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Washington County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Washington County; probate is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court |
| Filing office | Clerk of Court and Comptroller (Lora C. Bell); the departmental directory lists an estates, wills, and guardianships department |
| Courthouse | 1293 Jackson Avenue, Suite 101, Chipley, FL 32428 |
| Mailing address | Washington County Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 647, Chipley, FL 32428 |
| Phone | (850) 638-6285 (main line; the probate department answers here); estates, wills, and guardianships department (850) 638-6008 |
| Fax | (850) 638-6288 |
| [email protected] | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 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 (statutory figures verified July 2026). The Clerk's probate page publishes $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration and $41 for a caveat (verified July 2026); confirm the current formal- and summary-administration totals with the Clerk before filing. |
| Local probate forms | Limited. The Clerk's probate page supplies its own Petition for Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration and a Will on Deposit form; for everything else, Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, and petitions are prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney |
| E-filing | Through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), linked from the Clerk's site; 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 Washington County (county 67), with a public anonymous access option; the Clerk notes that document images for probate cases are not available through online public access |
| Remote appearance | The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit conducts many hearings by Zoom; the Zoom link comes from the court notice or the judge's judicial assistant, so ask the Clerk or the circuit whether a remote appearance is available for your matter |
| Website | https://www.washingtonclerk.com |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Washington 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 Chipley, Vernon, or rural Washington County 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 Washington County along with Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson counties. Within Washington, the court covers the whole county, including Chipley (the county seat), Vernon, Caryville, Ebro, Wausau, and unincorporated communities such as Sunny Hills and Greenhead. Washington probate matters are filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the courthouse at 1293 Jackson Avenue in Chipley. The court has no separate probate division; probate is heard on the Circuit Court's general docket by a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge, and the Clerk's estates, wills, and guardianships department handles estate records and intake questions at the same office.
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 Washington County for a decedent who lived here.
The jurisdiction process
- Deposit the will if you hold one. Under F.S. 732.901, the custodian of a will must deposit it with the Clerk of the court having venue within 10 days after learning the person has died. The Washington Clerk's probate page supplies a Will on Deposit form for this step.
- Gather the documents. Collect 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 Washington 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, so in most cases an attorney prepares and files the papers. For a qualifying estate of cash assets only, the Clerk supplies its own disposition-without-administration petition, the one form its deputy clerks provide.
- 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 1293 Jackson Avenue, Suite 101, Chipley, or by mail to P.O. Box 647, Chipley, FL 32428.
- 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; the Clerk's probate page publishes $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration, payable in cash, cashier's check, or money order (verified July 2026). Counties add mandatory statutory charges on top of the base, 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). The Washington Clerk charges no fee for filing a statement of claim.
- Attend the hearing if one is set. The petition is presented to a Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge. Many hearings in the circuit can be held by Zoom; the Zoom link comes from the court notice or the judge's judicial assistant, so ask the Clerk or the circuit 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 Washington County
Washington County is unusual among rural Florida counties in publishing two probate forms of its own. The Clerk's probate page supplies a Petition for Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration, which the page describes as the one legal form the deputy clerks provide, and a Will on Deposit form for the F.S. 732.901 requirement that the custodian of a will deposit it with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death. For everything else the statewide rule applies: 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 Fla. Prob. R. 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, so most estates do not self-file a probate packet. For questions about local intake, call the Clerk at (850) 638-6285 or the estates, wills, and guardianships department at (850) 638-6008.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Petition for Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration (washingtonclerk.com) | The Clerk's own petition for the F.S. 735.301 path, for a qualifying estate of cash assets only; the one legal form the deputy clerks provide |
| Will on Deposit form (washingtonclerk.com) | The Clerk's form for depositing a decedent's original will, required of the will's custodian within 10 days under F.S. 732.901 |
| Washington County Clerk, probate page | The Clerk's probate page, with the forms above, guardian-advocate forms, probate FAQs, and links to the Florida Probate Code and The Florida Bar's probate resources |
| 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 |
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 total is higher than the bare base. The Washington County Clerk publishes no full probate fee schedule, but its probate page states the following figures (verified July 2026).
| Item | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Disposition of personal property without administration, payable in cash, cashier's check, or money order | $231.00 | Clerk's probate page; base set by F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat (to be notified if a probate is opened for an estate) | $41.00 | Clerk's probate page; base set by F.S. 28.2401 |
| Statement of claim by a creditor | No fee | Clerk's probate page |
| Copies | $1.00 per page | Clerk's probate page |
| Certifying a copy | $2.00 per document | Clerk's probate page |
The Clerk does not post totals for formal or summary administration, and fee amounts change when the Legislature amends the statutory charges, so confirm the current total with the Clerk at (850) 638-6285 before filing.
Local nuance
Washington County-specific considerations
Washington keeps Central time. Washington County is in the Central time zone, unlike most of Florida, which is on Eastern time. The Clerk's office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Central time, so plan filing deadlines, phone calls, and any hearing times around the Central-time clock and the 4:00 PM close.
