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Carroll County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Carroll County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Carroll County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 311 Newnan Street, Fifth Floor, Carrollton, GA 30117 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 338, Carrollton, GA 30112 |
| Phone | 770-830-5840 |
| Fax | 770-830-5995. Fax is not a filing channel unless the clerk or judge specifically authorizes it. |
| [email protected]. Electronic transmittal is not a filing channel unless the clerk or judge specifically authorizes it. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Petitions are processed until 4:00 p.m. Marriage and weapons carry licenses are issued until 4:15 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Effective January 1, 2025, Georgia law sets the base filing fee for a decedent's-estate petition at $175.00 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60), plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee on named decedent's-estate petitions (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6), service and publication. Confirm the current total with the court before filing. |
| Payment | Cash, money order or personal check payable to Probate Court. If the total cannot be computed at filing, the court takes a $30.00 deposit against costs, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d) and O.C.G.A. § 15-9-61. |
| How to file | Book an appointment through the court's scheduler, mail the filing with fees, or use the drop box to the left of the building entrance. The court does not publish electronic filing for estate petitions. |
| Forms | Statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. Carroll County publishes no county-specific probate petition forms. |
| Case search | Carroll County appears in georgiaprobaterecords.com, a records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. If the case does not appear, call the Probate Court. |
| Remote appearance | No remote appearance policy is published. Ask the court whether your hearing or oath can be handled without appearing in person. |
| Website | https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/748/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Carroll County, list the assets, debts, heirs and any will or codicil. That first inventory tells you whether the estate settlement needs probate of a will, letters of administration, year's support, an order that no administration is necessary, or help from counsel before anything is filed.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts and liabilities before choosing a petition. In Carroll County, that matters because the court expects complete heir information, charges are paid at filing, publication is handled directly with the Times-Georgian, and the original will must reach the Probate Court on paper.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One filing location serves all of Carroll County: the Carroll County Probate Court at 311 Newnan Street, Fifth Floor, Carrollton, GA 30117. Estates from Carrollton, Bowdon, Mount Zion, Whitesburg, Roopville and the Carroll County parts of Bremen, Temple and Villa Rica are filed at the same courthouse, along with estates from unincorporated communities in the county.
Venue turns on the decedent's residence, not just a mailing address. Administration may be granted only for someone who was a Carroll County resident at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Carroll County or had a bona fide cause of action here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). For an order declaring that no administration is necessary, the petition is filed in the probate court of the decedent's Georgia county of domicile, or in the county where Georgia real property is located if the decedent was not domiciled in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
Carroll County is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial in writing (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121), the court has concurrent jurisdiction with the superior courts in certain fiduciary and will-construction matters (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-127), and an appeal goes directly to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm Carroll County venue and collect the original documents. File in Carroll County only if the decedent lived in Carroll County at death, or if a nonresident of Georgia owned property or had a bona fide cause of action here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). Whoever has the will must file it with reasonable promptness with the Probate Court, even if the family does not plan to probate it (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5).
- Choose the statewide GPCSF petition. With a will, choose common form or solemn form probate (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-15). Solemn form binds heirs who receive notice, while common form does not become conclusive until four years from the order admitting the will (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19). With no will, use the petition for letters of administration and identify the heirs (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20).
- Prepare the packet in Carroll County's required format. Use the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9, complete every practical blank, and list heirs fully, including collateral relatives and the deceased ancestor through whom they are related. Filed documents must be typed, printed or legibly hand-printed in black ink on 8.5 by 11 inch white paper, except for originals such as wills and codicils.
- File with the Carroll County Probate Court. File in person on an appointment, by mail to P.O. Box 338, Carrollton, GA 30112, or in the drop box to the left of the entrance with the filing fees. Estate petitions are not filed by fax or electronic transmittal unless the clerk or judge specifically authorizes it. The original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper, and a surety bond is also paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the court costs at filing. Effective January 1, 2025, O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 sets the base filing fee for a decedent's-estate petition at $175.00, plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, service and publication. If the total cannot be computed at filing, the court takes a $30.00 deposit against costs, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d) and O.C.G.A. § 15-9-61. Confirm the current total with the court before filing.
- Complete notice, service and publication. In solemn form, notice goes to all heirs, and if all heirs acknowledge service and assent, the will may be probated and letters may issue without further delay (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-21; O.C.G.A. § 53-5-22). Carroll County's published practice uses sheriff's service, certified mail, acknowledgments of service or publication depending on where the heir lives and whether the heir can be located. Published notices run in the Times-Georgian and are arranged and paid for by the filer.
- Take the oath and address bond. Before letters issue, the petitioner must take the oath before the Probate Judge or a clerk, not before a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24; GPCSF 1, instruction 11). A petitioner outside Georgia can ask about GPCSF 53. An administrator of an intestate estate must give bond unless all heirs consent to waive it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50).
- Receive letters and start administration. The court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration once the petition, notice, oath and bond requirements are satisfied. A certified copy of letters is $10.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, so ask how many certified copies banks, insurers or a closing attorney will need.
