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Nassau County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Nassau County (Probate Division); probate is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (Mitch L. Keiter), Civil Department |
| Courthouse | Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way, Suite 456, Yulee, FL 32097 |
| Mailing address | Nassau County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, 76347 Veterans Way, Yulee, FL 32097 (no separate post office box) |
| Phone | (904) 548-4600 (Yulee full-service office); (904) 548-4606 (Civil Division direct line; probate is handled by the Civil Department) |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; closed weekends and legal holidays |
| Filing fee | Formal administration $400; summary administration $345 for estates of $1,000 or more, $235 under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231 (Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401) |
| Local forms | Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set. The Clerk's download-forms page posts one probate form, the Disposition of Personal Property form (nassauclerk.com), and the Fourth Judicial Circuit posts a probate self-help page (jud4.org) with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist. Petitions are otherwise prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney |
| E-filing | Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), mandatory for attorneys and optional for self-represented filers. Original wills and other original documents are deposited on paper with the Clerk |
| Case search | Statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Nassau County (county 45), with an anonymous public access option; confidential records are withheld |
| Remote appearance | Governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530; Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom, and the format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's published procedures (jud4.org) |
| Website | https://www.nassauclerk.com/180/Probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The most common Nassau 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 an Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, or Yulee 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 Nassau 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 Fourth Judicial Circuit serves Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties; within Nassau it covers the entire county, including Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island, Yulee, Callahan, and Hilliard. Every Nassau County probate, wherever the decedent lived in the county, is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way, Suite 456, Yulee. Fernandina Beach is the county seat, and the Clerk's office in the 1891 Historic Courthouse at 416 Centre Street reopened in June 2026 with Thursday-only hours for most Clerk services, including will deposits, but probate cases are not opened there; probate is handled at the Yulee Justice Center.
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 Nassau County resident, or one who owned Nassau County real property, is filed here. The Clerk's Civil Department handles probate intake, and the Fourth Judicial Circuit assigns Nassau County's probate, guardianship, and related matters to a circuit judge.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue and choose the path. Nassau County is the right court when the decedent was domiciled here at death or owned Nassau County 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 the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a licensed attorney. Most Nassau 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).
- 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, so in most cases the attorney prepares the papers. The Clerk's download-forms page posts a Disposition of Personal Property form for that path, and the Fourth Judicial Circuit's self-help page (jud4.org) posts an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. 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 at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center in Yulee. The original will is deposited on paper: the custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death, and a will cannot be deposited before the death of the person who made it (F.S. 732.901).
- Pay the filing fee for the path: formal administration $400; summary administration $345 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $235 if under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231 (Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, 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. Remote appearance is governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530, and Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom; the format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's procedures, published at jud4.org. Check those and the hearing calendar for the date, time, and format.
- 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. Request enough certified copies for the institutions involved.
- Administer and close. File the inventory, resolve creditor claims, obtain court authority where required to sell Nassau County real property, account to the interested persons, distribute, and close the estate.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Nassau 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), and 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 Nassau County estates do not self-file a form packet; the attorney prepares and e-files the petitions through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
Locally, the Nassau County Clerk publishes one probate form of its own: the Disposition of Personal Property form, posted in the probate section of the Clerk's download-forms page at nassauclerk.com and linked from the Clerk's probate page. The Clerk's probate page describes that informal filing, which asks for a certified death certificate, the will if any, the paid funeral bill, a statement of the assets and who holds them, photo identification, and the filing fee. The Fourth Judicial Circuit also posts a short probate self-help page at jud4.org with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist; the Clerk publishes no form packet for formal or summary administration.
The original will itself is not e-filed. The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death, and a will cannot be deposited before the death of the person who made it (F.S. 732.901). Original wills and other original documents are delivered on paper to the Clerk at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way, Suite 456, Yulee, in person or by mail; since June 2026 a will may also be deposited at the Clerk's Historic Courthouse office in Fernandina Beach on Thursdays. For questions about local intake or what the counter needs, call the Clerk's Civil Division at (904) 548-4606, or the Yulee full-service line at (904) 548-4600.
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 Nassau County Clerk publishes its own fee schedule; its probate totals are below (verified July 2026).
| Filing | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Formal administration | $400 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value $1,000 or more | $345 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value under $1,000 | $235 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Disposition of personal property without administration | $231 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Admission of a foreign will | $231 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat or notice of trust | $41 | Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
The Clerk's fee schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total on the schedule at nassauclerk.com before filing, since counties adjust these charges over time. Certified copies, recording, and records-search fees are charged separately.
Local nuance
Nassau County-specific considerations
The county seat and the courthouse are in different towns. Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island is Nassau County's county seat and home of the 1891 Historic Courthouse at 416 Centre Street, but court operations, including probate, run at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center at 76347 Veterans Way, Suite 456, in Yulee. The Clerk reopened its Historic Courthouse office in phases in 2026: weddings by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from April 14, then a staffed office on Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM) from June 4 for most Clerk services, including will deposits, marriage licenses, payments, and recording. Probate cases are still filed in Yulee.
