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Glynn County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Glynn County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Glynn County Probate Court |
| Filing address | 701 G Street, Brunswick, GA 31520, in the historic courthouse building |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is posted for the Probate Court. Mail estate filings to 701 G Street, Brunswick, GA 31520. |
| Phone | (912) 554-7231 |
| Fax | 888-841-9712 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | The department page posts Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The court's marriage license page posts 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and marriage licenses by appointment only. Call (912) 554-7231 before arriving early or late in the day. |
| Filing fee | Glynn County's schedule, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, lists $204.00 for permanent administration, probate in common form, probate in solemn form, no administration necessary and year's support. Georgia's statutory base is $175.00 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 on each named decedent's-estate petition. Service and publication are separate. |
| Forms | Statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, the GPCSF series. Glynn County posts no petition forms of its own, but it does publish a pro se brochure. |
| E-filing | Permissive Odyssey eFileGA. A self-represented filer may still file on paper at the counter or by mail. Adult guardianships and conservatorships may not be e-filed in Glynn County at this time. The original will and any codicil must be filed on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case lookup | No online Glynn County estate index. Request estate records from the Probate Court directly. The court's schedule, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, lists a $10.00 staff record search per estate or name, $1.00 per page for copies and $10.00 for certified copies of letters. |
| Remote appearance | No remote appearance procedure is posted for estate matters. Ask the court whether your hearing can be handled without appearing in person. |
| Website | https://www.glynncounty.org/government/departments/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Glynn County petition, list the assets, debts, beneficiaries, heirs and any property outside Georgia. That matters in Glynn County because estate settlement may involve a Brunswick residence, a Golden Isles second home, accounts with beneficiary designations or land that must later be recorded through a separate deed-record office.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help find accounts before you file. A clearer asset picture helps you decide whether to use probate in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, letters of administration, year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, or an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Glynn County Probate Court at 701 G Street in Brunswick is the only probate filing office for the county. It serves the City of Brunswick, which the county identifies as its only municipality, and the unincorporated mainland and island communities, including St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Blythe Island.
Georgia has one probate court in each county, and a Glynn County estate is filed in Glynn County, not with a district office or with the Clerk of Superior Court. Administration may be granted for a person who lived in Glynn County at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Glynn County or had a cause of action here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). If the petition is for an order that no administration is necessary, Georgia uses the probate court of the decedent's county of domicile, or 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 who disagrees with a Glynn County Probate Court decision files a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days of the judgment (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b)). That proceeding is de novo, meaning the matter is heard again rather than reviewed only on the record, with the jury right preserved (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d)).
The jurisdiction process
- Find the will and identify the right petition. Whoever has the will must file it with the Glynn County Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). With a will, choose probate in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. Common form is not conclusive for four years from the order admitting the will under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19. With no will, use letters of administration under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20.
- Prepare the statewide GPCSF forms. Glynn County uses the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms and posts no county petition forms of its own. Use the court's pro se brochure if you are filing without a lawyer, but do not expect staff to choose the proceeding or check legal sufficiency for you.
- File with the Probate Court in Brunswick. File at 701 G Street, by mail to the same address, or through permissive Odyssey eFileGA. A self-represented filer is not required to e-file. Adult guardianships and conservatorships may not be e-filed in Glynn County at this time.
- Deliver the original will on paper. The original will and any codicil can never be e-filed. If you e-file the petition, the original must reach the Glynn County Probate Court within ten days and before the final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). A surety bond is also paper.
- Pay the filing fee when you file. Glynn County's schedule lists $204.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, for permanent administration, probate in common form, probate in solemn form, no administration necessary and year's support. The statutory base is $175.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, effective January 1, 2025, plus statutory add-ons, including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Service and publication are separate.
- Handle citation, service and publication. The court issues the citation. A self-represented filer must arrange any required personal service, acknowledgment or publication and file returns of service. Published citations and creditor notices run in The Brunswick News, and the publication charge is separate from the filing fee.
- Take the oath and address bond. The petitioner takes the oath before the judge or a probate clerk, not a notary, under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24. A petitioner outside Georgia can use GPCSF 53. An administrator must give bond unless all heirs consent to waive it under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50.
- Receive letters and get certified copies. Once the court appoints and qualifies the personal representative, it issues letters testamentary or letters of administration. Glynn County's schedule lists certified copies of letters at $10.00 each, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60.
- Publish creditor notice and administer the estate. The personal representative must publish notice to creditors 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. File and mail the inventory within six months unless waived under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32.
