtor of the decedent resides. In practice, file in Gulf County for a decedent who lived here. There is no separate probate department; probate is heard on the Circuit Court's general docket.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the documents. Collect the original signed will (if any), a certified copy of the death certificate, the proposed personal representative's contact information and photo ID, the names and addresses of the beneficiaries and other interested persons, and a list of the assets and debts with values.
- Choose the path based on the estate. Depending on whether there is a will and on the value and type of assets, the route may be formal administration (F.S. Chapter 733), summary administration (F.S. 735.201), or disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301). The governing thresholds are statewide and are on the Florida state page.
- Confirm whether an attorney is required. Under Fla. Prob. R. 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative remains the sole interested person (or is the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a Florida-licensed attorney. Because most administrations involve more than one interested person, most Gulf County estates are filed through counsel.
- Prepare the petition. For a formal or summary administration, prepare the petition and supporting documents under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530). Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set and Gulf County posts no local packet, so in most cases an attorney prepares and files the papers.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). A self-represented filer may register and e-file through the portal or file on paper at the Clerk's counter at 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, Port St. Joe, which runs on Eastern time.
- Pay the filing fee. The Clerk's service charge under F.S. 28.2401 is $395 for formal administration and $340 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more, plus a $4 additional charge on the petition; with the remaining mandatory statutory charges, the fee distribution schedule posted on the Clerk's fees page shows totals of $400 for formal administration and $345 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (2024 schedule, verified July 2026), so confirm the current total with the Clerk.
- Give notice and publish. The personal representative serves notice on interested persons and publishes a notice to creditors, which opens the creditor-claim period. A creditor must file its claim by the later of 3 months after first publication or 30 days after being served (F.S. 733.702), and in all events within 2 years of death (F.S. 733.710).
- Attend the hearing if one is set. The petition is presented to a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge. The circuit hears some proceedings by Zoom video conferencing, so ask the assigned judge's office whether your matter can be handled remotely.
- Receive the authority document. On appointment the court issues Letters of Administration, the proof of the personal representative's authority to act, in every case, whether or not there is a will. Request enough certified copies for the banks and institutions involved.
- Administer and close. Inventory the assets, pay valid claims in statutory priority, account to the interested persons, distribute the remaining assets, and close the estate.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Gulf County
Gulf County publishes no downloadable local probate forms of its own, and Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set: probate filings are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530), and Florida Courts Help states that it does not provide probate forms. The Clerk's Estates and Wills page notes that Probate Division staff can provide the petition for a disposition of personal property without administration and present it to the presiding probate judge, but the Clerk cannot give legal or procedural advice and posts no packet for opening a formal or summary administration. Because Fla. Prob. R. 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, most estates do not self-file a probate packet: the attorney prepares the petition and files it through the statewide portal. For questions about local intake, filing in person versus by mail, or what the Port St. Joe counter needs, call the Clerk of the Circuit Court at (850) 229-6112.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Gulf County Clerk of Courts, Estates and Wills (gulfclerk.com) | The Clerk's probate page, with an overview of estates, wills, and the disposition of personal property without administration, plus contact information |
| Florida Courts Help, probate (flcourts.gov) | The judiciary's probate self-help page; it explains that no statewide probate forms are provided and points to the Florida Probate Code and local resources |
| Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) | The statewide portal for filing probate documents; mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers |
| Gulf County Clerk of Courts, contact | The Clerk's courthouse location, mailing address, phone extensions, and hours for local intake questions |
Local nuance
Gulf County-specific considerations
Gulf County spans two time zones. Gulf is the only county in Florida split across two time zones: Port St. Joe and the coastal south are on Eastern time, while the northern county around Wewahitchka is on Central time. The courthouse and Clerk's main office in Port St. Joe run on Eastern time, so a filing deadline or a hearing time at the courthouse is Eastern, even if the estate or the family is in the Central-time part of the county. Confirm the time zone of any deadline or hearing before you rely on it.
The Wewahitchka annex is open Fridays only. The Clerk's main office is at 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, in Port St. Joe, open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time. The Clerk also operates an annex office in Wewahitchka, at 153 N 3rd Street, (850) 639-2175, open Fridays only, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM Central time. The Clerk asks that no mail be sent to the Wewahitchka annex, which has no mail receptacle. Probate is filed at the Port St. Joe courthouse; attorneys e-file through the statewide portal, and a self-represented filer may e-file or file on paper at the Port St. Joe counter.
