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Howard County, IN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Howard County information |
|---|---|
| Court assignment | File with the Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court. The clerk assigns estate cases by random selection to the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV (LR34-AR1-2). Howard Superior Court III holds the small claims and specialized driving privileges docket. |
| Filing counter | Howard County Courthouse, Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court, 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo, IN 46901. |
| Mailing | Mail filings to the same courthouse address: 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo, IN 46901. |
| Phone | (765) 456-2000. |
| Fax | (765) 456-2267. |
| Hours | The clerk's counter is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except legal holidays. The Howard Circuit Court itself closes for the noon hour. |
| Opening cost | For 2026, opening an estate is $177, made up of the $120 probate costs fee plus statutory add-ons (IC 33-37-4-7). Offering a will for probate under IC 29-1-7, where nothing else is needed, carries no court costs fee (IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3)). Add $28 in 2026 if sheriff service is requested (IC 33-37-5-15). |
| Local probate forms | Howard County publishes no local probate forms. The clerk publishes a fee waiver form and several non-probate forms. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Indiana E-Filing System. A person filing without an attorney may e-file, deliver a hard copy to the clerk during office hours or mail the filing (Ind. Trial Rule 87). |
| Case search | Search MyCase at https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/. Howard County estate cases appear as EU, ES or EM, and the cause number prefix shows which court drew the case. |
| Remote appearance | Howard County publishes no separate remote appearance rule. Non-testimonial hearings may be remote at the court's discretion, while testimonial hearings are presumptively in person unless good cause or agreement supports remote participation (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). |
| Website | Clerk: https://www.in.gov/counties/howard/departments/clerk/. Courts: https://www.in.gov/counties/howard/departments/circuit-court/. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Kokomo, identify what the decedent owned, how each asset was titled and whether any account has a beneficiary. Jointly held property and beneficiary assets may pass outside the estate, so the right estate settlement path depends on the asset picture. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts before they choose a filing route.
List the debts and known creditors early. Indiana requires published notice to creditors in an administration, and Howard County adds no local notice rule of its own. A complete liability list helps the personal representative handle notice, claims and closing the estate settlement without restarting steps later.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Howard County probate venue is based on the decedent's domicile at death (IC 29-1-7-1). A decedent domiciled in Kokomo, Greentown, Russiaville or elsewhere in Howard County is filed in Howard County, even if death occurred somewhere else. If the decedent was not domiciled in Indiana, venue can be based on Indiana property in the county where the property is located or later comes into the estate (IC 29-1-7-1).
Howard County has one filing counter for estates: the Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court at the Howard County Courthouse, 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo. One elected Clerk of the Circuit Court serves every court in the county (IC 33-32-2-1), so you do not choose between court counters. The clerk assigns the estate to the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV after filing (LR34-AR1-2).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm Howard County is the right venue. File here when the decedent was domiciled in Howard County at death, including Kokomo, Greentown or Russiaville (IC 29-1-7-1).
- Prepare the opening papers. Depending on the case, this means a petition for probate of the will and issuance of letters testamentary, or a petition for letters of general administration if there is no will, plus the original will if there is one, the death certificate and the names of heirs, devisees and known creditors. Howard County publishes no local probate forms, so the papers are prepared for the case.
- Follow Howard County's filing mechanics. Written filings generally go on white 8.5 by 11 paper, double spaced, but an existing will is filed as it exists rather than being retyped (LR34-AR11-6). Each written filing should be accompanied by a short proposed docket entry (LR34-TR5-7).
- File with the Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court at 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo. Attorneys file electronically. A person filing without an attorney may e-file, deliver a hard copy to the clerk during office hours or mail the filing (Ind. Trial Rule 87).
- Pay the opening cost or use the clerk's fee waiver form if needed. For 2026, opening an estate is $177, including the $120 probate costs fee and statutory add-ons (IC 33-37-4-7). Offering a will for probate under IC 29-1-7, where nothing else is needed, carries no court costs fee (IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3)). If sheriff service is requested, the 2026 sheriff service charge is $28 (IC 33-37-5-15).
- File a written appearance. Howard County requires an appearance by counsel or by a person appearing without an attorney to be in writing and filed with the clerk or the court (LR34-TR3.1-5).
- Let the clerk assign the case. Under Howard County's caseload allocation rule, the clerk randomly assigns estate cases to the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV (LR34-AR1-2). The judges of those courts and the county magistrate are authorized to sit for one another in any case (LR34-AR00-4).
- Obtain letters. Once the court appoints the personal representative, the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of general administration under the court seal, which prove authority to act for the estate (IC 29-1-10-1, IC 29-1-10-4).
- Publish and serve notice. Indiana requires notice of estate administration to be published in an administration and served as required by statute, with proof of publication filed with the clerk (IC 29-1-7-7).
- Ask the assigned court for orders in writing. Howard County's local rules call for a proposed order when a party asks the court to act, including setting hearing dates, with enough copies for the affected parties (LR34-AR00-9). Many routine motions are decided without oral argument unless the rules require it, a party asks and the court allows it, or the court requests it (LR34-TR73-10).