- Close the estate. Pay claims, distribute property, file any required fiduciary compliance report, and petition for discharge on GPCSF 33. Glynn County lists discharge of a personal representative at $189.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Glynn County
Glynn County uses the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, the numbered GPCSF series. Those forms are accepted in every Georgia probate court, and a court may decline to process a substitute document that does not conform to the standard form rule, Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
The Glynn County Probate Court links the statewide forms from its own site and posts no county petition forms, cover sheet or local estate packet of its own. The court does publish a brochure called Proceeding pro se in probate court, which explains that a self-represented filer must choose the proceeding, complete the forms, arrange service, file returns of service and prepare the case, while court staff cannot recommend which petition to bring or decide whether a document is legally sufficient.
| Common estate 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 7 | Petition to probate will in solemn form and for letters of administration with will annexed |
| 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 13 | Petition of personal representative for leave to sell property |
| GPCSF 32 | Petition by personal representative for waiver of bond or grant of certain powers |
| GPCSF 33 | Petition for discharge of personal representative |
| GPCSF 53 | Commission to administer oath for a petitioner outside Georgia |
Fees
Glynn County publishes a Probate Court Fees schedule effective January 1, 2025. The schedule states that fees are the base filing fees set by the Georgia Probate Council and that additional fees may apply. Georgia's statutory base fee for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, effective January 1, 2025, with statutory add-ons, including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6 on each named decedent's-estate petition. Do not add up the county's $204.00 total yourself; Glynn County posts it as a single total.
| Fee item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permanent administration, probate in common form, probate in solemn form, CTA will annexed, no administration necessary and year's support | $204.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Temporary administration, CTA will previously probated, leave to sell real property, leave to sell perishable property, petition to convey, declaration of death, waiver of bond, discharge of personal representative and disposition of remains | $189.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Motion, response, request, citation or caveat | $75.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Fiduciary compliance report with assets | $40.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Fiduciary compliance report with no assets | No fee, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Copies | $1.00 per page, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Certified copy of letters | $10.00 each, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Staff examination of records or files | $10.00 per estate or name, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Creditor's claim, declination to serve, renunciation of right of succession or will filed for safekeeping | $15.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
| Appeal to superior court, petition for review | $30.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 and O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b) |
| Petition for authority to open a safety deposit box | $89.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 |
Publication is separate from the filing fee. In Glynn County, published citations and creditor notices run in The Brunswick News, and the publication charge should be confirmed with the Probate Court when the citation issues.
Local nuance
Glynn County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Glynn County filing |
|---|---|
| E-filing carve-out | Glynn County accepts permissive Odyssey eFileGA filings, but the court says adult guardianships and conservatorships may not be e-filed at this time. That carve-out does not bar a decedent's estate filing, but the original will and any codicil still must be paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Pro se brochure | The court's own brochure says self-represented filers must choose the proceeding, complete forms correctly, arrange service, file returns of service and prepare the case. Staff can answer basic questions about forms and deadlines, but cannot recommend which petition to bring, do clerical work, assess legal sufficiency or predict the judge's ruling. |
| No online estate index | Estate record requests go directly to the Probate Court. The court's schedule lists a $10.00 staff search per estate or name, $1.00 per page for copies and $10.00 for certified copies of letters, all effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. |
| Two courthouse buildings | Estate petitions are filed with the Probate Court at 701 G Street. The Clerk of Superior Court is at 701 H Street and is relevant only when an order affecting Glynn County land must be recorded in the deed records. |
| Golden Isles property | A person domiciled outside Georgia who owned property on St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island or elsewhere in Glynn County may still have a Glynn County estate matter under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31. |
| Hours vary by page | The department page posts 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The marriage license page posts 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and appointment-only marriage licenses. Call before travelling near the edge of the day. |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Property held 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 Glynn County Probate Court at 701 G Street, by mail or through permissive Odyssey eFileGA. Year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 can set aside property, including a home, and must be filed within 24 months under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. Glynn County lists year's support at $204.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus separate publication. | Sunset helps identify titled assets, beneficiary designations, debts and real estate details before the spouse chooses an estate settlement path or speaks with counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Glynn County accepts permissive Odyssey eFileGA filings, but the original will must be paper within ten days under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). There is no online Glynn County estate index, so records requests go to the court directly. The oath cannot be notarized; use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record where you live, or come to Brunswick. | Sunset organizes account discovery, family information and document checklists so the adult child can reduce unnecessary travel and use the correct Georgia forms. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A personal representative who needs to sell a house may seek expanded powers with unanimous consent under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) and GPCSF 32, or file GPCSF 13 for leave to sell. Glynn County lists those second-group estate petitions at $189.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. If there is no will, the heirs agree and the debt requirements fit, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 may vest title in the heirs. For Glynn County land, the resulting order is recorded through the deed records at 701 H Street, not at the Probate Court counter. | Sunset helps gather property, mortgage, heir and creditor information, then connects the family with a Glynn County probate attorney when a sale, consent issue or title question makes legal advice important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Glynn County Probate Court, https://www.glynncounty.org/government/departments/probate-court | The filing office for Glynn County estates, with the court address, phone, email, e-filing link, statewide forms link and the court's adult guardianship and conservatorship e-filing exception. |
