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Houston County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Houston County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Houston County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 201 N. Perry Parkway, Perry, GA 31069 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 1801, Perry, GA 31069 |
| Phone | (478) 218-4710 |
| Fax | (478) 218-4715 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Estate documents may be filed during office hours without an appointment, but an appointment is needed to speak with a clerk or the Probate Judge about a filing. |
| Filing fee | On Houston County's posted schedule effective January 1, 2025, a decedent's-estate petition on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 is $210.00, built from the $175.00 statutory base (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60), the $15.00 indigent defense fee (O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6), a $15.00 law library and alternative dispute resolution add-on and a $5.00 technology fee. Other decedent's-estate petitions are $195.00 on the same schedule (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). Confirm the current total with the court before filing. |
| Local forms | Georgia's statewide GPCSF forms are used. Houston County also publishes its own annual return, inventory, notice to debtors and creditors materials, heirs determination worksheet, affidavit of diligent search, objection form, amendment form, motion or petition cover form and self-represented filer brochure. |
| E-filing | Available through TrueFiling at https://tf3.truefiling.com/ and permissive, not mandatory. TrueFiling charges $14.00 per petition or caveat, current as August 2026, plus a 3.25 percent card processing fee. The original will and any codicil must still reach the Probate Court on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before the final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case lookup | Houston County links the georgiaprobaterecords.com estate search, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts, for Houston County estate matters from 2016 to date. |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes a Zoom oath appointment scheduler for cases on its ready-to-schedule list. The instructions are written for attorneys, so a self-represented petitioner should call (478) 218-4710 to ask how the oath will be administered. |
| Website | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/probate-court.cms |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Houston County, list the assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries, title documents, account statements and any will or codicil. That first inventory determines whether you need probate of a will in common form or solemn form, letters of administration, year's support, or an order that no administration is necessary, and it also affects publication, bond and whether a house can be sold.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions and helps families build that list before estate settlement starts at the Houston County Probate Court. You still need to confirm the current filing cost with the court, arrange any required Houston Home Journal advertisement and deliver the original will to Perry on paper.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Houston County Probate Court is the only probate filing office for Houston County. It sits in the county's judicial complex at 201 N. Perry Parkway in Perry and publishes no satellite probate counter. Families in Warner Robins, Centerville, Bonaire, Kathleen, Elko and elsewhere in the county file in Perry, by mail to the court's P.O. Box, or through TrueFiling when electronic filing is appropriate.
Georgia has one probate court in each county. Venue for administration belongs in the county where the decedent was a resident at death, or, for a nonresident of Georgia, a county where the decedent owned property or had a bona fide cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). A petition for an order that no administration is necessary is filed in the county of the decedent's domicile, or for a decedent domiciled outside Georgia, the county where the real property is located (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
Houston County is an Article 6 probate court. In a civil case, a party may demand a jury trial in writing and an appeal goes directly to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia (O.C.G.A. §§ 15-9-121, 15-9-123). The court also shares concurrent jurisdiction with the superior courts over certain fiduciary and will-construction matters (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-127).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the will, death certificate, heirs and assets. If the death certificate is not already on file in Houston County, the court says to provide a certified copy. Whoever has the will must file it with the Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5).
- Choose the statewide GPCSF petition. Use the statewide form for common form probate or solemn form probate under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, letters of administration under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20, year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, or, when available, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40. Houston County also publishes supporting forms such as its inventory, annual return and notice to debtors and creditors materials.
- File in Perry, by mail, or through TrueFiling. File with the Houston County Probate Court at 201 N. Perry Parkway, mail to P.O. Box 1801, Perry, GA 31069, or use TrueFiling. If any electronic filing includes a will case, the original will and any codicil must be delivered to the court on paper within ten days and before the final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the filing cost. A GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 decedent's-estate petition is $210.00 on Houston County's schedule effective January 1, 2025, including the $175.00 base under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 and the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Other decedent's-estate petitions are $195.00 on the same schedule (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). The court accepts cash, money order and debit or credit cards, but no personal checks.
- Handle citation, service and any newspaper advertisement. The court issues the citation. If notice must be published, Houston County uses the Houston Home Journal. The court publishes a legal advertisement fee of $120.00, current as August 2026, payable to the newspaper, plus $10.00, current as August 2026, if an affidavit is requested. A self-represented filer is responsible for arranging service and filing proof of service when the court does not handle it.
