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Scott County, IA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Scott County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Iowa District Court for Scott County |
| Filing office | Scott County clerk of the district court |
| Courthouse address | Scott County Courthouse, 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801 |
| Mailing address | 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801. No separate mailing address is published for the clerk. |
| Phone | General clerk line: 563-326-8647. Probate line for wills, estates, guardianships and conservatorships: 563-326-8648. |
| Fax | 563-326-8280, labeled criminal floor, and 563-326-8704, labeled civil floor. Probate is a civil matter, but confirm the right fax number with the clerk before sending anything. Filings are made through EDMS unless an exception applies (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 563-326-8647 before making a trip, especially if you have been excused from electronic filing and need to use the counter. |
| Filing fee | Iowa uses the court cost formula in Iowa Code 633.31: 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items. In the Seventh Judicial District, an allowance to a referee in probate may also be taxed as a cost of the estate. Ask the clerk what will be charged in the case. |
| Local forms | No Scott County fill-in packet for settling a decedent's estate. The Seventh Judicial District guidelines call for the Report of Referee form, Iowa Ct. R. 7.4, Form 1, when approval of an estate final report is requested. |
| E-filing | EDMS electronic filing is required for attorneys and self-represented filers unless the court grants an exception (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). Registration is free, and Iowa states that electronic filing adds no extra fee. |
| Case search | Iowa Courts Online, https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/DefaultFrame. Public docket search is free with no registration. The docket is an index of filings and proceedings, not the case documents. |
| Remote appearance | Iowa proceedings are presumed in person. A party who wants to appear remotely files a motion decided case by case under Iowa Ct. R. 15.302. Scott County publishes no separate probate remote practice. |
| Website | https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-7/district/7/county/scott |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Start by identifying the assets, debts and title documents before you file anything. In Iowa, the court cost depends on the probate assets listed in the report and inventory under Iowa Code 633.31, and the right estate settlement route depends on what the estate actually contains.
Also decide how you will file before you go to the courthouse. EDMS is required unless the court grants an exception (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302), and a public visitor to the Scott County Courthouse cannot bring a phone or other electronic device inside. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts before they choose the probate path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Scott County is filed with the Scott County clerk of the district court at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport. The case is in the Iowa District Court for Scott County, not in a separate local probate tribunal.
Scott County is in Iowa's Seventh Judicial District, an administrative district that also includes Cedar, Clinton, Jackson and Muscatine Counties. That district grouping does not move a Scott County estate out of Davenport, and it does not make the Scott County clerk the filing counter for another county.
Venue follows Iowa Code 633.12. If the decedent was a Scott County resident at death, the estate is administered in Scott County. If the decedent was not an Iowa resident but left property in Scott County, an Iowa administration can be opened here for that property. The county includes Davenport, Bettendorf, Eldridge, LeClaire, Blue Grass, Buffalo, Princeton, Riverdale and other Scott County communities.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, asset information, debt information and the original will if there is one. Anyone holding the will must deliver it to the court after learning of the death (Iowa Code 633.285).
- Choose the correct route before filing. Some estates use the affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356 with no court case, some use chapter 635 small estate administration, some use probate of a will without administration, and others need full chapter 633 administration.
- Register for EDMS or ask the Scott County clerk of the district court how to request an exception from electronic filing (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). If an exception is granted, paper filings go to the clerk's counter at 400 West 4th Street while the office is open.
- E-file the petition with the Scott County clerk of the district court. If you go to the courthouse under an electronic filing exception, expect security screening and leave phones, cameras, recorders and other electronic devices outside the building or in a locker if one is available.
- Scan and e-file the original will. After electronic filing, the paper original may be given to the clerk for non-electronic preservation (Iowa Ct. R. 16.411).
- File the oath and any required bond. The clerk issues letters after the required filings in a chapter 633 estate (Iowa Code 633.178), and the clerk issues letters of appointment in a chapter 635 small estate (Iowa Code 635.1).
- Publish notice once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Scott County, and mail the required notices to known creditors, the surviving spouse, heirs and devisees as the case requires (Iowa Code 633.230, 633.304).
- File the report and inventory with the clerk within 120 days after qualification unless the court grants more time (Iowa Code 633.361).
- Pay court costs under Iowa Code 633.31, using 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory plus statutory flat items. In the Seventh Judicial District, an allowance to a referee in probate may also be taxed as a cost of the estate.
- Handle claims filed with the clerk. A claim is barred unless filed within the later of four months after the second publication of notice or, for a reasonably ascertainable creditor, one month after notice was mailed to that creditor (Iowa Code 633.410).