File by mail or at the Chipley counter. The Clerk's office is at 1293 Jackson Avenue, Suite 101, Chipley, but mail is directed to P.O. Box 647, Chipley, FL 32428. Attorneys e-file through the statewide portal; a self-represented filer may e-file, mail the papers to the post office box, or file in person at the counter. The main line is (850) 638-6285, the departmental directory lists the estates, wills, and guardianships department at (850) 638-6008, and the office's published email is [email protected].
The Clerk supplies two probate forms of its own. Unlike most rural Florida clerks, the Washington Clerk posts a Petition for Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration, the one legal form its deputy clerks provide, and a Will on Deposit form for the custodian of a will, who must deposit it within 10 days under F.S. 732.901. Every other probate filing is a petition prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney.
Probate case images stay offline. Court case records for Washington County are searched through the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search (county 67), which offers a public anonymous access option, but the Clerk notes that document images for probate cases are not available through online public access. To see the papers in a probate file, or to confirm whether an estate has been opened, contact the Clerk's office; the probate page invites callers to ask at (850) 638-6285.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Washington County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Chipley or rural Washington County 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; an estate of cash assets only, where the filer paid the funeral bill, may qualify for disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301) using the Clerk's own petition form. Both are filed with the Washington Clerk, and an out-of-state filer can work with Florida counsel through the statewide e-filing portal without repeated trips to Chipley. | 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. A Fourteenth Judicial Circuit judge hears the matter. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Washington County Clerk of Court, (850) 638-6285 (washingtonclerk.com) | The filing office for probate; its probate page carries the Clerk's two probate forms, probate FAQs, fees, and the estates, wills, and guardianships department at (850) 638-6008 |
| Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida (jud14.flcourts.org) | Court administration for Washington County, judicial assignments, and the circuit's published Zoom remote-appearance guidance |
| 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, Panama City office, (850) 769-3581 (lsnf.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents; its Panama City office serves Bay, Gulf, Holmes, and Washington counties, and the Clerk's own probate page points families who cannot afford an attorney to Legal Services |
| 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, which the Clerk's probate page also links |
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; the Washington Clerk's probate page quotes the rule and adds that its deputy clerks cannot answer legal questions or prepare legal forms. Because most Washington 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 Washington 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, Washington County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Florida path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the petition and supporting paperwork for your estate settlement path, ready to file with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Chipley 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 Washington 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 Washington County?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Washington County courthouse, 1293 Jackson Avenue, Suite 101, Chipley, FL 32428, or by mail to P.O. Box 647, Chipley, FL 32428. Washington 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 Washington County?
Attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal at myflcourtaccess.com, which the Clerk's site links. A self-represented filer may register and e-file through the same portal or file on paper at the Clerk's counter in Chipley or by mail to the Clerk's post office box.
Do I need an attorney for probate in Washington 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. The Clerk's probate page quotes the rule and notes that its deputy clerks cannot answer legal questions or prepare legal forms, so most Washington administrations are handled through counsel.
What do I do with the original will after a death in Washington County?
Deposit it with the Clerk. Under F.S. 732.901, the custodian of a will must deposit it with the Clerk of the court having venue within 10 days after learning the person has died. The Washington Clerk's probate page supplies a Will on Deposit form. A will cannot be deposited with the court before the person's death.
What time zone and hours does the Washington County Clerk keep?
Washington County is in the Central time zone, unlike most of Florida. The Clerk's office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Central time, and is closed on legal holidays, so plan filings and calls around the Central-time clock.
Can I appear remotely for a Washington County probate hearing?
Sometimes. The Fourteenth Judicial Circuit conducts many hearings by Zoom, and the Clerk's site notes that court proceedings may be viewed on the circuit's YouTube channel. The Zoom link comes from the court notice or the judge's judicial assistant, so ask the Clerk at (850) 638-6285 or the circuit whether a remote appearance is available when a hearing is set.
Can I look up a Washington County probate case online?
Yes, with a limit. Court records are searched through the statewide CiviTek Online Court Records Search for Washington County (county 67), which offers a public anonymous access option, but the Clerk notes that document images for probate cases are not available through online public access. The Clerk's probate page also invites you to call (850) 638-6285 to ask whether a probate has been opened for a particular person.
What forms do I need for probate in Washington County?
The Clerk publishes two probate forms of its own: a Petition for Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration, the one legal form its deputy clerks provide, and a Will on Deposit form. Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, so every other filing is a petition prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney. Call the Clerk at (850) 638-6285 with questions about local intake.
What does it cost to file probate in Washington 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 (statutory figures verified July 2026). The Clerk's probate page publishes $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration, payable in cash, cashier's check, or money order, and $41 for a caveat; a creditor's statement of claim is filed without a fee (verified July 2026). Counties add mandatory statutory charges on top of the base, so confirm the current total with the Clerk at (850) 638-6285 before filing.
Do I have to travel to Chipley to settle an estate there?
Not always. Attorneys and self-represented filers can file through the statewide e-filing portal, and papers can be mailed to the Clerk at P.O. Box 647, Chipley, FL 32428. Where a hearing is required, ask the Clerk or the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit whether it can be held 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.