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Charlton County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Charlton County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Charlton County Probate Court, in the county's Probate & Magistrate Court office |
| Courthouse address | 1520 Third Street, Suite B, Folkston, GA 31537 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address unless the court gives you different mailing instructions. |
| Phone | (912) 496-2230 |
| Fax | (912) 496-7045 |
| Hours | Call (912) 496-2230 before visiting. The court page does not list counter hours. |
| Filing fee | For a decedent's-estate petition, Georgia's statutory base 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, and separate service and publication costs. Confirm the current total with the court. |
| Local forms | No Charlton County-specific probate packet was found. Use the statewide GPCSF forms. |
| E-filing | TrueFiling is available for eligible probate filings and is permissive, not mandatory. The original will and any codicil must still reach the court on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before letters issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case search | No online estate case search covering Charlton County was found. Call the Probate Court about a specific case. |
| Remote appearance | No remote-appearance policy is posted. Ask the court whether a hearing can be handled without appearing in person. |
| Website | Charlton County Probate & Magistrate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file, list the assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and any will or codicil. In Charlton County, that preparation matters because the filing path depends on whether there is a will, whether real estate is involved, whether heirs agree and whether you need authority to sell property.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can help identify accounts across more than 2,300 institutions before you pay a filing fee or choose between paper filing, TrueFiling and a trip to the Folkston counter.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Charlton County Probate Court serves Folkston, the county seat, and the unincorporated communities across the rest of Charlton County, which borders the Okefenokee Swamp. There is one probate filing office for the county, at 1520 Third Street, Suite B, in Folkston.
Georgia has a probate court in each county. A Charlton County estate is filed with the Charlton County Probate Court, not with a district office and not with the Clerk of Superior Court. Administration may be granted only for a person who lived in Charlton County at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Charlton County or had a cause of action here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
If the path is an order 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 the real property is located if the decedent was not domiciled in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). A party seeking review of a Charlton County Probate Court decision files a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). The proceeding is de novo, with the jury right preserved, under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d).
Charlton County has a separate Board of Elections and Registration. The Probate Court is not the county's current election office.
The jurisdiction process
- Find and file the original will, if there is one. Whoever has the will must file it with the Charlton County Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). If you e-file an eligible petition through TrueFiling, the original will and any codicil must still reach the court on paper within ten days and before letters issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Choose the correct statewide GPCSF petition. With a will, Georgia probate may be in common form or solemn form (O.C.G.A. § 53-5). Common form does not become conclusive for four years from the order admitting the will (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19). Solemn form gives notice and binds the heirs who are properly served. With no will, use the petition for letters of administration under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20.
- File at the Charlton County Probate Court, by paper at 1520 Third Street, Suite B, Folkston, by mail to the same address, or through TrueFiling for documents eligible for e-filing. Georgia courts must accommodate self-represented paper filers under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the filing cost at filing. 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 and separate service and publication costs. Ask the court for the current total.
- Complete citation and service. The court issues the citation, and the petitioner arranges service, acknowledgment or publication. Published citations in Charlton County run in the Charlton County Herald.
- Take the oath before the probate judge or a court clerk. The oath for a personal representative cannot be administered by a notary. If you are outside Georgia, ask about GPCSF 53, Commission to Administer Oath.
- Address bond if the estate is intestate. 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 testamentary or letters of administration. Those letters are the personal representative's authority to collect assets, manage estate settlement tasks, pay claims and handle property.
- Publish the creditor notice after qualification. The personal representative must publish within 60 days, once a week for four weeks, in the Charlton County Herald. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
- File and mail the inventory unless it is waived. The personal representative files the inventory with the court and mails it to heirs or beneficiaries within six months after qualification, unless relieved or waived under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32.