- Take the oath and file any bond. The oath must be administered by a probate judge or clerk and cannot be taken before a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24; GPCSF 1 instruction 11). Houston County contacts the petitioner after processing to schedule the oath, and it publishes a Zoom oath scheduler for cases on its ready-to-schedule list. If the petitioner is outside Georgia, GPCSF 53 can be used for an oath before a court where the petitioner lives. A surety bond is always filed on paper.
- Receive letters. Once the petition is granted, the oath is taken and any bond is filed, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration. Certified copies of letters are $10.00 each on the schedule effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60).
- Publish creditor notice and administer the estate. The personal representative publishes the notice to debtors and creditors within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, in the Houston Home Journal. Creditors have three months after the last publication to notify the personal representative (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41).
- File inventory, returns and close. File and mail the inventory within six months of qualification unless waived (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-30, 53-7-32). Use Houston County's annual return form until discharge. To close, file GPCSF 33 and attach written proof that the creditor notice ran for four weeks in the Houston Home Journal.
Executor duties
Houston County publishes local guidance for personal representatives, the Georgia umbrella term for executors and administrators. These are office practices that matter after letters testamentary or letters of administration issue.
| Duty | Houston County practice |
|---|---|
| Notice to debtors and creditors | Publish in the Houston Home Journal within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks. 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. |
| Proof for discharge | Houston County says written proof that the notice ran in the Houston Home Journal for four weeks must be submitted with the petition for discharge. Without that proof, the petition for discharge cannot be processed. |
| Inventory | File the inventory within six months of appointment unless waived, itemising property with approximate fair market values (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-30, 53-7-32). Houston County publishes its own inventory form. |
| Annual return | Use the court's annual return form and file within sixty days of each anniversary until discharge. A fiduciary compliance report with assets is $40.00 on the schedule effective January 1, 2025, and one with no assets carries no fee (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Debt priority | The court's published priority list starts with year's support, then funeral costs, expenses of administration, last illness expenses, taxes and other government debts, judgments, liens and secured debts, and then other claims. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Houston County
Georgia uses statewide numbered probate forms, the GPCSF series. A document prepared on the statewide standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a court may decline to process a substitute document that does not conform to the standard form under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
Houston County's forms page includes rehosted statewide petitions, including GPCSF 3 for letters of administration, GPCSF 4 for common form probate, GPCSF 5 for solemn form probate and GPCSF 10 for year's support (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-5, 53-3). The court also publishes local supporting documents: an annual return of fiduciary, a personal representative inventory, a notice to debtors and creditors information sheet and blank notice, an heirs determination worksheet, an affidavit of diligent search, an objection form, an amendment to petition form, a motion or petition cover form and its self-represented filer brochure.
The court says staff can provide blank Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, explain procedures and give general guidance, but staff cannot give legal advice, tell you which petition to file, suggest wording or recommend an attorney.
Fees
Houston County publishes a current estate fee table and the Georgia Council of Probate Court Judges schedule that applies locally. The amounts below are from the schedule effective January 1, 2025, unless a row says current as August 2026. Always confirm the amount with the Houston County Probate Court at (478) 218-4710 before filing.
| Fee item | Amount and effective date |
|---|---|
| GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 decedent's-estate petition | $210.00, effective January 1, 2025. The total includes the $175.00 base fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, a $15.00 law library and alternative dispute resolution add-on and a $5.00 technology fee. |
| Other decedent's-estate petition, including temporary letters and discharge | $195.00, effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Motion, response, request, citation or caveat | $75.00, effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Fiduciary compliance report | $40.00 with assets and no fee with no assets, effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Certified copy of letters | $10.00 each, effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Copies | $1.00 per page, effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Legal advertisement | The court publishes a legal advertisement fee of $120.00, current as August 2026, payable to the Houston Home Journal, plus $10.00, current as August 2026, if an affidavit is requested. The court describes the calculation as $15.00 per 100 words times the number of weeks, current as August 2026. |
| Sheriff's service outside Houston County but within Georgia | $50.00 per heir, beneficiary or person, current as August 2026. |
| Guardian ad litem | $175.00, current as August 2026. |
| TrueFiling charge | $14.00 per petition or caveat, current as August 2026, charged by TrueFiling, plus a 3.25 percent card processing fee. |
The court accepts cash, money order and debit or credit cards. It does not accept personal checks. Card payments are processed through an outside vendor that charges its own additional fee.
