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Story County, IA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Story County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Iowa District Court for Story County |
| Filing office | Story County clerk of the district court |
| Courthouse address | Story County Justice Center, 1315 South B Avenue, Nevada, IA 50201 |
| Mailing address | Use the same street address. No separate mailing address is published for the clerk's office. |
| Phone | 515-337-8300 is listed by the Iowa Judicial Branch. Story County government also lists 515-382-7410 for the clerk's office. |
| Fax | 515-382-7522 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on state holidays. Call before making a trip. |
| Filing fee | Costs for Iowa decedent estates are set by statute, not by the county. The main cost is 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items (Iowa Code 633.31). Ask the clerk how the cost will be collected in your estate. |
| Local forms | No Story County probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is published for settling a decedent's estate. |
| E-filing | Electronic filing through EDMS is required for self-represented filers and attorneys, unless an exception is granted (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). Story County government also says electronic filing is mandatory in all areas. |
| Case search | Iowa Courts Online provides free public docket search with no registration. The docket is an index of filings and proceedings. Case documents are read at a public access terminal at the courthouse where the case was filed. |
| Remote appearance | Iowa proceedings are presumed in person. A party who wants a remote appearance files a motion, and the judge decides case by case (Iowa Ct. R. 15.302). |
| Website | https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-2/district/2/county/story |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Story County, identify the assets, debts, beneficiaries and title records. Iowa court costs depend on the probate assets listed in the report and inventory (Iowa Code 633.31), and the correct estate settlement path depends on what the estate actually contains. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families locate accounts before they choose a filing route.
Also decide how the filing will reach the clerk. Story County probate filings go to 1315 South B Avenue in Nevada, Iowa, not to an Ames office and not to the county administration building on Sixth Street. Electronic filing through EDMS is the default even without a lawyer, with exceptions available under Iowa Ct. R. 16.302.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Story County is filed with the Story County clerk of the district court at 1315 South B Avenue in Nevada, Iowa, in the Iowa District Court for Story County. The court sits in Iowa's Second Judicial District, but a Story County estate is filed at this county's own courthouse in Nevada.
The court serves the whole county, including Ames, Cambridge, Collins, Colo, Gilbert, Huxley, Kelley, Maxwell, McCallsburg, Nevada, Roland, Sheldahl, Slater, Story City and Zearing. Under Iowa's venue rule, the court of the county administers estates of people who were residents of that county at death, and also estates of nonresidents who leave property in the county (Iowa Code 633.12).
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 right estate settlement route before filing. Some Iowa matters use a no-court affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356, some use small estate administration under chapter 635, some use probate of a will without administration, and others use full chapter 633 administration.
- Register for EDMS at the Iowa Judicial Branch e-filing site, or file a written request asking to be excused from electronic filing for good cause (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302).
- E-file the petition with the Story County clerk of the district court. If the court has excused you from electronic filing, take the papers to the clerk's counter at 1315 South B Avenue in Nevada, Iowa, while the clerk's office is open.
- 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 testamentary or letters of administration in a chapter 633 estate after the required filings, and issues letters of appointment for administration in a small estate under chapter 635 (Iowa Code 633.178; Iowa Code 635.1).
- Publish notice once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in Story County, and mail notice to the surviving spouse, heirs, devisees and known creditors as required (Iowa Code 633.230; Iowa Code 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).
- Expect court costs to be assessed under the statewide 0.2% formula on the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items (Iowa Code 633.31). In the Second Judicial District, an allowance to a referee in probate can also be taxed as a cost of the estate under the district's approved local rule (Iowa Code 633.21).
- Manage creditor claims. Claims are filed with the clerk within the later of four months after the second publication of notice or one month after notice is mailed to a reasonably ascertainable creditor (Iowa Code 633.410).
- Distribute and close the estate. A small estate closes by closing statement and clerk discharge (Iowa Code 635.8). A chapter 633 estate closes through a final report and the court's order approving it and discharging the personal representative.
- Ask the clerk how a Story County matter is set if an objection, contested issue or court order requires a hearing. Most Iowa probate is handled on the papers filed with the clerk, but a hearing can still be required.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Story County
Story County does not publish a local probate packet, cover sheet, checklist or local form for settling a decedent's estate. The Second Judicial District also does not publish a decedent-estate probate form packet for Story County.
Iowa's free guided-interview forms do not cover decedent estate settlement. A self-represented filer drafts the petition, report and inventory, notices and closing papers from the statutory requirements or works with a lawyer.
Fees
Story County does not set a local probate filing fee. Iowa costs for decedent estates are statutory. For decedent estates, the main cost is 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items (Iowa Code 633.31).
The Second Judicial District has an Iowa Supreme Court approved local rule, dated February 19, 2018, allowing fees for a referee in probate. If a referee in probate is used in an estate, that allowance can be taxed as a cost of the estate in addition to the Iowa Code 633.31 court costs. Ask the Story County clerk what will be charged in a particular estate.
Electronic filing through EDMS does not add a filing charge, although the document itself may still carry a statutory cost (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). If you cannot afford court fees, ask the clerk about filing an Application to Defer Costs for a judge to decide.
