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Richmond County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Richmond County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Richmond County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Augusta-Richmond County Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin, Jr. Courthouse, 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 1000, Augusta, GA 30901 |
| Mailing address | Richmond County Probate Court, 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 1000, Augusta, GA 30901 |
| Phone | (706) 821-2434 |
| Fax | (706) 821-2442. The court does not accept pleadings by fax unless a clerk or the acting judge specifically authorizes it. |
| [email protected]. The court does not accept pleadings by email unless a clerk or the acting judge specifically authorizes it. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The court publishes a staff meeting on Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., so call ahead before a Monday morning visit. |
| Filing fee | $215.00 for a decedent's-estate petition in the court's fee calculators posted effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026, under Georgia's statewide fee statute, O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Service, publication, guardian ad litem and other court costs are extra. |
| Local forms | Georgia GPCSF standard forms are required. Richmond County also publishes an Estate Research or Copy Request, a Petition for Will Filed Not for Probate, an Affidavit of Indigency and per-petition fee calculators. |
| E-filing | Optional through TrueFiling at https://tf3.truefiling.com/. Paper filing by mail or in person remains available. Original wills must be delivered on paper within ten days of an electronic submission under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case search | Richmond County is included in the Georgia Probate Records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts at https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx. The court's own published document route is an Estate Research or Copy Request by mail or in person. |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes optional e-filing and mail filing, but no remote hearing procedure. Ask the court whether a particular hearing can be handled without travel. |
| Website | https://www.augustaga.gov/197/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Richmond County, list the assets, debts, heirs and possible nonprobate transfers. The filing path, notice cost, need for a bond and whether a real-estate order must be prepared all depend on what the decedent owned and who must be served.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then uses that information to help assemble the Richmond County packet, fee plan and next steps before you file by mail, in person or through TrueFiling.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Every Richmond County estate filing goes to the Richmond County Probate Court in Augusta. Georgia has a probate court in every county, and Richmond County probate filings do not go to a superior court filing office. The Richmond County Probate Court serves Augusta, Hephzibah and Blythe.
File in Richmond County when the decedent lived in Richmond County at death, or when a nonresident decedent owned property in Richmond County. That venue rule comes from O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31, and the court states the same rule in its own filing guidance.
Richmond County is an Article 6 probate court. That means a party to a civil case may demand a jury trial under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and an appeal goes to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123. The Richmond County Probate Court is in the same building as several other courts, but probate filings still belong with the Probate Court in Suite 1000.
The jurisdiction process
- File the original will with the Richmond County Probate Court with reasonable promptness if anyone has it, even if the will is only being lodged and not probated (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). The paper original goes to Suite 1000 at 735 James Brown Boulevard in Augusta.
- Choose the correct statewide petition. A will may be probated in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-15, usually on GPCSF 4 or GPCSF 5. With no will, use the appropriate administration petition, often GPCSF 3 under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20. Richmond County requires the standard forms.
- Complete the petition with every heir's age, address and relationship. The Richmond County Probate Court points filers to an Heir Determination Worksheet. If the will does not have a self-proving affidavit, file the witness interrogatories with the petition.
- Decide how each heir or interested person will receive notice and include the service cost. The court's revised January 2026 calculators list sheriff service at $50.00 per person plus $1.00 per page, certified mail at $15.00 per person plus $1.00 per page, and first class mail notice on certain petitions at $5.00 per person plus $1.00 per page.
- File by TrueFiling, by mail or in person. E-filing is optional. Mailed pleadings must be signed, verified, typed or legibly printed and sent with the required fee, or the court says they will be returned without filing.
- If you e-file, upload a copy of the will and deliver the original will to the court on paper within ten days of the electronic submission. Original surety bonds must also be filed on paper, and the court requires original wet signatures under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the filing fee and court costs at filing (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d); Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.14). The court's fee calculators posted effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026 list $215.00 for the main decedent's-estate petitions under the O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 framework, with service and publication added.