- Publish the creditor notice. The personal representative must publish notice to debtors and creditors in the Times-Georgian within 60 days after qualifying, once a week for four consecutive weeks. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41).
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory with the Carroll County Probate Court and mail it to heirs or beneficiaries within six months after qualification unless the duty is waived (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30; O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32). Pay valid claims, distribute property, file any required returns or fiduciary compliance reports, and petition for discharge on GPCSF 33.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Carroll County
Carroll County uses Georgia's statewide probate forms, the numbered GPCSF series adopted for use in probate courts across the state. A document prepared on a Georgia Probate Court Standard Form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and the court may decline to process a substitute that does not conform to the standard form requirements (Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9).
The Carroll County Probate Court publishes no county-specific probate petition forms, cover sheet or estate checklist of its own. Its own estate pages point filers to the standard forms, including GPCSF 3 for letters of administration when there is no will and GPCSF 5 for probate of a will in solemn form.
| Form | Use in Carroll County |
|---|---|
| GPCSF 3 | Petition for letters of administration when there is no will. |
| GPCSF 4 | Petition to probate a will in common form (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-15). |
| GPCSF 5 | Petition to probate a will in solemn form (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-15). |
| GPCSF 9 | Petition for an order declaring no administration is necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). |
| GPCSF 10 | Petition for year's support (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-1). |
| GPCSF 13 | Petition for leave to sell property. |
| GPCSF 32 | Petition to waive bond or grant expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b). |
| GPCSF 33 | Petition for discharge of the personal representative. |
| GPCSF 53 | Commission to administer oath for a petitioner outside Georgia. |
Carroll County's published procedures add two practical filing points: complete the form before filing, because incomplete forms may be returned unfiled, and make the heirs paragraph complete when the heirs include grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews or other collateral relatives. Filed documents must be typed, printed or legibly hand-printed in black ink on 8.5 by 11 inch white paper, except for original documents such as wills and codicils.
Local nuance
Carroll County-specific considerations
| Carroll County practice | What to do |
|---|---|
| Petition cutoff | The office is open until 5:00 p.m., but petitions are processed only until 4:00 p.m. Plan an in-person filing for earlier in the day. |
| Filing channels | Use the court's appointment scheduler, mail the filing with fees, or leave the filing with fees in the drop box to the left of the building entrance. Do not send an estate petition by fax or electronic transmittal unless the clerk or judge specifically authorizes it. |
| Paper and completeness | Use black ink on 8.5 by 11 inch white paper, or type or print the filing. Complete the statewide form before filing, especially the heirs paragraph. |
| Notice and publication | For solemn form, heirs receive notice through acknowledgment, sheriff's service, certified mail or publication depending on the facts. Published notices and creditor notices run in the Times-Georgian, and the filer arranges and pays the newspaper directly. |
| Article 6 contested matters | Because Carroll County is an Article 6 court, a civil party may demand a jury trial in writing (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121), and an appeal goes to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123). |
Recent updates
| Date | Carroll County change |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | The Carroll County Probate Court moved to the fifth floor of the courthouse at 311 Newnan Street in Carrollton. The court announced the relocation for the week of July 14 to 18, 2025, with its address, phone, fax and mailing address otherwise unchanged. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Carroll County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Property with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside probate. If the home or accounts were in the decedent's sole name, file in the Carroll County Probate Court by appointment, mail or drop box. The court's own estate instructions point surviving spouses toward year's support, which can set aside property including a home, is preferred before other debts and must be filed within 24 months of death (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-1; O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5). | Sunset helps identify which assets pass outside probate, which assets belong in the estate settlement, and whether the spouse should ask a Carroll County probate attorney about year's support before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | The filing can be mailed to P.O. Box 338, Carrollton, GA 30112 with the filing fees, but the original will must be paper and the oath cannot be notarized. Use GPCSF 53 if the oath needs to be taken before a court of record outside Georgia. If the only asset is a qualifying bank deposit, ask the financial institution whether it can release the deposit without a court filing under O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239. | Sunset organizes the assets, helps prepare the packet for mailing, flags the oath issue early, and helps decide whether the estate settlement can avoid a full appointment. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house sale usually requires letters plus authority. The personal representative may need expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) through unanimous consent and published citation, or a petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13. If there is no will, all heirs agree, and the estate has no debts or all creditors consent or do not object, an order declaring no administration is necessary may vest title in the heirs (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). A certified order affecting Carroll County land is recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court deed records. | Sunset helps locate the house, debts, heirs and accounts, then connects the family to a Carroll County probate attorney when a sale, title company, missing heir or expanded-powers request makes legal help important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Carroll County Probate Court https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/748/Probate-Court | The filing office for Carroll County estates, with address, hours, phone, fax, email, estate pages, appointment link and court procedures. |
| Carroll County Probate Court appointment scheduler https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/750/Schedule-an-Appointment | Use this page to book an estate, adult guardianship or minor guardianship filing appointment. The page also notes the drop-box option for estate and guardianship filings with fees. |