Case search runs through the statewide CiviTek system. Gulf County does not run its own docket portal. Court records are searched through the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Gulf County (county 23), reached from the Clerk's record-search page. The public access option allows anonymous searching; attorneys of record and case parties can request a user id and password from the Clerk's office for fuller access to their cases. To confirm a filing, you can also call the Clerk's office directly.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | James M. Terry became Gulf County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, appointed by Governor DeSantis on February 13, 2026 and sworn in later that month. He fills the seat of Becky Norris, Clerk since 2005, who retired effective December 31, 2025. Filing procedures at the Clerk's office are otherwise unchanged. | flgov.com; gulfclerk.com; jud14.flcourts.org |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Gulf County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, or beach-community home was the decedent's homestead, Florida homestead protections usually let it pass to the surviving spouse outside the probate estate, often confirmed by a petition to determine homestead status filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. If other assets must be administered, the spouse (through counsel, unless she is the sole interested person under Fla. Prob. R. 5.030) files a summary or formal administration and is issued Letters of Administration. | Asset discovery to confirm how title is held and what else is in the estate. Packet generation for the qualifying paperwork. A vetted attorney referral where Fla. Prob. R. 5.030 requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | A smaller estate that meets the statewide threshold can proceed by summary administration under F.S. 735.201, which appoints no personal representative and ends in an order distributing the assets; a very limited estate with no real property may qualify for disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301). Both are filed with the Gulf County Clerk, and an out-of-state filer can work with Florida counsel through the statewide e-filing portal without repeated trips to Port St. Joe. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies and to locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the petition, prepared in advance so an out-of-state filer can proceed largely remotely. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Because the estate holds real property that must be sold, it generally proceeds through formal administration under F.S. Chapter 733: the parent, represented by counsel under Fla. Prob. R. 5.030, petitions the Clerk of the Circuit Court, is appointed personal representative, receives Letters of Administration, and can then sell the home and distribute the proceeds. The matter is heard by a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the formal administration filing. Attorney referral, and help if the sale or an heir dispute turns contested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Gulf County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, (850) 229-6112 (gulfclerk.com) | The filing office for probate; local intake questions, filing by mail or in person, hours, case search, and the Probate Division counter |
| Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida (jud14.flcourts.org) | Court administration for Gulf County, judicial assignments, administrative orders, and general information on video hearings |
| Florida Courts Help, probate (flcourts.gov/Courts-System/florida-courts-help/other-resources/probate) | The judiciary's probate self-help page, with plain-language information on the probate process |
| Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) | Registration and self-help for e-filing probate documents, the option available to self-represented filers |
| Legal Services of North Florida, Port St. Joe office, 20 Library Drive, and Panama City office, 211 East 11th Street, (850) 769-3581 (lsnf.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents; LSNF lists a Port St. Joe office serving Gulf County, and its Panama City office serves Bay, Gulf, Holmes, and Washington counties |
| The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service, (800) 342-8011 (floridabar.org) | Statewide referrals to Florida-licensed probate attorneys, plus the consumer pamphlet Probate in Florida |
When to hire an attorney
Florida makes counsel the norm in probate. Under Fla. Prob. R. 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative remains the sole interested person, or is the only beneficiary with no other interested persons, or is a Florida-licensed attorney. Because most Gulf County estates have more than one interested person, most formal and summary administrations here are handled through counsel, who also e-files through the statewide portal. Consider an attorney early when the estate holds real property that must be sold, when a will contest or heir dispute is likely, when the estate is insolvent or creditors are pressing, or when the estate includes a business interest or out-of-state property. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Florida probate attorney serving Gulf County and the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Gulf County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Florida path fits before you start estate settlement or file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the petition and supporting paperwork for your path, ready to file with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Port St. Joe through the statewide e-filing portal or on paper.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Fla. Prob. R. 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Florida probate attorney serving Gulf County and the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit.
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 for probate in Gulf County?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller at the Gulf County courthouse, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd., Room 148, Port St. Joe, FL 32456. Gulf County is in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit. Florida has no separate probate court; probate is a division of the Circuit Court.
Do I have to e-file probate in Gulf County?
Attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com. A self-represented filer may register and e-file through the same portal or file on paper at the Clerk's counter in Port St. Joe.
Do I need an attorney for probate in Gulf County?
Usually yes. Under Fla. Prob. R. 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person (or the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a Florida-licensed attorney. Because most estates have more than one interested person, most Gulf County administrations are handled through counsel.
What time zone does the Gulf County courthouse use?
Eastern time. Gulf is the only Florida county split across two time zones: Port St. Joe and the coastal south are on Eastern time, while the northern part of the county around Wewahitchka is on Central time. The courthouse and Clerk's main office are in Port St. Joe, so filing deadlines and hearing times at the courthouse run on Eastern time.
Can I appear remotely for a Gulf County probate hearing?
Sometimes. The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit hears some proceedings by Zoom video conferencing, and the link is included in the court notice or provided by the judge's judicial assistant. Whether a remote appearance is available depends on the matter and the assigned judge, so confirm the format with the judge's office when a hearing is set.
Can I look up a Gulf County probate case online?
Yes. Court records are searched through the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Gulf County (county 23), reached from the Clerk's record-search page. The public access option allows anonymous searching without registration; attorneys of record and case parties can request a user id and password from the Clerk for fuller access. To confirm a filing you can also call the Clerk of the Circuit Court at (850) 229-6112.
What forms do I need for probate in Gulf County?
Gulf County publishes no downloadable local probate forms, and Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set. Probate filings are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, and in most cases an attorney prepares the petition. The Clerk's staff can provide the petition for a disposition of personal property without administration but cannot give legal or procedural advice.
What does it cost to file probate in Gulf County?
The Clerk's service charge under F.S. 28.2401 is $395 for formal administration and $340 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more, plus a $4 additional charge on the petition. With the remaining mandatory statutory charges, the fee distribution schedule posted on the Clerk's fees page shows totals of $400 for formal administration, $345 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more, $235 for summary administration under $1,000, and $231 for disposition of personal property without administration (2024 schedule, verified July 2026). Confirm the current total with the Clerk at (850) 229-6112 before filing.
Do I have to travel to Port St. Joe to settle an estate there?
Not always. Attorneys and self-represented filers can file through the statewide e-filing portal, and papers can be filed by mail or in person at the Clerk's counter in Port St. Joe. Where a hearing is required, the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit uses video conferencing for some matters, so ask the assigned judge's office whether it can be held remotely.
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.