- Wait for clerk review. The court says a clerk reviews the petition for deficiencies and either contacts you for corrections or schedules a hearing. A petition declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, and an uncontested year's support petition under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, can be signed without a hearing if no caveat is filed.
- Take the oath before the probate judge or a clerk, never before a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24). Richmond County gives the oath at the hearing before letters issue. An out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 so a court where the petitioner lives administers the oath.
- Post bond unless the will or unanimous heir consent relieves it, or unless the court orders otherwise (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50). Richmond County also notes that the judge may require a bond, inventory and annual returns.
- Receive letters testamentary or letters of administration after the judge signs the order, the oath is given and all fees and costs are paid. The court's revised January 2026 copy schedule lists certified copies at $10.00 plus $1.00 per page after the first.
- Publish the creditor notice in The Augusta Chronicle within 60 days after qualification, once a week for four weeks, and track the three months after the last publication under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. In Richmond County, the clerk prepares the notice and gives it to the personal representative with the order and letters.
- Administer the estate, pay valid claims, keep receipts and file any inventory, returns or fiduciary compliance reports the court requires. Georgia's inventory statute is O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30, and waivers are addressed in O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32.
- Close the estate when administration is complete. Richmond County's revised January 2026 calculators list GPCSF 33, the petition for discharge, at $200.00, plus any final return and publication cost the court requires.
Executor duties
Richmond County adds several practical steps to the statewide duties of a personal representative. The court tells appointed executors and administrators to work to its inventory and annual return schedule, while Georgia law separately requires an inventory unless relieved or waived (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and § 53-7-32). Because the court's local instruction is tighter than the statewide six months in O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30, confirm the return schedule with the Probate Court, especially the returns line at (706) 821-2432.
| Duty | Richmond County practice |
|---|---|
| Creditor notice | Publish the debtors and creditors notice in The Augusta Chronicle within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the representative under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. In Richmond County, the clerk prepares the notice and gives it to the personal representative with the order and letters. |
| Certified copies | Certified copies of letters come from the Probate Court. The court's revised January 2026 copy schedule lists $10.00 for a certified copy plus $1.00 per page after the first, with a $10.00 research fee per estate for a mailed or research-requiring request. |
| Real property set aside as year's support | When real property is awarded as year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, prepare an original Certificate of Order of Year's Support for each county where the property sits and provide a PT-61 for each parcel. The court's revised January 2026 fee calculators list a $25.00 superior court filing fee per county per property, paid to the Probate Court. |
| Discharge | To close the estate, use GPCSF 33. The court's revised January 2026 fee calculators list $200.00 for the petition for discharge, $40.00 for a final return with assets or transactions, no fee for a final return with no assets, and $30.00 for the one-time publication designating the objection date. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Richmond County
Richmond County estates are filed on Georgia's statewide GPCSF standard forms, and the Richmond County Probate Court says it requires those forms. The court points filers to the Council of Probate Court Judges standard forms and the Supreme Court of Georgia standard-form index. A document prepared on a Georgia standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a non-standard substitute must conform to Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
Richmond County has useful local instructions on how to use those forms. The court says it does not generally require the filing party to prepare the notices, orders or letters that are part of the standard forms, so those pages can usually be left out. Two real-estate exceptions matter: on a year's support petition under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, the filer prepares the Certificate of Order for Year's Support, pages 9 to 11 of GPCSF 10, when real property is awarded; on a petition for an order declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, the filer prepares the final order with the full legal description. Both require a PT-61 for each parcel.