- Pay claims, distribute property and close the estate. When administration is complete, file any required fiduciary compliance report and use GPCSF 33 to petition for discharge.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Charlton County
Charlton County uses Georgia's statewide Probate Court Standard Forms, the GPCSF series. 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.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| GPCSF 1 | General instructions, including the oath rule. |
| GPCSF 3 | Petition for Letters of Administration when there is no will. |
| GPCSF 4 | Petition to Probate Will in Common Form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. |
| GPCSF 5 | Petition to Probate Will in Solemn Form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. |
| GPCSF 9 | Petition for Order Declaring No Administration Necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40. |
| GPCSF 10 | Petition for Year's Support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3. |
| GPCSF 32 | Petition by Personal Representative for Waiver of Bond and/or Grant of Certain Powers. |
| GPCSF 33 | Petition for Discharge of Personal Representative. |
| GPCSF 53 | Commission to Administer Oath for a petitioner outside Georgia. |
No Charlton County-specific probate cover sheet, checklist or decedent's-estate packet was found on the county court page. If you use TrueFiling, remember that an original will is still a paper filing.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Charlton County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Property with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside the estate. If the home or accounts were in the decedent's sole name, the spouse files with the Charlton County Probate Court. Year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 can set aside property, including the family home, is preferred before other debts, and must be filed within 24 months of death under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. Publication runs in the Charlton County Herald. | Sunset helps identify which assets are probate assets, organize the spouse's information and prepare for estate settlement before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | TrueFiling can help with eligible documents, but the original will must be sent to 1520 Third Street, Suite B, Folkston, GA 31537 on paper within ten days of any electronic filing. The oath cannot be notarized, so an out-of-state petitioner either travels to Folkston or uses GPCSF 53 before a court of record where they live. For a modest bank deposit, ask the financial institution about the direct-payment route under O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239. | Sunset helps the child gather account details, identify whether a court filing is needed and coordinate documents without unnecessary travel. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of the child's house runs through the Charlton County Probate Court. The personal representative may need expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) with unanimous consent and publication, or a petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13. If there is no will, all heirs agree and debts are resolved, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 may vest title in the heirs. A certified copy affecting Charlton County land is recorded in the deed records through the Charlton County Clerk of Superior Court. | Sunset helps map heirs, debts, land and sale documents, then connects the family with a Georgia probate attorney when a sale or title issue needs counsel. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Charlton County Probate & Magistrate Court | Local court page for the Folkston office, phone number, address and combined court services. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms | Current statewide GPCSF forms used for Charlton County decedent's-estate filings. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia | Statewide probate court information, Uniform Probate Court Rules and directory resources. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Free civil legal help for people who qualify in Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta, including Charlton County. Apply online or call 1-833-457-7529. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language Georgia legal information, including materials on wills, estates and steps after a death. |
| Georgia Courts self-help resources | Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts orientation for people navigating Georgia courts without a lawyer. |
When to hire an attorney
You can file many Georgia probate petitions without a lawyer, but counsel is useful when the estate includes timber or Okefenokee-area land, heirs disagree, a caveat is filed, a house must be sold, or a petition for review in the superior court is likely under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset's estate settlement platform searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts and other assets before you choose a Charlton County filing path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the Georgia GPCSF forms, including heirs, assets, debts, service details and the local filing office in Folkston.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate has land, a sale, a disagreement, a caveat or a likely petition for review, Sunset can connect the family with a Georgia probate attorney who handles Charlton County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, track accounts and prepare for probate without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Charlton County?
File with the Charlton County Probate Court at 1520 Third Street, Suite B, Folkston, GA 31537. Georgia venue allows administration 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 cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Can I file online in Charlton County Probate Court?
TrueFiling is available for eligible probate filings in Charlton County, but it is permissive rather than mandatory. A self-represented filer can still use paper filing. 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).
What does it cost to open an estate in Charlton 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. Add statutory charges, including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6 for the named decedent's-estate petitions, plus separate service and publication costs. Call the court to confirm the current total before filing.
Does the Charlton County Probate Court have its own probate forms?
No county-specific probate forms were found. Use the statewide GPCSF forms, including GPCSF 3 for letters of administration, GPCSF 4 for common form probate under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, GPCSF 5 for solemn form probate under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, GPCSF 9 for an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, and GPCSF 10 for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3.
How do I look up a Charlton County estate case?
Charlton County is not in the participating georgiaprobaterecords.com estate search. Call the Charlton County Probate Court at (912) 496-2230 to ask about a specific estate case.
What are the Charlton County Probate Court's hours?
The court page does not list counter hours. Call (912) 496-2230 before you drive to the Probate & Magistrate Court office.
Where is the notice to creditors published in Charlton County?
The notice to creditors is published in the Charlton County Herald, Folkston. After qualification, the personal representative must publish within 60 days, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months from the last publication to give notice of claims under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
What if I disagree with a Charlton County Probate Court decision?
A party seeking review files a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days of the judgment under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). The proceeding is de novo, with the jury right preserved, under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d).
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.