| Glynn County Probate Court fee schedule, https://www.glynncounty.org/government/departments/probate-court/probate-court-fees | Estate filing fees effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, including $204.00 for the main decedent's-estate petition group, $189.00 for the second estate petition group, $75.00 for a motion, response, request, citation or caveat, $10.00 for certified copies of letters and $10.00 for a staff record search per estate or name. |
| Proceeding pro se in probate court, Glynn County Probate Court | The court's brochure for self-represented filers. It explains the filer's duties, the limits on help from court staff and how to ask to proceed in forma pauperis if the filing fee cannot be paid. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ | The current GPCSF forms used in all Georgia probate courts, including GPCSF 1, GPCSF 3, GPCSF 4, GPCSF 5, GPCSF 9, GPCSF 10, GPCSF 33 and GPCSF 53. |
| Estate and guardianship videos, https://gaprobate.gov/videos/ | Instructional videos from the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, linked by the Glynn County Probate Court. |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index, https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ | The Supreme Court of Georgia's index for probate standard forms and general instructions. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, https://gaprobate.gov/ | The statewide probate court site, with the Uniform Probate Court Rules, standard forms and probate court directory. |
| 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 Glynn County. Apply online or call 1-833-457-7529. GLSP also lists a Brunswick regional office at 777 Gloucester Street, Suite 305, Brunswick, GA 31520, (912) 264-7301. Ask whether it can take an estate matter. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org, https://www.georgialegalaid.org/ | Plain-language legal information for Georgia residents, including materials on wills, estates and what to do after someone dies. |
| Georgia Courts self-help resources, https://georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/navigating-the-courts/ | Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts guidance for people navigating Georgia courts without a lawyer. |
| Law library, Brunswick-Glynn County Library, https://moglibraries.org/_books,_movies_and_more/law_library.php | A public law collection at 208 Gloucester Street in Brunswick, with Georgia legal materials and a Westlaw workstation. Library staff do not give legal advice. |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is not required by anything Glynn County posts, and the court publishes a brochure for people filing without one. Counsel makes sense when a Golden Isles home or waterfront property must be sold, when the decedent lived outside Georgia but owned Glynn County property, when heirs will not sign the consents needed for powers or waivers, when a caveat is filed, or when a party is considering a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b), heard de novo under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d). Sunset connects families with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Glynn County matters.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and property clues before you choose a Glynn County probate path. Better asset information makes estate settlement easier and helps avoid filing the wrong petition.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the family information, asset list, debts and heir details needed for the Georgia GPCSF forms used by the Glynn County Probate Court, then helps you prepare for filing by mail, at 701 G Street or through Odyssey eFileGA when electronic filing fits.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves Golden Isles real estate, a sale, a caveat, missing heirs, out-of-state ownership or a petition for review, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Glynn County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a central place to organize estate settlement tasks, track documents and understand next steps without charging the family for the core service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Glynn County?
File with the Glynn County Probate Court at 701 G Street, Brunswick, GA 31520. 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 a Glynn County estate online?
Yes, Glynn County accepts permissive e-filing through Odyssey eFileGA. It is not required. A self-represented filer may file on paper at the counter or by mail, and the original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Glynn County?
Glynn County's schedule lists $204.00, effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, for permanent administration, probate in common form, probate in solemn form, no administration necessary and year's support. The statutory base is $175.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, effective January 1, 2025, plus statutory add-ons, including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6 on each named decedent's-estate petition. Service and publication are separate.
Does Glynn County have its own probate forms?
No. Glynn County uses the statewide GPCSF forms and posts no county petition forms of its own. It does publish a pro se brochure explaining what self-represented filers must do and what court staff cannot do.
How do I look up a Glynn County estate case?
There is no online Glynn County estate index. Ask the Probate Court directly in person at 701 G Street, by phone at (912) 554-7231 or by email at [email protected]. The court's schedule lists a $10.00 staff record search per estate or name, $1.00 per page for copies and $10.00 for certified copies of letters, all effective January 1, 2025 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60.
What are the Glynn County Probate Court hours?
The department page posts Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The court's marriage license page posts 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and says marriage licenses are by appointment only. Call (912) 554-7231 before travelling if you plan to arrive near the beginning or end of the day.
Do I have to travel to Brunswick if I live out of state?
Often not for the initial paperwork, because Glynn County accepts permissive e-filing and paper filings by mail. The oath is different: it must be administered by a probate judge or clerk, not by a notary, under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24 and GPCSF 1. An out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record where they live.
Where does the notice to creditors run in Glynn County?
After qualification, the personal representative must publish notice to creditors within 60 days, once a week for four weeks, in The Brunswick News, Glynn County's legal organ. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months of the last publication lose equal participation rights under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
What if I disagree with the Glynn County Probate Court's 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 superior court proceeding is de novo, meaning the matter is heard again rather than reviewed only on the record, with the jury right preserved under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d).
Is the Probate Court the same as the Clerk of Superior Court?
No. Estate filings go to the Probate Court at 701 G Street. The Clerk of Superior Court is at 701 H Street and does not open estates, but it is where an order affecting Glynn County land, such as an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 or a year's support order under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, is recorded in the deed records.
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.