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Sangamon County, IL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Sangamon County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Sangamon County Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court of Sangamon County, Room 405 |
| Courthouse address | 200 South Ninth Street, Room 405, Springfield, IL 62701 |
| Mailing address | Sangamon County Circuit Clerk, 200 South Ninth Street, Room 405, Springfield, IL 62701. Call before mailing an original will. |
| Phone | (217) 753-6674. The clerk does not publish a separate probate telephone line. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on court holidays. The clerk asks people using counter e-filing help to allow 30 to 45 minutes. |
| Filing fee | $376.00 to open administration of a decedent's estate, plus a $201.00 appearance fee, from the Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024. Ask the clerk about copy and certification charges for certified letters of office under 755 ILCS 5. |
| Local forms | Yes. The clerk publishes Sangamon County forms for opening a decedent's estate, heirship, oath and bond, appointment, letters, notice, and sale of real estate. |
| E-filing | Probate filings are filed through eFileIL unless an exception or exemption applies. Original wills are paper documents under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(1) and 755 ILCS 5/6-1. |
| Case lookup | Sangamon County uses the Circuit Clerk's own free records search, not Judici. The clerk states that online access shows case information, not filed documents. |
| Remote appearance | Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 and Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 control. Routine non-evidentiary settings may be remote, but the assigned judge and the order's notice rules control. |
| Website | https://www.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.org/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before opening a Sangamon County estate, identify the assets, debts, title details and beneficiary designations first. A co-owned Springfield home, a payable-on-death account, or a current Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/Art. XXV may point to a different estate settlement path than a full PR case.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions so you can decide whether the estate needs letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, a real-estate sale petition, or a simpler handoff to an institution before you pay the Sangamon County filing fee.
Which court handles jurisdiction
One courthouse serves Sangamon County probate matters: the Sangamon County Circuit Court, Seventh Judicial Circuit, with filings at the Circuit Clerk's Room 405 counter in Springfield. The same courthouse serves Springfield, Athens, Auburn, Buffalo, Chatham, Dawson, Divernon, Illiopolis, Loami, Pawnee, Sherman and the surrounding Sangamon County townships.
Sangamon County shares the Seventh Judicial Circuit with Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Morgan and Scott Counties, but each county keeps its own Circuit Clerk. Illinois venue for probate or administration is determined by the decedent's county of residence, or if there is no Illinois residence, by where the greater part of Illinois real or personal estate is located (755 ILCS 5/5-1). A Sangamon County estate is filed in Sangamon County, not at another Seventh Judicial Circuit courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the county and path. Use Sangamon County if venue belongs there under 755 ILCS 5/5-1. Confirm whether the estate needs a court case, letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, a sale of real estate, or a Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/Art. XXV for deaths on or after August 15, 2025 where the current $150,000 personal-property rule applies.
- Handle the original will on paper. An original will cannot be e-filed under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(1). File it with the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk under 755 ILCS 5/6-1, and call (217) 753-6674 before mailing an original to Room 405.
- Prepare the Sangamon County forms. Use Form 54 if there is a will, Form 51 if there is no will, the appropriate heirship affidavit, the bond and oath, proposed appointment order, proposed letters, and any real-estate-sale forms if a house must be sold.
- File the petition through eFileIL unless an exception or exemption applies. If you need counter help, the Circuit Clerk asks you to allow 30 to 45 minutes at Room 405 and to allow up to three business days for the filing to move from eFileIL into the court system.
- Pay the local filing fee. The Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 lists $376.00 to open administration of a decedent's estate and a $201.00 appearance fee. Publication and some copy or certification costs are separate.
- Give notice and schedule the hearing. Use the notice form and the assigned judge's instructions. For a remote-eligible matter, Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 says the scheduling party obtains the date and time from the court or the court's assistant, then serves a notice with the required remote-hearing information.
- Attend the hearing as directed. Rule 45 and Administrative Order 23-2 allow many routine non-evidentiary civil settings to be remote, but first appearances, default matters and evidentiary hearings are treated differently by the local order. Check the assigned judge's current instructions.
- Obtain certified authority. After appointment, order the certified letters of office under 755 ILCS 5 that banks, brokers, the Recorder, or a title company require. The Sangamon fee schedule does not publish a certified letters price, so ask the Circuit Clerk for current copy and certification charges.