Local nuance
Story County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Story County estate |
|---|---|
| Ames is not the filing city | Ames is the largest city in Story County, but probate is filed in Nevada, Iowa, at 1315 South B Avenue. An Ames family settles the estate through the clerk in Nevada. |
| The Ames court address is not for probate | The Iowa Judicial Branch lists a juvenile court office in Ames. That office handles juvenile matters and does not take decedent-estate filings. |
| The county administration building is separate | Story County government offices are at 900 Sixth Street in Nevada. That is not the probate filing counter. |
| The clerk is a state office in a county building | Story County government says the clerk's office is part of the State of Iowa Judicial Branch and that the clerk and staff are state employees. That is why the county page gives limited local information and sends readers to the Iowa Judicial Branch. |
| Two phone numbers are published | The Iowa Judicial Branch lists 515-337-8300 for the Story County clerk of court. Story County government lists 515-382-7410. Use both if you are trying to reach the office. |
| Referee in probate costs can appear | The Second Judicial District has an approved local rule for allowances to a referee in probate. If one is used in an estate, that allowance can be taxed as a cost of the estate under Iowa Code 633.21. |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Story County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with title to the Story County home. Property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship passes outside the estate and is excluded from the court-cost base (Iowa Code 633.31). If a court case is needed, it is filed with the clerk in Nevada. | Sunset traces accounts, policies and debts before filing, so the spouse can see what is in the estate and what passes outside it. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | EDMS filing can usually be handled online under Iowa Ct. R. 16.302, and the public docket is searchable through Iowa Courts Online. If the no-court affidavit route under Iowa Code 633.356 does not fit because the estate includes an interest in real estate, a court case is filed in Story County. A nonresident personal representative qualifies by court order under Iowa Code 633.64. | Sunset builds the asset picture and assembles the estate settlement packet remotely, so the child is not traveling to Nevada just to learn what exists. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home means the no-court affidavit route is not available. The parent needs authority from the Story County case before selling an Ames or Nevada property, and the cost will reflect the probate assets listed in the report and inventory under Iowa Code 633.31. A referee in probate allowance can also be taxed as a cost in the Second Judicial District. | Sunset helps find mortgages, liens, accounts and debts before the property is priced and before the report and inventory is filed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Story County clerk of the district court | Takes Story County probate filings, issues letters and answers procedural questions about the counter. Court staff cannot choose your case type or complete forms for you. | 1315 South B Avenue, Nevada, IA 50201. 515-337-8300 or 515-382-7410. Fax 515-382-7522. [email protected]. Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on state holidays. |
| Iowa Legal Aid | Free civil legal help for income-eligible Iowans, subject to eligibility and case priorities. | 1-800-532-1275, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Iowa Free Legal Answers | Online clinic where an income-eligible Iowan can post a civil legal question for 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. File the written application with the clerk, and a judge decides whether costs can be postponed. | https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/representing-yourself/civil-court-fees/ |
| Second Judicial District ADA coordinator | Handles disability accommodation requests for a Story County court proceeding. | 515-576-6336 |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in a Story County estate with a contested will, missing heir, insolvent estate, farm or farmland, business interest, Medicaid recovery issue, or a house in Ames or Nevada that must be sold before the estate can close. Iowa and Story County do not provide a fill-in decedent-estate form set, so the petition, report and inventory, notices and closing papers are drafted from statutory requirements. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build the inventory before filing, including bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets, debts and property information that affect the Story County filing strategy.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the petition, notices, report and inventory, and closing papers so the estate settlement work is not starting from a blank page.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help, Sunset connects the family with a probate attorney who understands Iowa procedure and Story County filing logistics.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next step and decide when professional help is needed without paying Sunset for the service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Story County?
File with the Story County clerk of the district court at 1315 South B Avenue in Nevada, Iowa, in the Iowa District Court for Story County. Filings are made electronically through EDMS unless the court excuses you from electronic filing (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302).
I live in Ames. Do I file probate there?
No. Ames is the largest city in Story County, but there is no probate filing counter in Ames. The juvenile court office in Ames does not take decedent-estate filings. Story County probate is filed in Nevada, Iowa.
What are the Story County clerk of court office hours?
The clerk's office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is closed on state holidays. Call before making a trip, especially if the court has excused you from electronic filing and you need to hand in paper documents.
What is the phone number for the Story County clerk of court?
Two official pages publish two numbers for the office. The Iowa Judicial Branch lists 515-337-8300. Story County government lists 515-382-7410. If one number does not reach the right counter, try the other.
Do I have to e-file my Story County probate case?
Yes, unless the court excuses you. Iowa requires electronic filing through EDMS for self-represented filers and attorneys (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). To ask for an exception, file a written request with the clerk of court explaining good cause.
What does it cost to open probate in Story County?
Do not plan around a single flat filing amount. Iowa court costs for decedent estates are based mainly on 0.2% of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory, plus statutory flat items (Iowa Code 633.31). Electronic filing through EDMS does not add a filing charge (Iowa Ct. R. 16.302). A referee in probate allowance can also be taxed as a cost of the estate in the Second Judicial District.
Does Story County have its own probate forms?
No. Story County does not publish a decedent-estate probate packet, cover sheet or checklist, and Iowa's guided court forms do not cover this estate settlement process. Self-represented filers draft the papers from the statutory requirements or work with a lawyer.
Will there be a hearing, and can I attend by video?
Most Iowa probate is handled on the papers filed with the clerk. A hearing can happen if someone objects, a contested issue arises or the court orders one. Iowa proceedings are presumed in person, and a remote appearance requires a motion decided case by case (Iowa Ct. R. 15.302). Ask the clerk how a Story County matter is set.
Can I look up a Story County probate case online?
Yes. Iowa Courts Online provides free public docket search with no registration. The online docket is an index of filings and proceedings. To read case documents, use a public access terminal at the courthouse in Nevada.
Do I have to travel to Nevada, Iowa to settle an estate here?
Often, no. EDMS registration and filing are online under Iowa Ct. R. 16.302, and the docket can be searched from anywhere. You may need to go to Nevada for a paper filing under an exception, to read case documents on the courthouse terminal, or for a hearing the court sets.
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.