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Hillsborough County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County (Probate, Guardianship, Mental Health and Trust Division) |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller (Victor D. Crist), Probate, Guardianship and Trust Department, George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602; also served in person at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, Plant City, FL 33563, and the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110, Brandon, FL 33511 |
| Mailing address | Clerk of the Circuit Court, P.O. Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360 |
| Phone | (813) 276-8100 (Clerk's office, including the Probate, Guardianship and Trust Department) |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Tampa and Plant City courthouses; the Brandon Regional Service Center is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed weekends and court holidays |
| Filing fee | Formal administration $400.00; summary administration $345.00 for estates of $1,000 or more, $235.00 under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00; caveat $41.00 (Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401) |
| Local forms | Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set; petitions are prepared under the Florida Probate Rules. The Thirteenth Circuit publishes administrative orders and division procedures for probate; the Clerk provides an Acknowledgement of Venue form for depositing a will and blank Statement of Claim forms on its forms page |
| E-filing | Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), mandatory for attorneys and optional for self-represented filers. Original wills are deposited on paper with the Clerk, in person or by mail |
| Case search | HOVER (Hillsborough On-line Viewing of Electronic Records) at hover.hillsclerk.com, free for basic searches with no account required, searchable by name, case number, or citation, covering probate cases not sealed or confidential |
| Remote appearance | Set per judge: each Thirteenth Circuit judge posts hearing procedures, including Zoom details where the judge uses them, in the circuit's judicial directory at fljud13.org; check the assigned judge's page and the notice of hearing |
| Website | https://www.hillsclerk.com/court-services/probate-guardianship-and-trust |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The most common Hillsborough County misstep is filing before you know what the estate holds and which administration path fits. Florida has three routes: formal administration (F.S. Chapter 733), summary administration (F.S. 735.201), and disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301). Which one applies depends on the value and type of the assets, whether the decedent left Florida real property, and how long ago the death occurred; the thresholds are statewide and are covered on the Florida state page. Homestead real property often passes outside the probate estate, so a Tampa home can transfer to the family while the estate subject to administration stays small.
Before you file, identify every bank, credit-union, brokerage, and retirement account, life-insurance policy, vehicle, business interest, and parcel of Hillsborough County real estate, along with every debt, and identify each heir and beneficiary by name. Only then can you pick the right path, calculate the correct filing fee, and decide whether counsel is needed. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Thirteenth Judicial Circuit serves all of Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood, and the county's other cities and unincorporated communities. It is one of the few single-county circuits in Florida. Every Hillsborough probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, whose Probate, Guardianship and Trust Department serves customers at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, and at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110. Under Florida's venue rule (F.S. 733.101), administration is proper in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death; if the decedent had no Florida domicile, in any county where the decedent owned property; and otherwise in the county where a debtor of the decedent resides. In practice, the estate of a Hillsborough resident, or one holding Hillsborough real property, is filed here.
Hillsborough runs a dedicated probate docket. By administrative order, the Clerk assigns Florida Probate Code proceedings to the circuit's Probate, Guardianship, Mental Health and Trust Divisions A and B in Tampa; matters for a decedent domiciled in the East Division of the county are assigned to East Circuit Divisions O, U, and W, which sit at the Plant City Courthouse. A probate administrative judge oversees the Tampa divisions, and the circuit publishes its administrative orders, division procedures, and judicial assignments at fljud13.org.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue and choose the path. Hillsborough is the right court when the decedent was domiciled here at death or owned Hillsborough property (F.S. 733.101). Decide, based on the assets and the time since death, whether the estate needs formal administration (F.S. Chapter 733), qualifies for summary administration (F.S. 735.201), or fits disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301); the statewide thresholds are on the Florida state page.
- Confirm whether an attorney is required. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person (or is a licensed attorney). Most Hillsborough formal and summary administrations therefore involve counsel; disposition without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer.
- Gather what the court needs: the original will (if any), a certified copy of the death certificate, a list of the estate's assets and debts, and the names and addresses of the beneficiaries and other interested persons. Florida's estate representative is the personal representative in every case, whether or not there is a will (F.S. 731.201). The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901); the Clerk provides an Acknowledgement of Venue form and charges no fee to deposit a will.
- Prepare the petition under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530). Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, so in most cases the attorney prepares the petition and supporting documents. Check the assigned probate division's published procedures at fljud13.org for any local requirements.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), which is mandatory for them; a self-represented filer may e-file or file on paper in person at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, or at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110. The original will is filed on paper, not through the portal.
- Pay the filing fee for the path: formal administration $400.00; summary administration $345.00 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $235.00 if under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00 (Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401).
- Give notice. In a formal administration, serve the notice of administration on interested persons and publish and serve the notice to creditors. 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 F.S. 733.710 bars all claims 2 years after death.
- Attend any hearing. Whether a probate matter is heard by Zoom or in person is set by the assigned judge's published procedures; judges who use Zoom post the details on their profiles in the circuit's judicial directory at fljud13.org. Check the assigned judge's page and the notice of hearing for the format, date, time, and courtroom.