- Administer and close the estate. Collect assets, address claims and notices, sell real estate if the court authorizes it, distribute property, and prepare any accounting or closing paperwork required by the court. Sangamon County publishes opening and real-estate-sale forms, but not inventory, accounting, or closing forms.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Sangamon County
Illinois does not publish an approved statewide decedent's-estate packet for admitting a will, petitioning for letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, inventory, accounting, or closing. Sangamon County fills part of that gap with its own local probate forms on the Circuit Clerk's Civil and Family Forms page.
| Form group | What Sangamon County publishes | Important local note |
|---|---|---|
| Probate for administrator, no will | Petition for Letters of Administration, Affidavit of Heirship forms, Bond and Oath of Legal Representative, Order Appointing Legal Representative of Decedent's Estate, Order Declaring Heirship, Letters of Administration, Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5, and Notice of Hearing. | The forms are captioned for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Sangamon County, Springfield, Illinois. |
| Probate with a will | Petition for Probate of Will and for Letters Testamentary. | The original will itself cannot be e-filed. It must reach the Circuit Clerk on paper under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(1) and 755 ILCS 5/6-1. |
| Probate real estate | Petition to Sell Real Estate, Special Bond For Sale or Mortgage of Real Estate, Order to Sell Real Estate, and related subpoena form. | Use this group when the estate needs court authority to sell Sangamon County real estate. |
| Guardianship cases | Adult and minor guardianship petitions, physician report, guardian ad litem order, guardianship orders, and letters of guardianship. | Guardianship is a separate case path from a decedent's estate. |
| Missing local forms | No local inventory, accounting, estate-closing, or probate-specific creditor publication form is posted. | Some multipart carbon-backed forms are available free at the Room 405 counter and are not posted online. |
Use the Circuit Clerk's current forms page rather than saving old copies. The clerk also links statewide civil forms such as appearance, fee waiver, proof of delivery, interpreter request, and exemption from e-filing for good cause.
Fees
Sangamon County publishes a local fee schedule for probate case type PR. The amounts below come from the Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024. Illinois circuit clerk fee categories are governed by 705 ILCS 105/27.1b, but the reader pays the county's published schedule, not a statewide maximum.
| Fee item | Amount | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Administration of decedent's estate | $376.00, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | The opening filing fee for a Sangamon County decedent's estate. |
| Appearance | $201.00, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Applies when an appearance fee is due in the probate case. |
| Probate change of venue | $40.00, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Listed in the probate block of the county schedule. |
| Petition to re-open estate | $0.00, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Listed in the miscellaneous fee section of the county schedule. |
| Certified mailing fee | $10.35 each, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Applies when the clerk must send a certified mailing. |
| Jury demand, twelve person | $212.50, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Rare in routine estate administration, but published on the county schedule. |
| Jury demand, six person | $96.25, fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | Rare in routine estate administration, but published on the county schedule. |
| Record search | $4.00 per year, Records Request page reviewed August 17, 2026 | The clerk states that Sangamon County record searches are available for this fee. Copies are separate. |
The Sangamon County fee schedule does not publish a price for certified copies of letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, creditor claim tiers, accounts, exemplification, or filing a will alone. Ask the Circuit Clerk what copy and certification charges apply before ordering certified letters for a bank, broker, title company, or closing agent.
Local nuance
Sangamon County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Room 405 is the filing counter | The Circuit Clerk is on the fourth floor at 200 South Ninth Street. Courtrooms are on the 5th, 6th and 7th floors, and no courtroom is published as a probate-only courtroom. |
| Sangamon County is not on Judici | The county uses its own Circuit Clerk records search. The five other counties in the Seventh Judicial Circuit are on Judici, so Sangamon County is an exception inside its own circuit. |
| Online lookup does not show documents | The clerk states that documents are not available online under the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts policy on electronic access. Use the lookup for case information, then request copies from the clerk. |
| Local opening forms exist | The Circuit Clerk publishes petitions, heirship affidavits, bond and oath, appointment orders, letters, notice, and real-estate-sale forms, but not inventory, accounting, or closing forms. |
| The posted affidavit needs caution | The clerk's posted Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5 still cites a 2015 public act and an older asset ceiling. Use the current Probate Act provision or Illinois Legal Aid Online's automated form. |
| Remote hearings have a local rule layer | Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 uses Zoom, sets presumed-eligible and presumed-ineligible proceeding lists, and requires hearing notices to include the assigned judge's remote instructions and connection information. |
| Counter e-filing takes time | The clerk asks filers using the Room 405 counter to allow 30 to 45 minutes and to allow up to three business days for an e-filed document to move from eFileIL into the court system. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Sangamon County has one important local small-estate caution. The Circuit Clerk posts a Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5, but the posted template still cites a 2015 public act and an older asset ceiling. The current affidavit terms are set by the Probate Act of 1975, 755 ILCS 5/Art. XXV, Sec. 25-1, as amended effective August 15, 2025 for deaths on or after that date, including the $150,000 personal-property rule.
