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Bibb County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bibb County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Bibb County Probate Court, also listed in some statewide materials as Macon-Bibb County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 601 Mulberry Street, Second Floor, Macon, GA 31201 |
| Mailing address | Bibb County Probate Court, P.O. Box 6518, Macon, GA 31208 |
| Phone and email | Court Division for estates and guardianships: (478) 621-6494, [email protected] |
| Fax | No fax is published by the court |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Arrive before 4 p.m.; no payments are accepted after 4:30 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Georgia sets probate fees by statute. A decedent's-estate petition starts at $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, service and publication. Confirm the current total with the court before filing. |
| Local forms | Petitions use the statewide GPCSF forms. Bibb County also publishes its own inventory, return of personal representative and notice to debtors and creditors materials. |
| E-filing | Available through TrueFiling and not mandatory. The court announced TrueFiling in March 2026, with a vendor fee of $14.00 per petition or caveat and a card processing fee of 3.25 percent. Paper filing remains available. |
| Original will | The original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before letters testamentary issue, under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case lookup | The court links estate records from January 1, 2005 to the present through georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Older Bibb County indexes are linked from the court's record search page. |
| Remote appearance | The court says certain estate and guardianship matters may be conducted wholly by remote video conference. Email the Court Division with the estate or party name and contact information to ask about access. |
| Website | https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Bibb County filing, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and how each asset is titled. Joint property, beneficiary-designated accounts and estate assets can follow different paths, and the Probate Court's own guidance says staff cannot choose the proceeding for you.
Sunset's estate settlement process includes asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, which helps families decide whether they need a will petition, letters of administration, year's support, an order that no administration is necessary, or attorney help before they file in Macon.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One filing location serves all of Bibb County: the Bibb County Probate Court at 601 Mulberry Street, Second Floor, Macon. Bibb County and the City of Macon share the consolidated Macon-Bibb County government, and the county has no other incorporated municipality in the state municipalities listing. Estates from downtown Macon and the unincorporated parts of Bibb County all go to the same Probate Court counter.
Georgia has a Probate Court in every county, and Bibb County probate filings go to the Bibb County Probate Court, not to another county office. Administration may be granted in the county where the decedent lived at death, or, for a nonresident of Georgia, in a county where the decedent owned property or had a bona fide cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). Some Macon mailing addresses may fall outside Bibb County, so confirm the county of residence before filing.
Bibb County is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial in writing under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and an appeal goes directly to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123. Article 6 probate courts also share concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over certain fiduciary and will-construction matters under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-127.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue before filing. File in Bibb County only if the decedent lived in Bibb County at death, or if a nonresident of Georgia owned property or had a bona fide cause of action in Bibb County (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
- File the will promptly if you have it. Whoever holds the will must file it with the Bibb County Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). If you e-file a petition, deliver the original will and any codicil on paper within ten days and before letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Choose the petition and form. With a will, choose common form or solemn form probate (O.C.G.A. § 53-5); common form is not conclusive until four years from the order admitting the will under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19, while solemn form gives notice and binds those properly served. With no will, file for letters of administration under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20. Use the statewide GPCSF forms.
- File at the right place. File in person at 601 Mulberry Street, Second Floor, Macon, by mail to P.O. Box 6518, Macon, GA 31208, or electronically through TrueFiling. If you come to the counter, arrive before 4 p.m.; the counter closes at 5 p.m. and no payments are accepted after 4:30 p.m.
- Pay the filing costs. A decedent's-estate petition starts at $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, service and publication. Confirm the current total with the court. TrueFiling adds its March 2026 vendor charge of $14.00 per petition or caveat and a 3.25 percent card processing fee.
- Let the court prepare the citation pages it completes itself. The court's e-filing notice tells filers not to upload the court-completed citation and notice pages. The petitioner handles service copies, acknowledgments or publication as the proceeding requires.
- Complete notice and scheduling. Solemn form probate requires notice to the heirs (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-22). The court's staff says it can schedule uncontested hearings and explain how other matters are scheduled. Certain estate and guardianship proceedings may be conducted by remote video conference if the court allows it.