- Receive authority. In a formal administration the court appoints the personal representative and the Clerk issues Letters of Administration, the representative's proof of authority for banks and title companies. In a summary administration the court enters an order distributing the assets and no personal representative is appointed.
- Administer and close. File the inventory, resolve creditor claims, obtain court authority where required to sell Hillsborough real property, account to the interested persons, distribute, and close the estate.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Hillsborough County
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). Florida Courts Help states that it does not provide probate forms. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, most Hillsborough estates do not self-file a form packet; the attorney prepares and e-files the petitions through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
Hillsborough's local layer is the Thirteenth Circuit's own material rather than a form packet. The circuit publishes administrative orders and division procedures for the Probate, Guardianship, Mental Health and Trust divisions, and individual judges post their practice preferences, all at fljud13.org. Review the assigned division's procedures before filing a petition or setting a hearing.
The original will itself is not e-filed. The custodian of a will must deposit it with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901); the Clerk provides an Acknowledgement of Venue form, asks for the decedent's date of death or Social Security number, and charges no fee to deposit the will. Original wills and other paper-only documents can be delivered in person at the Tampa, Plant City, or Brandon location, or mailed to the Clerk at P.O. Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360. The Clerk also posts a blank Statement of Claim form for creditors on its forms page.
Fees
Florida sets the Clerk's base probate service charges by statute (F.S. 28.2401): formal administration $395, summary administration $340 for an estate of $1,000 or more, and disposition of personal property without administration $230, plus a $4 additional service charge on administration petitions. On top of that statutory base, counties add further mandatory statutory charges, so the Clerk's published total is higher than the bare base and is set county by county. The Hillsborough County Clerk's own published fee schedule totals are below (verified July 2026).
| Filing | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Formal administration | $400.00 | Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value $1,000 or more | $345.00 | Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value under $1,000 | $235.00 | Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Disposition of personal property without administration | $231.00 | Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat | $41.00 | Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com/about-us/fees-and-fines, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
Confirm the current total on the Clerk's fee schedule at hillsclerk.com before filing, since counties adjust these charges over time. Certified copies, recording, and records-search fees are charged separately.
Local nuance
Hillsborough County-specific considerations
Probate service at three Clerk locations. The Clerk's Probate, Guardianship and Trust Department serves customers in person at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, and at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110, Brandon. The courthouses are open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the Brandon center 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; the Clerk offers appointments for the Tampa location and an online check-in for all three.
East Division estates are heard in Plant City. By administrative order, probate matters for a decedent domiciled in the county's East Division are assigned to East Circuit Divisions O, U, and W, which sit at the Plant City Courthouse, so a Plant City-area estate can often be filed and heard closer to home. All other Hillsborough probate proceedings go to the Probate, Guardianship, Mental Health and Trust Divisions A and B in Tampa.
Dedicated probate divisions. The circuit assigns Florida Probate Code proceedings to its Probate, Guardianship, Mental Health and Trust divisions in Tampa, plus the East Circuit divisions in Plant City for East Division decedents. A probate administrative judge oversees the Tampa divisions, and each judge publishes practice preferences. The division assignment determines whose procedures and hearing calendar apply, so confirm the assigned division after the case number issues.
E-filing for attorneys, paper for the original will. Attorneys must e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper. The original will is not e-filed: the custodian deposits it on paper with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901), using the Clerk's Acknowledgement of Venue form, with no deposit fee; the Clerk accepts wills in person or by mail to P.O. Box 3360, Tampa.
Zoom hearings follow the assigned judge's procedures. Each Thirteenth Circuit judge posts hearing procedures on the circuit's judicial directory at fljud13.org, including Zoom details where the judge uses remote hearings; some probate divisions require longer hearings to be held in person. Check the assigned judge's profile and the notice of hearing before planning travel.