Local nuance
Houston County-specific considerations
| Local practice | What it means |
|---|---|
| Walk-in filing, appointment for discussion | You may file estate documents during office hours without an appointment. If you need to speak with a clerk or the Probate Judge about a filing, the court says to make an appointment. |
| TrueFiling is available | Petitions may be filed through TrueFiling, but e-filing is permissive. The original will and any codicil must still be delivered on paper within ten days of an electronic filing and before letters issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Zoom oath scheduling is limited | The court publishes a Zoom oath scheduler for cases on its ready-to-schedule list. The instructions are written for attorneys, so a self-represented petitioner should call the court before assuming a remote oath is available. |
| No personal checks | The court accepts cash, money order and debit or credit cards. Card payments carry an outside vendor fee. |
| Emailing clerks in contested matters | The court says that if you email a clerk, you must copy all interested parties or their counsel when required, or the email will be left unread. This is especially important in a caveat or other contested estate. |
| Houston Home Journal publication | The court names the Houston Home Journal as the legal newspaper for estate advertisements and requires proof of four weeks of creditor-notice advertising before a discharge petition can be processed. |
Recent updates
| Local update | What changed |
|---|---|
| TrueFiling now accepted | The Houston County Probate Court accepts electronic filing through TrueFiling. TrueFiling charges $14.00 per petition or caveat, current as August 2026, plus a 3.25 percent card processing fee, and Houston County says its statutory fees remain unchanged. |
| 2025 estate fee schedule posted | The court posted the Georgia Council of Probate Court Judges schedule effective January 1, 2025, showing $210.00 for GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 and $195.00 for other decedent's-estate petitions (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| 2025 local fiduciary forms | The court publishes 2025 revisions of its annual return of fiduciary and personal representative inventory. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Houston County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | File in Perry if probate is needed. If the spouse needs property set aside for support, year's support can include a home, is preferred before other debts and must be filed within 24 months of death (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-3-1, 53-3-5). In Houston County, GPCSF 10 is a $210.00 petition on the schedule effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60), and the court says a legal advertisement fee of $120.00, current as August 2026, is required for a year's support petition. | Sunset helps identify title, mortgages, accounts and benefits so the spouse and attorney can decide whether estate settlement needs a probate petition, year's support or no court transfer for survivorship property. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Petitions can be mailed or filed through TrueFiling, but the original will still goes to Perry on paper. The oath cannot be notarised, so the child can use GPCSF 53 before a court where they live or ask the Houston County Probate Court about its Zoom oath scheduling. If there is no will, all heirs agree and the debt rules are satisfied, an order that no administration is necessary may be the shorter court route (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40), and Houston County lists GPCSF 9 as a $210.00 petition effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). | Sunset organizes the asset list, heir information and institution follow-up so an out-of-state family can avoid repeated trips and prepare a cleaner estate settlement packet. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If heirs unanimously consent and notice is published, the court can grant powers and waive bond or reports under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b), often using GPCSF 32. Houston County says an administration requesting powers and waiver of bond requires a legal advertisement. Without those powers, a petition for leave to sell property, GPCSF 13, is a $195.00 petition effective January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). If heirs instead use an order that no administration is necessary, the order affecting Houston County land is recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court in the same building (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40(d)). | Sunset helps find liens, accounts, insurance and mortgage information, then connects the family with a vetted attorney when a sale, powers petition or contested heir issue makes counsel important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Houston County Probate Court | Hours, payment methods, TrueFiling notice and general court services. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/probate-court.cms (478) 218-4710 |
| Houston County estate page | Estate filing standards, per-petition fee table, legal advertisement costs, service costs, discharge costs and Houston County estate case lookup. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/estate.cms |
| Houston County forms page | Statewide GPCSF petitions hosted by the court plus Houston County supporting forms, including inventory, annual return, notice materials and affidavit of diligent search. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/commonprobateforms.cms |
| Houston County personal representative duties page | Local guidance on creditor notice, inventory, annual returns, debt priority and discharge. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/duties-responsibilities-of-personal-representatives.cms |
| Proceeding pro se in probate court | The court's brochure for self-represented filers, including what staff can and cannot do. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/skins/userfiles/files/K-PROCEEDING%20PRO%20SE%20IN%20PROBATE%20COURT.pdf |