| Form or document | How Richmond County uses it |
|---|---|
| GPCSF 1 | General instructions, including the rule that a personal representative's oath is administered by a probate judge or clerk, not a notary. |
| GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 | Common estate-starting petitions used in Richmond County, including letters of administration, common form and solemn form probate under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, an order declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, and year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3. |
| GPCSF 13 and 33 | Leave to sell property and discharge of the personal representative. |
| GPCSF 53 | Commission to Administer Oath, useful when the petitioner lives outside Georgia. |
| GPCSF 70 | Certificate for a substitute document that is not on the standard form but conforms to the standard form. |
| Estate Research or Copy Request | Richmond County's form for requesting copies, certified copies or exemplified copies from an estate file. |
| Petition for Will Filed Not for Probate | Richmond County's document for filing a will that is being lodged but not probated. |
| Affidavit of Indigency | Richmond County's request to file without paying fees and service costs if the judge grants the request. |
| Fee calculators | Richmond County's revised January 2026 per-petition worksheets for filing, service, publication, guardian ad litem and recording costs. |
Fees
The Richmond County Probate Court publishes per-petition fee calculators posted effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026. Georgia's statewide fee statute took effect January 1, 2025 and sets the statewide base filing fee at $175.00 for a decedent's-estate petition under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60; Richmond County's calculators publish the total the court asks filers to bring for each petition and should be confirmed with the court before filing.
| Fee item | Published Richmond County amount |
|---|---|
| Common decedent's-estate petitions | $215.00 in the court's revised January 2026 calculators for GPCSF 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10, including probate in common form or solemn form, letters of administration, temporary letters, year's support and an order declaring that no administration is necessary. These filings are under the O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 framework. |
| Letters of administration with will annexed after a will was previously probated | $190.00 in the court's revised January 2026 calculators for GPCSF 8, under the O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 framework. |
| Petition for discharge or leave to sell property | $200.00 in the court's revised January 2026 calculators for GPCSF 33 or GPCSF 13. |
| Motion, response, request, citation, caveat or objection | $75.00 in the court's revised January 2026 calculators. |
| Petition to open a safe deposit box | $90.00 in the court's revised January 2026 calculators. |
| Final return | $40.00 with assets or transactions in the court's revised January 2026 calculators; no fee where the final return has no assets. |
| Copies | $1.00 per page, $10.00 for certified copies plus page charges, and $15.00 for exemplified copies plus page charges in the court's revised January 2026 copy schedule. |
| Research or copy request | $10.00 research fee per estate in the court's revised January 2026 copy schedule. |
| Service by sheriff | $50.00 per person plus $1.00 per page of the petition in the court's revised January 2026 calculators. |
| Certified mail service | $15.00 per person plus $1.00 per page in the court's revised January 2026 calculators. |
| First class mail notice on certain petitions | $5.00 per person plus $1.00 per page in the court's revised January 2026 calculators. |
| Publication and guardian ad litem costs | The court's revised January 2026 calculators list petition-specific amounts, including $120.00 for publication to unknown heirs on a solemn-form petition, $180.00 for certain letters of administration publication, $30.00 for a discharge notice, $200.00 for many guardian ad litem appointments and $250.00 for a guardian ad litem on a year's support petition. Confirm the current total with the court. |
The court is not currently accepting personal checks. Mailed requests must be paid by money order, cashier's check or law firm check. Discover, MasterCard and Visa are accepted only for services rendered on the premises, not by telephone. A $30.00 deposit against costs under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d) may get a pleading filed, but the court says it will not process the pleading until the filing fee is paid in full.