If the affidavit route works, it is delivered to the bank, transfer agent, or other institution holding the property. It is not filed with the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk and does not open a court case. Use the current statute or Illinois Legal Aid Online's automated Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5 rather than relying on the clerk's older posted PDF.
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 | The current published schedule lists $376.00 to open administration of a decedent's estate, $201.00 for an appearance, $40.00 for probate change of venue, $0.00 to petition to re-open an estate, and a $10.35 certified mailing fee. |
| Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 amended December 2, 2025, effective March 1, 2026 | The remote-appearance rule lists Probate (PR) among civil matters and permits remote attendance for routine non-evidentiary civil proceedings, subject to the assigned judge and any allowed local exceptions. |
| Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 entered February 9, 2023 | The order sets the circuit's published remote-hearing procedure, including Zoom, presumed-eligible and presumed-ineligible categories, notice contents, and three-day exhibit and witness-list timing. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Sangamon County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the home passed by survivorship or a transfer on death instrument, it may not need to be sold through the estate. If assets remain in the decedent's sole name, open the PR case in Room 405 using Form 54 with a will or Form 51 without a will, plus heirship, oath and bond, and proposed letters. The opening fee is $376.00 on the Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024. | Sunset helps identify which accounts and property actually require estate settlement, then organizes the packet and attorney handoff if court authority is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Much can be handled through eFileIL, phone, email and LiveChat. The original will still has to reach Room 405 on paper. If a Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5/Art. XXV works instead, the affidavit goes to the institution holding the property, not to the court, and the current $150,000 rule applies to deaths on or after August 15, 2025. | Sunset helps decide whether a court case is needed, gathers account information, and flags the Sangamon County small-affidavit form issue before the family uses an outdated template. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling a Sangamon County home usually requires opening the estate, obtaining letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, and using the local Petition to Sell Real Estate, Special Bond For Sale or Mortgage of Real Estate, and Order to Sell Real Estate. Budget the $376.00 opening fee and $201.00 appearance fee from the Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024, plus any publication, mailing, copy, recording and certification charges. | Sunset assembles the asset picture, prepares the probate packet for attorney review, and connects the family with local counsel when a court-approved real estate sale is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact or website |
|---|---|---|
| Sangamon County Circuit Clerk | Filing office for probate cases, local forms, fee schedule, e-filing links, free records search, court holidays, LiveChat, and staffed self-help workstations at the Room 405 counter. Staff can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice. | 200 South Ninth Street, Room 405, Springfield, IL 62701. (217) 753-6674. [email protected]. https://www.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.org/ |
| Sangamon County probate forms | Local forms for opening a decedent's estate, heirship, oath and bond, appointment, letters, notice, and sale of real estate. | https://www.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.org/forms/family-civil-forms/ |
| Sangamon County fee schedule | Lists the $376.00 estate administration filing fee, $201.00 appearance fee, $40.00 probate change of venue fee, $0.00 petition to re-open estate fee, and $10.35 certified mailing fee, all from the fee schedule updated May 29, 2024. | https://www.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.org/application/files/3917/1708/8265/2024_website_fees.pdf |
| Sangamon County records search | Free public case lookup by name, case number, filing date, or court schedule. The clerk states that filed documents are not available online. | https://www.sangamoncountycircuitclerk.org/records/records-lookup/ |
| Seventh Judicial Circuit standing orders and remote instructions | Assigned-judge pages for standing orders and remote-hearing instructions. Check before requesting or noticing a remote probate setting. | https://sangamonil.gov/departments/s-z/seventh-judicial-circuit-court/circuit-and-associate-judges-of-the-seventh-circuit/standing-orders |
| Seventh Judicial Circuit rules and administrative orders | Published circuit rules, Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 for remote hearings, and the probate guardian ad litem list. | https://sangamonil.gov/departments/s-z/seventh-judicial-circuit-court/seventh-circuit-court-rules-of-practice |
| Sangamon County law library public access terminal | Public access law library terminal on the 6th floor of the county complex, open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for legal information and electronic legal research resources. | https://sangamonil.gov/departments/s-z/seventh-judicial-circuit-court/law-library |
| Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Northern Regional Office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income people and seniors. The office listing serves Sangamon County. | 1010 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62704. (217) 529-8400 or (800) 252-8629. General intake: (877) 342-7891. https://lincolnlegal.org/locations/ |