- Qualify by oath and any required bond. The oath must be administered by a probate judge or clerk, not a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24). An out-of-state petitioner may use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record where they live. An administrator of an intestate estate gives bond unless all heirs consent to waive it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50), and any surety bond is filed on paper.
- Receive authority. Once the court admits the will or appoints the administrator and the petitioner qualifies, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration. Certified copies of letters are $10.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60.
- Publish creditor notice in Bibb County's legal organ. The personal representative publishes the notice to debtors and creditors in The Macon Reporter within 60 days of qualifying and once a week for four weeks. Creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the personal representative under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. File the publisher's affidavit with the Probate Court.
- Inventory, administer and close. File the Bibb County inventory and mail copies to those entitled to receive them within six months after qualification unless waived (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32). Use the court's return of personal representative for annual returns, pay claims, distribute property, and petition for discharge on GPCSF 33 when the estate is ready to close.
Executor duties
Bibb County adds practical filing steps to the statewide duties of a Georgia personal representative. After qualifying, the executor or administrator publishes the notice to debtors and creditors in the county's legal organ, The Macon Reporter, within 60 days and once a week for four weeks; creditors have three months from the last publication to give notice of claims under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. The court's materials make clear that the personal representative is responsible for the notice, then gets the publisher's affidavit and files it with the Probate Court.
The court publishes its own Bibb County inventory form for a decedent's estate. The inventory is due within six months after qualification unless waived, under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32, and the court's instructions say to value property as of the date the estate was opened, attach bank statements for that month, attach the creditor-notice affidavit, and mail copies to the heirs or beneficiaries entitled to receive them.
The court's inventory packet also states that the filing is treated as a fiduciary compliance report: $40.00 with assets and no fee with no assets, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. The court accepts cash, credit cards, cashier's checks and money orders for that filing, with cashier's checks and money orders payable to the Probate Court of Bibb County.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bibb County
Georgia uses one statewide set of probate petition forms, the GPCSF series, adopted for use in probate courts statewide. A document prepared on a standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a court may decline to process a substitute that does not conform to the standard form under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
The Bibb County Probate Court's own standard-forms link points to the Council of Probate Court Judges forms page at https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/. Use that page for current petitions such as GPCSF 3 for letters of administration, GPCSF 4 for common form probate, GPCSF 5 for solemn form probate, GPCSF 9 for an order declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, GPCSF 10 for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, GPCSF 32 for certain powers and waivers, GPCSF 33 for discharge, and GPCSF 53 for an out-of-state oath.
Bibb County also publishes local post-appointment materials. Those include a Bibb County inventory for a decedent's estate with instructions, a return of personal representative with annual return instructions, and a notice to debtors and creditors information sheet. The county's older petition PDFs should not be used when the court points filers to the current statewide forms page.
Fees
Bibb County does not publish a decedent's-estate fee schedule. Use the statewide statutory framework and confirm the filing total with the Court Division at (478) 621-6494 before you file. A decedent's-estate petition starts at $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. The $15.00 indigent defense fee applies to the named decedent's-estate petitions under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Service and publication are separate costs.