Local nuance
Richmond County-specific considerations
| Practice | What it means in Richmond County |
|---|---|
| Article 6 court | Richmond County is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial 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. |
| Standard forms with Richmond County shortcuts | The court requires Georgia's standard GPCSF forms, but says filers generally do not need to prepare the notices, orders or letters that are included in the form packet. The two real-estate exceptions are the Certificate of Order for Year's Support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 and the final order for a petition declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40. |
| Optional e-filing | TrueFiling is available and optional. Paper filing by mail or in person remains available. Original wills and original surety bonds still go to the court on paper, and the original will is due within ten days after an electronic submission under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| No email or fax filing without permission | The court says pleadings and documents may not be transmitted for filing by email or fax unless specifically authorized by a clerk or the acting judge. |
| Publication practice | The Augusta Chronicle is the county's legal organ. For the debtors and creditors notice, the clerk prepares the notice and gives it to the personal representative, who runs it in the newspaper and files the publication proof. The creditor notice itself is governed by O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. |
| Monday staff meeting | The court publishes a staff meeting on Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Call ahead before visiting during that window. |
| Same counter, other probate court services | The same Suite 1000 office also issues marriage licenses, weapons carry licenses and certificates of residency, handles petitions to open a safe deposit box, administers oaths to county officials and hears dangerous dog classification appeals. |
| ADR program | The Augusta-Richmond County Alternative Dispute Resolution Program serves the Probate Court. In Probate Court matters, parties choose and pay a mediator from the program roster, and a fee waiver or reduction application is available. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Optional TrueFiling | The Richmond County Probate Court now accepts optional electronic filing through TrueFiling. Original wills still must be delivered on paper within ten days of electronic submission. |
| Fee calculators | The court posted fee calculators effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026, listing $215.00 for the main decedent's-estate petitions under the O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 fee framework, plus service, publication and other court costs. |
| Payment methods | The court says it is not currently accepting personal checks. Mailed requests must use a money order, cashier's check or law firm check, and card payments are accepted only for services rendered on the premises. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Richmond County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | A home held with survivorship may pass outside probate, but accounts in the decedent's sole name can still require a Richmond County filing. A surviving spouse should also consider year's support, which can set aside property and must be filed within 24 months under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. Richmond County's revised January 2026 calculators list the year's support filing fee at $215.00, with notice and any real-estate recording costs added. | Sunset identifies accounts and assets across more than 2,300 institutions, organizes the estate settlement picture and helps prepare the Richmond County filing packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a smaller estate | If the parent lived in Richmond County, the estate is filed in Augusta even if the child lives elsewhere. TrueFiling can handle the petition, but the original will must still reach the court on paper within ten days. Out-of-state heirs are usually served by certified mail, listed in the court's revised January 2026 calculators at $15.00 per person plus $1.00 per page. The oath cannot be notarized, so GPCSF 53 can let a court where the child lives administer it. | Sunset can locate assets remotely, generate the probate packet and help the family plan which steps can be handled by mail or e-filing before anyone travels. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually requires letters and certified copies for the title company. Richmond County's revised January 2026 calculators list letters of administration at $215.00, leave to sell property on GPCSF 13 at $200.00, and certified copies at $10.00 plus $1.00 per page after the first. If there is no will, all heirs agree and the estate qualifies, an order declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 may be considered; the filer prepares the final order with the legal description and provides the PT-61 for deed recording. | Sunset assembles the asset and debt picture, builds the filing packet and connects the family to a vetted Richmond County probate attorney when the house sale needs legal advice. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond County Probate Court | Court pages for jurisdiction, requirements, will probate, administrations, no-administration petitions, year's support, fees and forms. Staff can answer basic form and deadline questions and schedule uncontested hearings, but cannot choose a petition or fill forms for you. | 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 1000, Augusta, GA 30901; (706) 821-2434; [email protected]; https://www.augustaga.gov/197/Probate-Court |
| Richmond County requirements and court processes | Local filing guidance for standard forms, mailed pleadings, non-standard form certificates, required death certificates, service and what staff can and cannot do. | https://www.augustaga.gov/221/Requirements-and-Court-Processes |
| Richmond County fee calculators | Per-petition worksheets, posted effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026, for filing, service, publication, guardian ad litem and recording costs. | https://www.augustaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/20684/Fee-Calculation-and-Notification-Charts-Effective-October-1-2025- |
| Augusta-Richmond County Law Library | Public legal research collection that describes materials for people representing themselves in domestic and probate matters. | 823 Telfair Street, 2nd Floor, Augusta, GA 30901; (706) 469-3362; Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; https://www.augustaga.gov/1992/Law-Library |
| Augusta-Richmond County Alternative Dispute Resolution Program | Mediation program serving the Probate Court. In Probate Court matters, parties select and pay a mediator from the roster, and a fee waiver or reduction application is available. | 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 2200, Augusta, GA 30901; (706) 821-4882; https://www.augustaga.gov/2842/Alternative-Dispute-Resolution-Program |
| Georgia Legal Services Program, Augusta regional office | Free civil legal help for people who qualify. Do not assume representation in a probate matter without applying. | 1450 Greene Street, Suite 110, Augusta, GA 30901; (706) 721-7282; 1-833-GLSPLAW; https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ |
| Council of Probate Court Judges standard forms | Current Georgia GPCSF forms used in Richmond County and every Georgia probate court. | https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index | Statewide probate form index and general instructions. | https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ |
| Georgia Probate Records | Online estate search used by participating Georgia probate courts. Richmond County is included in the estates search. | https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so the family can see bank accounts, retirement accounts, insurance leads and other assets before choosing a Richmond County filing path. That asset picture is often the first step in estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized probate packet for the Richmond County Probate Court, including the right statewide GPCSF path, local filing details, fee notes and the documents the court expects for service, publication and copies.