- Administer the estate. The personal representative prepares the verified inventory within two months after appointment under the statewide rule, pays allowed claims, handles sales and keeps distributees informed (IC 29-1-12-1, IC 29-1-7.5-3.2). Howard County adds no local rule requiring the inventory to be filed.
- Close the estate settlement. In an unsupervised estate, the personal representative files a closing statement no earlier than three months after the first published notice to creditors (IC 29-1-7.5-4). In a supervised estate, the assigned court approves the final account and distribution.
Executor duties
Howard County adds filing mechanics to the statewide duties of a personal representative. The practical local duties are:
- File a written appearance with the clerk or the court if you are handling the estate without an attorney, and serve a copy as required (LR34-TR3.1-5).
- Send estate filings to the clerk's office, either by e-filing, delivery to the counter during office hours or mail. Attorneys file electronically.
- Prepare filings on white 8.5 by 11 paper, double spaced. An existing will is exempt from the paper size rule and is filed as it exists (LR34-AR11-6).
- Include a short proposed docket entry with each written filing (LR34-TR5-7).
- Bring a proposed order when asking the court to act, including when asking for a hearing date, with enough copies for affected parties (LR34-AR00-9).
- Use the cause number to identify the assigned court. 34C01 is the Howard Circuit Court, 34D01 is Howard Superior Court I, 34D02 is Howard Superior Court II and 34D04 is Howard Superior Court IV.
- If you need more time, file a written, verified motion to continue and state whether the other side objects (LR34-TR53.5-11).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Howard County
Howard County does not publish local probate forms, and its local rules do not prescribe probate appendices or a probate cover sheet. The clerk's published forms list includes small claims, fee waiver, eviction, certificate of compliance and verification of ownership forms, but no estate petition, notice, inventory or closing form.
That means the petition for probate of a will and issuance of letters testamentary, the petition for letters of general administration, notices, inventory and closing statement are prepared for the case. Indiana's one statewide estate form, the small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000, is used outside court by giving it to the bank or other holder. It is not filed with the Howard County clerk.
Local nuance
Howard County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Howard County |
|---|---|
| Random court assignment | The clerk assigns estate cases to the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV by random selection (LR34-AR1-2). Probate jurisdiction is concurrent across Indiana circuit and superior courts (IC 33-28-1-2, IC 33-29-1-1.5). |
| One filing counter | Even though four courts can draw the estate, every filing starts with the Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court in Room 202. One clerk serves every Howard County court (IC 33-32-2-1). |
| Cause number prefix | The cause number tells you which court has the estate: 34C01 for the Circuit Court, 34D01 for Superior Court I, 34D02 for Superior Court II and 34D04 for Superior Court IV. |
| No local probate rules | Howard County's local rules contain no probate rule family. There is no local counsel requirement, no local filed-inventory clock, no local bond default and no local attorney fee guideline. |
| Self-represented filing route | A person filing without an attorney may e-file, deliver a hard copy to the clerk during office hours or mail the filing. Attorneys file electronically. |
| Original papers | Once an original pleading, paper or record is in the clerk's custody, it is not withdrawn without a proper receipt (LR34-AR00-19). |
Recent updates
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Howard County caseload allocation rule amended effective April 21, 2023 | LR34-AR1-2 is the rule that sends estate cases to the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV by random selection made by the clerk. |
| Indiana Trial Rule 87 effective August 1, 2026 | The statewide e-filing rule keeps e-filing mandatory for attorneys and optional for people filing for themselves, and includes a probate-specific rule for filing a will for probate. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First determine what actually needs administration, because jointly held property and beneficiary assets may pass outside the estate. If an estate is needed, file with the clerk in Room 202 at 104 North Buckeye Street in Kokomo or by mail. For 2026, opening an estate is $177 (IC 33-37-4-7), and the clerk assigns the case to one of four Howard County courts under LR34-AR1-2. | Sunset identifies accounts, organizes title information and prepares the estate settlement packet so the spouse is not guessing what belongs in court. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | The estate belongs in Howard County if the decedent was domiciled here (IC 29-1-7-1). A nonresident personal representative qualifies by filing a written acceptance of the appointment and appointing an Indiana resident agent for service, and bond is required unless the court waives it in an unsupervised administration (IC 29-1-10-1(d), IC 29-1-7.5-2.5(c)). Howard County allows self-represented filings at the counter, by mail or through e-filing, so routine filings may not require travel to Kokomo. | Sunset helps decide whether court administration is needed, prepares the filing packet and connects the family with Indiana counsel when a resident agent, bond or court appearance is involved. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Move quickly if the house may need to be sold to pay debts or administration costs. Indiana limits those sales unless the petition for administration is filed within five months after death and letters issue within seven months after death (IC 29-1-7-15.1(b)). Howard County has no local appraisal rule or local filed-inventory rule, but requests to the court should be made in writing with a proposed order (LR34-AR00-9). | Sunset gathers asset and debt information, builds a timeline around the real estate deadlines and connects the parent with a local probate attorney for sale authority and closing. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Howard County courts on the Indiana Judicial Branch site | Links to the county's current local rules, court contact information, case search and e-filing resources. |
| Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court | The filing counter, hours, phone, fax, fee waiver form and public records request route for Howard County. |
| Howard County courts | Links to the Circuit Court, Howard Superior Courts I through IV, the magistrate and the county's local court rules. |
| Howard County local court rules | Includes LR34-AR1-2, the rule that assigns new civil cases, including estates, to one of four Howard County courts. |
| MyCase | Indiana's statewide public case search. Estate cases appear as EU, ES or EM. |
| Indiana Legal Services, Lafayette office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Hoosiers. The Lafayette office serves Howard County. Whether it can help with estate administration depends on intake. |
| Indiana Legal Help, estate topic | Coalition for Court Access estate resources, including the statewide small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000, a probate FAQ and a small estate FAQ. |
| Indiana Free Legal Answers | Free, confidential answers to civil legal questions from volunteer Indiana attorneys. |
| Statewide e-filing | Indiana E-Filing System information, certified providers and user guides. Attorneys file electronically, while people filing for themselves may choose whether to e-file. |
When to hire an attorney
Howard County does not require a personal representative to have a lawyer, and its courts allow a person filing without an attorney to deliver a hard copy to the clerk or mail it in. A lawyer is usually worth involving when the estate is supervised, a house must be sold on Indiana's five month and seven month real estate timeline (IC 29-1-7-15.1(b)), a creditor claim is disputed, the family disagrees or the personal representative lives outside Indiana and needs a resident agent. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, real estate and other assets before a Howard County filing is prepared. That makes the first court packet stronger and helps avoid opening the wrong estate settlement route.
Generate the probate packet. Howard County does not publish local probate forms. Sunset uses the family's information to assemble the petition, notices, inventory support and closing materials needed for the assigned Howard County court.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs counsel, Sunset connects the family to a vetted Indiana probate attorney who understands Howard County's clerk, random court assignment process and local filing mechanics.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize assets, documents and next steps without paying Sunset. If attorney help is needed, the attorney explains any fees before the family decides whether to move forward.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Howard County?
File with the Clerk of the Howard Circuit Court at the Howard County Courthouse, 104 North Buckeye Street, Room 202, Kokomo, IN 46901. Every estate filing starts with the clerk, whether it is e-filed, delivered to the counter or mailed.
Which Howard County court hears estates?
One of four courts can draw the case: the Howard Circuit Court, Howard Superior Court I, Howard Superior Court II or Howard Superior Court IV. The clerk assigns estate cases by random selection under LR34-AR1-2. Howard Superior Court III holds the small claims and specialized driving privileges docket (LR34-AR1-2), which is why estates are not assigned to it.
How do I know which court got my Howard County estate case?
Look at the cause number on the clerk's paperwork or on MyCase. 34C01 means Howard Circuit Court, 34D01 means Howard Superior Court I, 34D02 means Howard Superior Court II and 34D04 means Howard Superior Court IV.
Can I file a Howard County estate myself online?
Yes. Attorneys file through the Indiana E-Filing System. A person filing without an attorney may e-file but may also deliver a hard copy to the clerk during office hours or mail the filing (Ind. Trial Rule 87).
What does it cost to open an estate in Howard County?
For 2026, opening an estate is $177, which includes the $120 probate costs fee plus statutory add-ons (IC 33-37-4-7). Offering a will for probate under IC 29-1-7, where nothing else is needed, carries no court costs fee (IC 33-37-4-7(c)(3)). Add $28 in 2026 if sheriff service is requested (IC 33-37-5-15). The clerk publishes a fee waiver form for a filer who cannot pay.
Does Howard County publish probate forms?
No. Howard County publishes small claims, fee waiver, eviction, certificate of compliance and verification of ownership forms, but no probate forms. Estate petitions, notices, inventories and closing statements are prepared for the case. Indiana's statewide small estate affidavit CCA-EM-0722-5000 is given to the bank or other holder and is not filed with the court.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Howard County?
Howard County does not have a local rule requiring counsel for a personal representative. Counsel usually makes sense when the estate is supervised, real property must be sold, a creditor claim is disputed, the heirs disagree or the personal representative lives outside Indiana.
When are Howard County probate hearings held?
Howard County does not publish a probate hearing day or a filing-to-hearing window. Under the county's rules, many routine motions are decided without oral argument unless the rules require it, a party asks and the court allows it, or the court asks for it (LR34-TR73-10). Once the clerk assigns the case, ask the assigned court about any hearing date.
Can I appear remotely in a Howard County estate case?
A non-testimonial probate hearing may be held remotely at the court's discretion. A hearing where someone testifies is presumptively in person unless there is good cause or everyone agrees (Ind. Administrative Rule 14). Howard County publishes no separate remote appearance rule, so ask the assigned court when a hearing is set.
Do I have to travel to Kokomo?
Not for many routine filings. A person filing without an attorney may e-file, mail the filing or deliver it to the clerk. You can follow the case on MyCase. Plan to come to Kokomo if the assigned court sets a hearing that requires in-person testimony.
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.