| Cost item | Bibb County detail |
|---|---|
| Opening petition | $175.00 statutory base, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons, service and publication. |
| Indigent defense fee | $15.00 on each covered decedent's-estate petition under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. |
| Fiduciary compliance report | The court's inventory instructions state $40.00 with assets and no fee with no assets, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. |
| TrueFiling vendor charge | The court's March 2026 e-filing notice states a TrueFiling charge of $14.00 per petition or caveat, plus a card processing fee of 3.25 percent. The notice says statutory fees collected by Bibb County are unchanged. |
| Payment methods | The court's inventory instructions list cash, credit cards, cashier's checks and money orders for that filing, with cashier's checks and money orders payable to the Probate Court of Bibb County. |
| Publication | Publication is separate from the court filing fee. Bibb County's legal organ is The Macon Reporter effective January 1, 2026. Ask the court and the newspaper for the current publication charge. |
Local nuance
Bibb County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Bibb County |
|---|---|
| Two court divisions | Estate and guardianship questions go to the Court Division at (478) 621-6494 and [email protected]. The separate License Division handles marriage and weapons carry licenses. |
| TrueFiling | The Probate Court accepts electronic filing through TrueFiling, announced in March 2026. It is not mandatory, and the original will and any codicil still must be delivered on paper within ten days of any electronic filing under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Legal organ | The Macon Reporter became Bibb County's legal organ effective January 1, 2026. Creditor notices and citations that require publication should be coordinated with the court and the newspaper for the current publication charge. |
| Counter timing | The Court Division is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the court tells customers to arrive before 4 p.m. and says no payments are accepted after 4:30 p.m. |
| Article 6 status | Bibb County is an Article 6 probate court. Contested civil matters may involve a written jury demand under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and appeals go to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123. |
| Older records | The court's record search page links estate records from January 1, 2005 to the present and also links older Bibb County historical indexes for earlier probate materials. |
Recent updates
| Local change | What changed |
|---|---|
| TrueFiling launch | The Bibb County Probate Court announced in March 2026 that it accepts electronic filing through TrueFiling. The notice lists a vendor fee of $14.00 per petition or caveat and a card processing fee of 3.25 percent, and says statutory fees collected by Bibb County are unchanged. |
| New legal organ | The Bibb County constitutional officers appointed The Macon Reporter as the county's legal organ effective January 1, 2026. New Bibb County estate notices that require publication should be coordinated with the court and The Macon Reporter. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Bibb County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Property held with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside probate. If the home or accounts were in the decedent's sole name, the spouse may need ordinary administration or year's support, which can set aside property for a surviving spouse and must be filed within 24 months of death under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. Publication runs through Bibb County's legal organ, The Macon Reporter. | Sunset helps identify which assets are estate assets, gather account and deed information, and prepare the estate settlement packet before the spouse files or asks counsel about year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Bibb County accepts TrueFiling and mailed paper filings, so the petition may not require a trip to Macon. The original will still goes to the court on paper within ten days of e-filing, and the oath cannot be notarized. Use GPCSF 53 if the oath will be taken before a court of record outside Georgia. If the only asset is a qualifying bank deposit, ask the financial institution whether O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239 applies without a court filing. | Sunset helps locate accounts, decide whether a court filing is needed, organize the original will delivery and oath logistics, and connect the family to a Bibb County probate attorney if questions remain. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling a house usually requires authority from the Probate Court. The personal representative may seek expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) and GPCSF 32, or file a petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13. If there is no will, the heirs agree and creditor requirements are satisfied, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 may vest title in the heirs, and the order affecting Bibb County land is recorded through the Clerk of Superior Court in the same courthouse. | Sunset helps collect heir information, mortgage and deed details, creditor information and sale-related documents, then routes the family to counsel when a house sale, consents or title recording make attorney help important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Bibb County Probate Court, https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/ | The filing office for Bibb County estates, with the Court Division phone and email, remote video conference notice, TrueFiling announcement and legal organ announcement. |
| Bibb County Probate Court proceedings guidance, https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/probate-proceedings/ | Explains where to file after a death, what staff can and cannot do for self-represented filers, and links to current statewide standard forms. |
| Bibb County Probate Court reports and county forms, https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/probate-court-reports/ | Provides the county's post-appointment forms, including the inventory for a decedent's estate and the return of personal representative. |
| Bibb County Probate Court record search, https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/record-search/ | Links estate records from January 1, 2005 to the present and older Bibb County historical indexes. |
| Bibb County Probate Court videos, https://www.maconbibb.us/probate-court/probate-court-videos/ | Short videos for self-represented filers on what to file after a death, presenting a case in probate court and fiduciary returns, including English and Spanish options. |