Find a local probate attorney. When heirs disagree, a house must be sold, an Article 6 jury demand is possible or the family needs legal advice, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who can appear in Richmond County.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset. The family still pays court costs, publication, service, copy charges and any attorney fees they choose to incur.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Richmond County?
File with the Richmond County Probate Court in Suite 1000 of the Augusta-Richmond County Judicial Center and John H. Ruffin, Jr. Courthouse, 735 James Brown Boulevard, Augusta, GA 30901. The court accepts filing in person, by mail or through its optional TrueFiling portal.
Can I e-file a probate case in Richmond County?
Yes. E-filing is optional through TrueFiling. If you e-file a petition involving a will, upload a copy and deliver the original will to the court on paper within ten days of the electronic submission under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). The court also requires original wet signatures and rejects electronic signatures.
What does it cost to open an estate in Richmond County?
The court's fee calculators posted effective October 1, 2025 and revised January 2026 list $215.00 for a decedent's-estate petition, including probate of a will, letters of administration, year's support and an order declaring that no administration is necessary. Georgia's statewide fee framework is O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, and service, publication and other costs are added to the filing fee.
What are the Richmond County Probate Court's hours?
The court publishes Monday through Friday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It also publishes a staff meeting on Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., so call before making a Monday morning walk-in visit.
Can I look up a Richmond County estate case online?
Richmond County is included in the Georgia Probate Records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts at https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx. The court's own route for getting documents is an Estate Research or Copy Request by mail or in person, with a $10.00 research fee per estate in the court's revised January 2026 copy schedule.
Does Richmond County have its own probate forms?
Yes, on top of the statewide GPCSF forms. The court requires the Georgia standard forms and also publishes an Estate Research or Copy Request, a Petition for Will Filed Not for Probate, an Affidavit of Indigency and per-petition fee calculators.
Which newspaper publishes probate notices in Richmond County?
The Augusta Chronicle is Richmond County's legal organ. For the debtors and creditors notice, the Probate Court clerk prepares the notice and gives it to the personal representative with the order and letters; the personal representative then places and pays for the notice and files the publication proof. The creditor notice deadline is 60 days after qualification under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
Do I need a lawyer to file in Richmond County Probate Court?
No. The court's own guidance addresses people filing without an attorney, and its e-filing page includes self-represented filers. Staff can answer basic questions about the standard forms and deadlines and schedule uncontested hearings, but they cannot choose the petition for you or fill out forms for you.
Do I have to travel to Augusta to open an estate?
Not for the filing itself. You can file by mail or through TrueFiling. The oath can be the travel step because a Georgia personal representative's oath cannot be taken before a notary; GPCSF 53 can let a court where an out-of-state petitioner lives administer the oath.
Where does an appeal from Richmond County Probate Court go?
Richmond County is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and an appeal goes 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.