| Illinois Legal Aid Online | Plain-language estate guides and an automated Small Estate Affidavit under 755 ILCS 5 for families who qualify for that route. | https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/how-do-i-settle-estate-after-someone-dies |
| Illinois Supreme Court approved forms | Statewide civil forms such as appearance, fee waiver, interpreter request, proof of delivery, and e-filing exemption. There is no approved decedent's-estate packet. | https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/documents-and-forms/approved-forms/ |
| eFileIL | The statewide electronic filing system used for Sangamon County civil and probate filings. | https://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/ |
| Illinois Attorney General, Estate Tax Section | Illinois estate tax returns are filed with the Attorney General, and the Springfield office is near the courthouse. Relevant only for an estate large enough to owe Illinois estate tax. | 500 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701. (217) 524-5095. https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/estate-taxes |
| Sangamon County Bar Association lawyer directory | Local lawyer directory named by the Circuit Clerk's FAQ as a place to look for an attorney. | https://www.scba.cc/directory |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in a Sangamon County estate when real estate must be sold, heirship must be traced through a local heirship form, a creditor claim or family dispute is likely, a minor or person with a disability has an interest, or a remote hearing must be scheduled and noticed under Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2. The Circuit Clerk allows self-represented filings but cannot give legal advice, and Illinois estate representatives often need counsel because an executor or administrator acts for beneficiaries and creditors. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can build a clearer inventory before choosing a Sangamon County estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses what the family provides to assemble a probate-ready packet, then points the family to the Sangamon County forms that may be needed for a will, no-will estate, heirship, letters of office under 755 ILCS 5, or sale of real estate.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs counsel for a sale, contested claim, minor's interest, disability interest, or remote-hearing logistics, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Illinois probate attorney familiar with Sangamon County practice.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools help organize assets, documents, tasks and attorney handoff without charging families to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Sangamon County?
File a Sangamon County decedent's estate with the Sangamon County Circuit Clerk at 200 South Ninth Street, Room 405, Springfield, IL 62701. Venue is a county rule under 755 ILCS 5/5-1, so a Sangamon County estate is filed in Sangamon County even though the Seventh Judicial Circuit also includes Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, Morgan and Scott Counties.
Does Sangamon County have local probate forms?
Yes. The Circuit Clerk publishes local forms for opening a decedent's estate, including petitions with and without a will, heirship affidavits, bond and oath, appointment orders, letters, notice, and real-estate-sale forms. The local set does not include inventory, accounting, or closing forms.
How much does it cost to open a Sangamon County estate?
The Sangamon County fee schedule updated May 29, 2024 lists $376.00 to open administration of a decedent's estate and a $201.00 appearance fee. Ask the Circuit Clerk for current copy and certification charges before ordering certified letters of office under 755 ILCS 5.
Can I e-file a Sangamon County probate case?
Yes, probate filings are filed through eFileIL unless an exception or exemption applies. The original will is different: it is a paper document under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 9(c)(1) and 755 ILCS 5/6-1, so call the Circuit Clerk before mailing it to Room 405.
Can I look up a Sangamon County probate case online?
The Circuit Clerk publishes a free records search with name, case number, filing date and court schedule searches. Sangamon County is not on Judici. The clerk states that online access provides case information, not filed documents, so copies come from the clerk.
Can I appear remotely for a Sangamon County probate hearing?
Possibly. Illinois Supreme Court Rule 45 lists Probate (PR) as a civil matter, and Seventh Judicial Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 presumes status conferences, case management conferences, routine non-default motions and non-evidentiary hearings eligible for Zoom. First appearances, default matters and evidentiary hearings are presumed ineligible under the local order unless the judge allows remote participation.
Is there a published probate hearing day in Sangamon County?
No weekly probate call or filing-to-hearing interval is published. For a remote-eligible matter, Circuit Administrative Order 23-2 says the scheduling party obtains the date and time from the court or the court's assistant and then gives notice with the required Zoom and judge-instruction information.
Do I have to travel to Springfield?
Some estate settlement work can be handled electronically or by phone, email and LiveChat with the Circuit Clerk. Travel may still be needed for the original will, for any hearing the judge requires in person, or when the Room 405 counter is the practical place to get multipart forms or certified copies.
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.