Probate is handled by the Civil Department. The Clerk does not run a separately branded probate department; probate intake, will deposits, and filing questions go through the Civil Department at the Yulee Justice Center. The Civil Division's published direct line is (904) 548-4606, and the Yulee full-service number is (904) 548-4600. The office keeps Monday to Friday hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
The Clerk publishes a probate fee schedule. Unlike many smaller counties, the Nassau County Clerk posts its own fee schedule on nassauclerk.com, listing formal administration at $400, summary administration at $345 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $235 under $1,000, disposition of personal property without administration at $231, admission of a foreign will at $231, and a caveat or notice of trust at $41. The schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total before filing.
Case search runs through the statewide CiviTek system. Nassau County does not run its own docket portal. Court records are searched through the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Nassau County (county 45), which offers an anonymous public access option; confidential records are withheld. To confirm a filing you can also call the Clerk's Civil Division at (904) 548-4606.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | The Clerk began a first-phase reopening of the Historic Courthouse office at 416 Centre Street, Fernandina Beach, offering weddings by appointment on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from April 14, 2026. | nassauclerk.com news flash, posted April 9, 2026 |
| June 2026 | The Clerk's Historic Courthouse office reopened for most services on June 4, 2026, staffed Thursdays 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM): payments, recording, marriage licenses and ceremonies, will deposits, and pro se small-claims and eviction filings. Court and probate case filings remain at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center in Yulee. | nassauclerk.com news flash, posted May 28, 2026 |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Nassau County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | An Amelia Island or Yulee 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 Clerk. 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 Nassau County probate attorney where the rule requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Nassau County 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 because Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom under Rule 2.530, the child can often avoid traveling to Yulee, subject to the assigned judge's procedures. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the shorter path. Packet generation for the petition and any circuit checklist. Attorney referral where Rule 5.030 requires counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Formal administration in the Fourth 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 Nassau County 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 Nassau County probate attorney to run the formal administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Nassau County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Civil Department, (904) 548-4606 direct or (904) 548-4600 (nassauclerk.com/180/Probate) | The filing office for probate: filing information, local intake, the fee schedule, the disposition form, will deposit, and case search |
| Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (jud4.org) | Court administration for Nassau County, each judge's published procedures, Zoom hearing resources, and a probate self-help page with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist |
| Nassau County CiviTek Online Court Records Search (civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/45) | Statewide public search of Nassau County court records, including probate, with an anonymous access option; confidential records are withheld |
| Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (jaxlegalaid.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible North Florida residents, including wills and estates; it serves Nassau County and staffs a dedicated Nassau County office |
| 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; it states that no statewide probate forms are provided |
| 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 Nassau County formal and summary administrations involve counsel. Beyond the rule, counsel makes practical sense when the estate is contested, when Nassau County 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 Nassau County 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, Nassau County real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value for estate settlement and can pick the right Florida probate path before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Nassau County 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 or for filing on paper with the Clerk.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires counsel in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Nassau County 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 Nassau County, Florida?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center, 76347 Veterans Way, Suite 456, Yulee, FL 32097. Nassau County is in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); probate is handled by the Clerk's Civil Department, direct line (904) 548-4606, main Yulee line (904) 548-4600. Florida has no separate probate court; probate is a division of the Circuit Court.
Can I file probate at the Historic Courthouse in Fernandina Beach?
No. Fernandina Beach is Nassau County's county seat, and since June 4, 2026 the Clerk's office in the Historic Courthouse at 416 Centre Street is staffed on Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (closed 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM) for most Clerk services, including depositing a will, marriage licenses, payments, and recording. Probate cases are not opened there: probate petitions are filed at the Robert M. Foster Justice Center in Yulee or through the statewide e-filing portal.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Nassau 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.
How much does it cost to file probate in Nassau County?
The Clerk's published fee schedule is $400 for formal administration, $345 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (or $235 under $1,000), and $231 for disposition of personal property without administration (Nassau County Clerk's fee schedule, nassauclerk.com, verified July 2026). These county totals sit on top of the statutory base in F.S. 28.2401. The schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total before filing.
Do I have to e-file probate in Nassau 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 Robert M. Foster Justice Center in Yulee. The original will is deposited on paper: the custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901).
What forms do I need for probate in Nassau County?
Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, so petitions are prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney. The Nassau Clerk posts one probate form of its own, the Disposition of Personal Property form, on the download-forms page at nassauclerk.com, and the Fourth Judicial Circuit posts a probate self-help page at jud4.org with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist.
How do I look up a Nassau County probate case?
Use the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Nassau County (county 45) at civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/45, which offers an anonymous public access option; confidential records are withheld. To confirm a filing you can also call the Clerk's Civil Division at (904) 548-4606.
Can I appear remotely for a Nassau County probate hearing?
Often yes. Remote appearance is governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530, and Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom. The format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's published procedures at jud4.org, so check those and the hearing calendar when a hearing is set.
Do I have to travel to Yulee to settle an estate there?
Not always. Attorneys and self-represented filers can e-file through the statewide portal, and papers, including the original will, can be mailed to the Clerk at 76347 Veterans Way, Yulee, FL 32097. Where a hearing is required, Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom under Rule 2.530; check the assigned judge's procedures for whether your hearing 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.