| Carroll County Probate Court estates guidance https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/231/Estates | The court's own estate pages on probate of wills, estates with no will, inheritance and related filing instructions. |
| Carroll County Probate Court solemn form notice rules https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/229/Solemn-Form-Notice-Rules | Explains Carroll County practice for acknowledging service, sheriff's service, certified mail and publication in a solemn form probate. |
| Carroll County Probate Court operating procedures https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/266/Operating-Procedures | Explains payment of costs, format requirements, completeness of forms, limits on fax and electronic filing, and how routine hearings are set. |
| Carroll County Probate Court on representing yourself https://www.carrollcountyga.gov/754/Do-I-Need-An-Attorney | Explains that you may represent yourself, while court staff cannot give legal advice or complete forms for you. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ | Current statewide GPCSF forms for Georgia probate courts, including GPCSF 1, GPCSF 3, GPCSF 5, GPCSF 9, GPCSF 10, GPCSF 33 and GPCSF 53. |
| Supreme Court of Georgia probate forms index https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ | The Supreme Court of Georgia index for the standard forms and general instructions. |
| Georgia probate records portal used by participating probate courts https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com | Carroll County appears in this participating-court estate search. If a case does not appear, call the Carroll County Probate Court. |
| Times-Georgian legal notices https://www.times-georgian.com/classifieds/community/announcements/legal/ | Carroll County's legal organ for creditor notices and other published probate notices. Publication is arranged and paid for separately from court costs. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ | Free civil legal help for eligible people in the 154 Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta, including Carroll County. Apply online or through statewide intake at 1-833-457-7529, and ask whether it can help with the estate issue. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia https://gaprobate.gov/ | Statewide probate court information, Uniform Probate Court Rules, Article 6 roster and probate court directory. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps a family build the estate settlement picture before filing by identifying bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, real estate clues and debts that may affect which Carroll County petition fits.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns what the family knows into an organized probate packet using the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, with Carroll County filing details such as the courthouse address, mailing address, appointment practice and drop-box option.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate settlement involves a house sale, missing heirs, a caveat, expanded powers, bond questions or Article 6 litigation, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Carroll County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by its partners, not by grieving families, so families can organize the estate, locate assets and decide whether they need legal help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Carroll County?
File with the Carroll County Probate Court on the fifth floor of the courthouse at 311 Newnan Street in Carrollton. Mail goes to P.O. Box 338, Carrollton, GA 30112. Georgia venue for administration is the county where the decedent lived at death, or, for a nonresident of Georgia, a Georgia county where the decedent owned property or had a bona fide cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Do I need an appointment at the Carroll County Probate Court?
The court publishes an online scheduler for estate, adult guardianship and minor guardianship filings. It also accepts estate filings by mail with the fees and through the drop box to the left of the building entrance with the fees. Call 770-830-5840 before making the trip if you are unsure which option fits your filing.
What are the Carroll County Probate Court's hours?
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Petitions are processed only until 4:00 p.m., and marriage and weapons carry licenses are issued only until 4:15 p.m. Arrive well before 4:00 p.m. if you plan to file a petition in person.
Can I file probate documents online in Carroll County?
No online estate filing is published for Carroll County. The court's published procedures say pleadings and documents may not be filed by fax or electronic transmittal unless the clerk or judge specifically authorizes it. Estate filings go in person by appointment, by mail, or through the court's drop box, with the filing fees. The original will always goes to the court on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Carroll County?
Effective January 1, 2025, the statutory base filing fee for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60), plus statutory add-ons including the $15.00 indigent defense fee on named decedent's-estate petitions (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6), service and publication. The fee tables on the court's own pages were set before the current statute, so confirm the current total with the court at 770-830-5840 before filing. If the total cannot be computed at filing, the court takes a $30.00 deposit against costs, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d) and O.C.G.A. § 15-9-61.
Does the Carroll County Probate Court have its own forms?
No. Carroll County publishes no county-specific probate petition forms. Use the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, and complete the form carefully. A document on a standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a substitute document must conform to the standard form requirements (Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9).
How do I look up a Carroll County estate case?
Use georgiaprobaterecords.com, a records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Carroll County appears in the portal's estate search. If the estate does not appear there, call the Carroll County Probate Court at 770-830-5840.
Where does the notice to creditors get published in Carroll County?
The notice to debtors and creditors runs in the Times-Georgian. The personal representative must publish within 60 days of qualifying, once a week for four consecutive weeks, and creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41). The Probate Court says the filer arranges and pays the newspaper directly.
What happens if an heir lives out of state?
For solemn form probate, notice must be given to all heirs (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-21; O.C.G.A. § 53-5-22). In Carroll County, an out-of-state heir is served by the court by certified mail unless the heir signs a notarized acknowledgment of service. A Georgia heir is personally served by the sheriff of the county where that heir lives unless the heir signs an acknowledgment or the petition asks for certified mail instead.
Do I have to travel to Carrollton if I live out of state?
Not always. A filing can be mailed with the fees, but the oath cannot be notarized. It must be administered by a probate judge or clerk (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24; GPCSF 1, instruction 11). An out-of-state petitioner can ask about using GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record where they live.
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.