| TrueFiling, https://tf3.truefiling.com/ | The electronic filing portal the Bibb County Probate Court accepts. The court's March 2026 notice lists vendor support at (855) 959-8868 and [email protected]. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ | Current statewide GPCSF forms used in Bibb County and all Georgia probate courts, including GPCSF 1 and GPCSF 53. |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index, https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ | The Supreme Court of Georgia's standard forms index. Use the Council page for the current PDFs. |
| Georgia probate records portal used by participating probate courts, https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com | Bibb County is included for estate records from January 1, 2005 to the present as linked by the Bibb County Probate Court. |
| Macon-Bibb County Law Library, https://maconjudicialcircuitjudges.us/law-library | A public law library in the same courthouse at 601 Mulberry Street, Suite 302, with Georgia statutes and practice materials available for review and copying. Staff can help with materials but cannot give legal advice. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program, https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ | Free civil legal help for people who qualify in Georgia counties outside the five metro Atlanta counties. The site lists a Macon office at 241 Third Street, Macon, GA 31201, (478) 751-6261, and statewide intake at 1-833-457-7529. Ask intake whether an estate matter can be handled. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org, https://www.georgialegalaid.org/ | Plain-language statewide legal information, including information on wills, estates and what to do when someone dies. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, https://gaprobate.gov/ | The statewide probate court site, with uniform probate court rules, forms and a directory of Georgia probate courts. |
When to hire an attorney
The Bibb County Probate Court tells self-represented filers that staff cannot choose the proceeding, complete forms or advise on the facts of a contested case, and suggests speaking with an attorney who practices probate or estate law. Counsel is especially useful when the estate includes a house to sell, heirs do not all consent, a caveat is filed, expanded powers are needed under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b), or an Article 6 contested matter may involve a jury demand or appeal under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121 and O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123. Sunset connects families with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Bibb County matters.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across financial institutions, insurance, benefits and other asset categories so the family can start estate settlement with a clearer picture of what exists before choosing a filing path in Bibb County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps assemble the information needed for the Georgia GPCSF forms, Bibb County post-appointment forms and the supporting documents the court expects, including the death certificate and the original will delivery step when a will exists.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Bibb County estate includes a home sale, creditor issues, missing consents, a caveat or an Article 6 contested matter, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Bibb County filings.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families organize estate settlement, find assets and understand the next step without charging families for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Bibb County?
File with the Bibb County Probate Court at 601 Mulberry Street, Second Floor, Macon, GA 31201. Mail filings go to Bibb County Probate Court, P.O. Box 6518, Macon, GA 31208. Administration belongs in Bibb County if the decedent lived in Bibb County at death, or if a nonresident of Georgia owned property in Bibb County or had a bona fide cause of action there, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31.
Can I file probate documents online in Bibb County?
Yes. The Bibb County Probate Court accepts electronic filing through TrueFiling, announced by the court in March 2026. E-filing is not mandatory, and paper filing at the counter or by mail remains available. If a will is involved, the original will and any codicil must still reach the court on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Bibb County?
The statutory base for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, service and publication. Bibb County does not publish a decedent's-estate fee schedule, so confirm the current total with the Court Division at (478) 621-6494 before filing.
Does the Bibb County Probate Court have its own forms?
Petitions use the statewide GPCSF forms. Bibb County adds local post-appointment forms, including its own inventory for a decedent's estate, a return of personal representative, and a notice to debtors and creditors information sheet.
How do I look up a Bibb County estate case?
The court links estate records from January 1, 2005 to the present through georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. The court's record search page also links older Bibb County historical indexes.
What are the Bibb County Probate Court's hours?
The Court Division is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The court tells customers to arrive before 4 p.m. and says no payments are accepted after 4:30 p.m.
Can a Bibb County probate hearing be held by video?
The court publishes a notice that proceedings may be conducted wholly by remote video conference, limited to certain estate and guardianship matters. To ask about attending a live remote conference, email [email protected] with the estate or party name and your contact information.
Do I have to travel to Macon if I live out of state?
Not always. Bibb County accepts TrueFiling and also takes paper filings by mail. The original will must still be delivered on paper if there is one. The oath cannot be administered by a notary; if you are outside Georgia, GPCSF 53 can be used to take the oath before a court of record where you live, under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24 and the GPCSF 1 instructions.
Where does the notice to creditors publish in Bibb County?
The notice to debtors and creditors publishes in Bibb County's legal organ, The Macon Reporter, effective January 1, 2026. The personal representative must publish within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the personal representative under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
Can a Bibb County probate case go to a jury?
Yes, in the right kind of contested civil case. Bibb County is an Article 6 probate court, so a party may demand a jury trial in writing under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121. Appeals from Article 6 probate court civil cases go to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123.
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.