Look up a case on HOVER. The Clerk's HOVER system (Hillsborough On-line Viewing of Electronic Records) at hover.hillsclerk.com is free for basic searches, searchable by name, case number, or citation, and it covers probate cases that are not sealed or confidential. Public access does not require an account; a registered account expands access based on the user's role, such as a party or attorney of record.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 7, 2025 | Victor D. Crist was sworn in as Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, the elected filing officer for probate, after the November 2024 election. | hillsclerk.com |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Hillsborough County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A Tampa home held by the spouses as tenants by the entirety, or as homestead, generally passes to the surviving spouse outside the probate estate; the survivor records the death certificate and, where needed, files a petition to determine homestead status with the probate division. Accounts and property in the decedent's sole name may still need summary or formal administration, which under Florida Probate Rule 5.030 usually requires a Florida attorney unless the spouse is the sole interested person. | Asset discovery to separate what passed outside probate from what did not. Packet generation for the petition. A vetted Hillsborough probate attorney where the rule requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Hillsborough and the estate is small enough, or the death was more than 2 years ago, the estate may qualify for summary administration (F.S. 735.201); if it holds only exempt and limited personal property and no real estate, disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301) may apply. An attorney typically e-files through the portal, and where the assigned judge conducts hearings by Zoom, the child may be able to avoid traveling to Tampa. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the shorter path. Packet generation for the petition. Attorney referral where Rule 5.030 requires counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Formal administration in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Because there is no will, the parent's attorney petitions for appointment as personal representative and the Clerk issues Letters of Administration; the personal representative then obtains court authority where required to sell the Hillsborough home before the deed can transfer. Rule 5.030 requires a Florida attorney unless the parent is the sole interested person. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition and sale papers. A vetted Hillsborough probate attorney to run the formal administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate (hillsclerk.com/court-services/probate-guardianship-and-trust) | The Clerk's probate page: filing locations, will deposit, contact numbers, and the fee schedule |
| Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (fljud13.org) | The court's probate division administrative orders and procedures, the judicial directory with each judge's practice preferences and Zoom details, and remote-hearing guidance |
| HOVER case search (hover.hillsclerk.com) | Free public case search covering probate, by name, case number, or citation, without subscription |
| James J. Lunsford Law Library (701 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa; (813) 272-5818) | Free public law library with Florida and federal statutes and legal research materials; reference help for self-represented people |
| Bay Area Legal Services (bals.org) | Nonprofit legal aid providing free civil legal help to income-eligible residents of Hillsborough and neighboring counties |
| Hillsborough County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (hillsbar.com) | Attorney referrals in Hillsborough County, including probate and estate matters |
| 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 |
| The Florida Bar (floridabar.org) | Consumer pamphlet "Probate in Florida" and the statewide Lawyer Referral Service |
When to hire an attorney
Florida is an attorney-forward probate state. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person or is a licensed attorney, so most Hillsborough formal and summary administrations involve counsel. Beyond the rule, counsel makes practical sense when the estate is contested, when Hillsborough real property must be sold, when the estate is insolvent or its solvency is in doubt, when a business interest or an out-of-state asset complicates administration, or when heirs are in conflict. Disposition of personal property without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Hillsborough probate attorney when the situation calls for counsel.
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, Hillsborough County real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and can pick the right Florida probate path for estate settlement before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Hillsborough filing: the petition for administration, the notice of administration and notice to creditors, the inventory, and the supporting documents, formatted for e-filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires counsel in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Hillsborough probate attorney to file and appear.
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 probate in Hillsborough County, Florida?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, Probate, Guardianship and Trust Department. In person, the Clerk serves probate customers at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602, at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, Plant City, and at the Brandon Regional Service Center, 311 Pauls Drive, Suite 110, Brandon. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). The Clerk's office can be reached at (813) 276-8100, and appointments are available for the Tampa location.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Hillsborough County?
Usually yes. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person or is a licensed attorney. Most formal and summary administrations therefore involve counsel. Disposition of personal property without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer.
Do I have to e-file probate in Hillsborough County?
Attorneys must; self-represented filers have a choice. Florida attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). A self-represented person may e-file or file on paper at the Clerk's Tampa, Plant City, or Brandon location. The original will is always deposited on paper with the Clerk.
How much does it cost to file probate in Hillsborough County?
The Clerk's published fee schedule is $400.00 for formal administration, $345.00 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (or $235.00 under $1,000), and $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration (Hillsborough County Clerk fee schedule, hillsclerk.com, verified July 2026). These county totals include the statutory base service charges set by F.S. 28.2401 plus mandatory statutory add-ons. Confirm the current total on the Clerk's fee schedule before filing.
Where do I deposit the original will in Hillsborough County?
The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901). The original will is not e-filed; it is delivered on paper to the Clerk at the George Edgecomb Courthouse, 800 E. Twiggs Street, Tampa, at the Plant City Courthouse, or by mail to P.O. Box 3360, Tampa, FL 33601-3360, along with the Clerk's Acknowledgement of Venue form. There is no fee to deposit a will.
How do I look up a Hillsborough County probate case?
Use the Clerk's HOVER system (Hillsborough On-line Viewing of Electronic Records) at hover.hillsclerk.com. Basic searches are free and do not require an account, by name, case number, or citation, and HOVER covers probate cases that are not sealed or confidential.
Can I appear by Zoom for a Hillsborough County probate hearing?
It depends on the assigned judge. Each Thirteenth Circuit judge posts hearing procedures on the circuit's judicial directory at fljud13.org, including Zoom details where the judge uses remote hearings; some probate divisions require longer hearings to be held in person. Check the assigned judge's profile and the notice of hearing before planning travel.
Can I file probate at the Plant City Courthouse?
Yes. The Clerk serves probate customers at the Plant City Courthouse, 301 N. Michigan Avenue, Room 1071, Plant City, in addition to the George Edgecomb Courthouse in Tampa and the Brandon Regional Service Center. By administrative order, probate matters for a decedent domiciled in the county's East Division are assigned to East Circuit Divisions O, U, and W, which sit in Plant City.
What if the estate is small or the death was years ago?
The estate may qualify for summary administration (F.S. 735.201), which does not appoint a personal representative and ends with an order distributing the assets, or for disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301) if it holds only exempt and limited personal property and no real estate. The dollar thresholds are statewide and are covered on the Florida state page; both paths are filed at the same Hillsborough Clerk's probate counter.
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.