| Houston County probate videos | Videos published by the court, produced by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia and the Administrative Office of the Courts, with several Spanish versions. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/probatevideos.cms |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms | Current statewide GPCSF PDFs and general instructions used in all Georgia probate courts. | https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index | Statewide index for Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. | https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ |
| Georgia probate records portal for participating courts | Houston County estate case lookup from 2016 to date, as linked by the court. | https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx |
| Houston Home Journal | Houston County legal newspaper for estate advertisements. The court lists 1210 Washington St, Perry, GA 31069 and (478) 987-1823. | https://hhjonline.com/ |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Civil legal aid for Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta. Use the statewide intake line first. The Macon regional office is the nearest listed office. | https://www.glsp.org/ Statewide intake: 1-833-457-7529 Macon: 241 Third Street, Macon, (478) 751-6261 |
| Houston County Clerk of Superior Court, Real Estate Division | Where a certified probate order affecting Houston County land is recorded after the Probate Court enters it. | https://www.houstoncountyga.gov/government/superior-court-clerk.cms 201 N. Perry Parkway, Perry (478) 218-4720 |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for accounts, policies, benefits and other assets so the family has a clearer starting point before choosing a Houston County filing path. Estate settlement goes faster when the asset list is organized before the petition is prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the Georgia GPCSF forms, Houston County supporting documents and the filing checklist, including the original will, death certificate, heir information and asset summary.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a caveat, missing heir, house sale, year's support dispute or Article 6 contested matter, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by partners, not by grieving families, and can help coordinate estate settlement tasks without charging a family subscription fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Houston County, Georgia?
File with the Houston County Probate Court at 201 N. Perry Parkway in Perry, or mail the filing to P.O. Box 1801, Perry, GA 31069. A death in Warner Robins, Centerville or elsewhere in Houston County is filed in Perry.
How much does it cost to file probate in Houston County?
On the Houston County schedule effective January 1, 2025, a decedent's-estate petition on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 is $210.00, including the $175.00 statutory base under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 and the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Most other decedent's-estate petitions are $195.00 on the same schedule (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). Publication, service and card processing can add cost.
Can I file online in Houston County Probate Court?
Yes. Houston County accepts permissive electronic filing through TrueFiling. TrueFiling charges $14.00 per petition or caveat, current as August 2026, plus a 3.25 percent card fee. The original will and any codicil still must be delivered to the Probate Court on paper within ten days of any electronic filing and before the final order and letters testamentary issue under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
Does the Houston County Probate Court take personal checks?
No. The court accepts cash, money order and debit or credit cards, current as August 2026. Card payments go through an outside vendor that charges its own additional fee.
Do I need an appointment to file estate papers in Houston County?
No appointment is published for filing estate documents during office hours. The court does require an appointment if you need to speak with a clerk or the Probate Judge about a filing.
How do I take the oath if I live outside Georgia?
The oath of office cannot be taken before a notary. 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 use GPCSF 53, Commission to Administer Oath, before a court where the petitioner lives. Houston County also publishes a Zoom oath scheduler for cases on its ready-to-schedule list, but the instructions are written for attorneys, so call (478) 218-4710 before relying on it.
Which newspaper publishes the notice to creditors in Houston County?
The Houston Home Journal in Perry. The personal representative must publish the notice within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months after the last publication to notify the personal representative under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. The court publishes a legal advertisement fee of $120.00, current as August 2026, payable to the newspaper, plus $10.00, current as August 2026, if an affidavit is requested.
How do I look up a Houston County estate case?
The court links the georgiaprobaterecords.com search, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts, for Houston County estate matters from 2016 to date. For earlier matters or copies, contact the Houston County Probate Court.
Does Houston County have its own probate forms?
The statewide GPCSF forms govern. Houston County also publishes local supporting documents, including an annual return, inventory, notice to debtors and creditors materials, an heirs determination worksheet, an affidavit of diligent search and a self-represented filer brochure.
Can a Houston County probate case go to a jury?
Houston County is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial in writing, and appeals go directly to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia (O.C.G.A. §§ 15-9-121, 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.