- Distribute the estate and close it. A chapter 635 small estate closes with a closing statement and clerk discharge under Iowa Code 635.8. A chapter 633 estate closes with a final report and the court's order approving it and discharging the personal representative. When approval of an estate final report is requested in the Seventh Judicial District, the guidelines call for the Report of Referee form.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Scott County
Scott County does not publish a fill-in packet, cover sheet or checklist for settling a decedent's estate. Iowa also does not provide an interactive form interview for a decedent's probate filing, so a self-represented filer drafts the petition, report and inventory and notices from the statutes or works with a lawyer.
The local item to know is at the closing stage. The Seventh Judicial District's Guidelines of Practice and Administration call for the Report of Referee form, Iowa Ct. R. 7.4, Form 1, when approval of an estate final report is requested. The form is published with the district's guidelines and is directed to the attorney for the fiduciary or to a duly appointed referee in probate, so ask the clerk how it applies in your case before using it yourself.
Fees
Scott County does not publish a separate local probate filing fee. Iowa court costs for a decedent's estate use the statewide formula in Iowa Code 633.31, which charges 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus the statutory flat items.
Scott County does have a local cost layer through the Seventh Judicial District. Under the district's probate rule, the clerk of the district court is appointed referee in probate in each county of the district unless a judge has appointed someone else, and an allowance to a referee in probate may be taxed and collected by the clerk as a cost of the estate. Do not assume an amount from an old schedule. Ask the Scott County clerk what will actually be charged.
Iowa states that electronic filing through EDMS adds no extra fee (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). A person who cannot afford court fees can file an Application to Defer Costs with the clerk, and a judge decides whether payment can be postponed.
Local nuance
Scott County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Scott County estate |
|---|---|
| No phones in the courthouse | The public may not possess or use cell phones, cameras, recorders or other electronic or digital communications devices inside the Scott County Courthouse. A device must go back to your vehicle or into a locker at the security entry if one is available. Attorneys are excepted, but a self-represented probate filer is not. |
| Security screening | The courthouse has a walk-through metal detector and an x-ray scanner. Plan extra time if you are using the counter under an EDMS exception (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). |
| Probate line | Scott County publishes 563-326-8648 for probate questions involving wills, estates, guardianships and conservatorships. The general clerk line is 563-326-8647. |
| Two fax numbers | The county labels 563-326-8280 as the criminal floor fax and 563-326-8704 as the civil floor fax. Probate is a civil matter, but confirm with the clerk before sending anything, and do not use fax as a substitute for EDMS filing unless the court has allowed it (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). |
| Local closing step | The Seventh Judicial District guidelines call for the Report of Referee form, Iowa Ct. R. 7.4, Form 1, when approval of an estate final report is requested. |
| Referee in probate | The Seventh Judicial District's probate rule appoints the clerk of court in each county as referee in probate unless a judge has appointed someone else. An allowance to a referee in probate may be taxed as a cost of the estate. |
| Hearing requests | The district guidelines say motions are decided on the filings unless a hearing is requested with a proposed order carrying a date and time obtained from district administration. Scott County publishes no probate hearing day or waiting period. |
| Court Navigator service | The Iowa Judicial Branch's only in-person Court Navigator appointments are held at the Scott County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoons beginning February 18, 2026. The published case types do not include probate, so a probate filer cannot use that service for an estate. |
| State office on county campus | The Iowa Judicial Branch sits on the Scott County government campus but is not a county department. Probate is filed at the courthouse at 400 West 4th Street, not at the county administration building at 600 West 4th Street. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Court Navigator appointments at Scott County Courthouse | In-person Court Navigator appointments began at the Scott County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoons beginning February 18, 2026. The published case types do not include probate, so this is not an estate settlement resource. |
| Seventh Judicial District guidelines | The district guidelines were revised in 2023 and call for the Report of Referee form, Iowa Ct. R. 7.4, Form 1, when approval of an estate final report is requested. |
| Iowa affidavit change | The affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356 rose to $100,000 effective July 1, 2026. The same change requires the decedent's probate assets to consist only of personal property, with no interest in real estate. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Scott County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with how the Davenport, Bettendorf or other Scott County home is titled. Joint tenancy property passes outside the estate and is excluded from the Iowa Code 633.31 cost base. If the house passes outside probate and the remaining assets fit a no-court route, there may be little or nothing to file at the courthouse. If a case is needed, it is filed with the Scott County clerk of the district court through EDMS (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). | Sunset traces accounts, policies and debts before filing, so the spouse knows which assets are in the estate and which pass outside it. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Most steps can be handled without traveling to Davenport because EDMS filing is electronic (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302) and Iowa Courts Online shows the public docket. The affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356 is available only when the estate has no interest in real estate. If a court case is needed and the personal representative does not live in Iowa, qualification depends on a court order under Iowa Code 633.64. | Sunset builds the asset picture and assembles the probate packet remotely, so an adult child does not make trips to Davenport just to learn what the estate contains. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house rules out the affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356, so this is a court case in the Iowa District Court for Scott County. The parent needs authority from the court process before selling Scott County real property. Costs are not a single opening price: Iowa Code 633.31 uses 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, and the Seventh Judicial District may tax an allowance to a referee in probate as an additional estate cost. | Sunset helps identify liens, mortgages, accounts and debts before the sale and before the report and inventory are filed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Scott County clerk of the district court | Takes Scott County probate filings, issues letters and answers procedural questions about filing. Court employees cannot advise which case to file, what form to complete or how to complete a form. | General line 563-326-8647. Probate line 563-326-8648. [email protected]. Scott County Courthouse, 400 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801. |
| Iowa Legal Aid | Free civil legal help for income-eligible Iowans, subject to eligibility and case priorities. Ask directly whether your estate question is within its services. | 1-800-532-1275 |
| Iowa Free Legal Answers | A virtual clinic where income-eligible Iowans can post a civil legal question and receive an answer from a volunteer Iowa attorney. | https://iowa.freelegalanswers.org |
| Iowa Find-A-Lawyer | Iowa State Bar Association directory searchable by practice area, county and city, with a reduced-fee initial consultation from participating lawyers. | https://www.iowabar.org |
| Application to Defer Costs | For a person who cannot afford court fees, a written application is filed with the clerk and a judge decides whether payment can be postponed. Iowa offers a free guided interview for this application. | https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/representing-yourself/civil-court-fees/ |
| Seventh Judicial District ADA coordinator | Handles disability accommodation requests for Scott County court proceedings. | 563-328-4145 |
When to hire an attorney
A Scott County probate attorney is especially useful when there is a contested will, an heir who cannot be found, an insolvent estate, a business interest, Iowa farmland, a Medicaid recovery claim, property or family across the Mississippi River, or a house that has to be sold before the estate can close. Counsel also matters because neither Scott County nor Iowa offers a fill-in decedent-estate packet, and the petition, report and inventory and notices have to be drafted from the statutes. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a complete estate settlement inventory before filing in Scott County, including accounts, insurance, debts and property that may pass outside probate.
Generate the probate packet. Once the asset picture is clear, Sunset helps organize the information needed for the petition, notices, report and inventory and closing materials used in an Iowa estate.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Scott County estate needs counsel, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted Iowa probate attorney who understands EDMS filing, local courthouse practices and Seventh Judicial District requirements.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next steps and find professional help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Scott County?
File with the Scott County clerk of the district court at the Scott County Courthouse, 400 West 4th Street in Davenport, in the Iowa District Court for Scott County. Filings are made through EDMS unless the court grants an exception (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302).
Can I take my phone into the Scott County Courthouse?
No. The public may not possess or use cell phones, cameras, recorders or other electronic or digital communications devices inside the courthouse. The device must go back to your vehicle or into a locker at the security entry if one is available. Attorneys are excepted.
Is there a phone number for probate questions in Scott County?
Yes. Scott County publishes 563-326-8648 for probate involving wills, estates, guardianships and conservatorships. The general clerk line is 563-326-8647. Court employees can answer procedural questions, but they cannot give legal advice or complete forms for you.
When is the Scott County clerk of court office open?
The county publishes hours as Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 563-326-8647 before making a trip, especially if the court has excused you from EDMS and you need to use the counter (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302).
Do I have to e-file my Scott County probate case?
Yes, unless the court excuses you. EDMS is required for self-represented filers as well as attorneys (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). Ask the clerk for the request form if you need an exception. Iowa states that electronic filing adds no extra fee.
What does it cost to open a probate case in Scott County?
There is no single opening price. Iowa Code 633.31 uses 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items. In the Seventh Judicial District, an allowance to a referee in probate may also be taxed as a cost of the estate. If you cannot afford fees, ask about an Application to Defer Costs.
Does Scott County have its own probate forms?
Scott County does not publish a fill-in estate packet. The Seventh Judicial District guidelines call for the Report of Referee form, Iowa Ct. R. 7.4, Form 1, when approval of an estate final report is requested, and the form is published with the district guidelines.
Can a Court Navigator at the Scott County Courthouse help with my estate?
No. The Iowa Judicial Branch's only in-person Court Navigator appointments are at the Scott County Courthouse, but the published case types are family law, small claims, evictions, commitments and protective orders. Probate is not listed.
Will there be a hearing in Scott County, and can I attend it remotely?
Most Iowa probate matters are handled on the papers filed with the clerk. A hearing happens if someone objects, a contested matter arises or the court orders one. Iowa proceedings are presumed in person, and remote appearance is by motion decided case by case (Iowa Ct. R. 15.302). Ask the clerk how the judge handles it in your case.
Can I look up a Scott County probate case online?
Yes. Iowa Courts Online provides free public docket search with no registration. The docket is an index of filings and proceedings. Public case documents are viewed on a courthouse terminal in the county where the case was filed, so for a Scott County estate that means the Scott County Courthouse.
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.