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Todd County, MN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Todd County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Todd County District Court |
| Facility | Todd County Courthouse |
| Judicial district | Seventh Judicial District |
| Courthouse address | 221 First Avenue S., Long Prairie, MN 56347 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address. No separate mailing address is published for Todd County. |
| Court Administrator's office phone | (320) 357-5005 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| First paper cost | $320, current as of August 2026. This is the $310 filing fee plus Todd County's $10 law library fee (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1); Minn. Stat. §§ 134A.09, 134A.10). |
| Local forms | No local Todd County probate forms or cover sheet are published. Use Minnesota's statewide PRO forms for common probate filings. |
| E-filing | Attorneys, government agencies and guardians ad litem must use eFile and eServe. A self-represented filer may choose eFS or paper filing, but after choosing eFS in a case, later filings in that case must also be electronic (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01). |
| Original will | A copy may be submitted electronically, but the original paper will must be deposited with the court (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01(b)(2), 403(e)). |
| Case search | Minnesota Court Records Online, or MCRO, searches Todd County estate cases and provides free public probate document downloads for filings on or after July 1, 2015, subject to confidentiality limits. |
| Remote appearance | Probate is remote by default under Minnesota Judicial Council Policy 525, effective February 3, 2025. The hearing notice controls. |
| Website | https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/todd |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing forms, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiaries, and whether there is an original will. Minnesota probate forms ask for asset categories and approximate indebtedness, so a clean inventory helps you decide whether the estate belongs on an informal or formal path.
Sunset's estate settlement platform helps families search more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, organize what was found, and turn that information into a filing plan for Todd County. That preparation makes the first courthouse step more focused and reduces the chance of missing an account before letters are issued.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Todd County District Court serves estate cases filed in Todd County at the Todd County Courthouse in Long Prairie. Todd County is in the Seventh Judicial District with Benton, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Clay, Becker, and Wadena counties. Minnesota law assigns 30 judges to the district and names permanent chambers at Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Little Falls, and St. Cloud, but it does not name a permanent-chambers city in Todd County (Minn. Stat. § 2.722, subd. 1).
Venue for the first informal or formal estate proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Minnesota, venue is any Minnesota county where the decedent had property at death (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-201). A later determination of descent has a wider venue rule and may be filed in the county of residence or a county where the property is located (Minn. Stat. § 525.31).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the opening route. An informal case starts with an application to the probate registrar, while a formal case starts with a petition to a judge.
- Select the statewide PRO packet that matches the situation, such as an informal packet with or without a will or a formal packet with or without a will. Todd County does not publish a local probate cover sheet.
- Prepare the application or petition with the decedent's domicile facts, interested-person information, asset categories, approximate debts, and the requested personal representative.
- File with the Court Administrator's office at the Todd County Courthouse or use eFile and eServe. Attorneys, government agencies and guardians ad litem must use eFS; a self-represented filer may choose eFS or paper filing (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01).
- If there is an original will, deposit the original paper document with the court. A copy may be submitted electronically, but the original will is not submitted through eFS (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01(b)(2), 403(e)).
- Pay the first paper cost of $320, current as of August 2026. That amount is the $310 filing fee plus Todd County's $10 law library fee (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1); Minn. Stat. §§ 134A.09, 134A.10).
- Complete the required notice steps. Formal proceedings require notice to interested persons, and a testacy proceeding generally requires publication under the direction of the Court Administrator's office.
- Watch for the hearing notice. Minnesota's statewide default for probate hearings is remote under Judicial Council Policy 525, effective February 3, 2025, but the hearing notice tells you how to appear and the judge may allow a different format.
- After appointment, obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration, then use those letters to collect assets, manage claims, sell or transfer property when authorized, and make distributions.
- Close the estate using the appropriate Minnesota closing forms or a court order, depending on whether the case is informal, formal, supervised, or otherwise requires judicial approval.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Todd County
Todd County uses Minnesota's statewide PRO probate forms for common estate filings. No local Todd County probate forms, probate packet, or county cover sheet are published for Todd County.
The statewide PRO forms include packets for informal appointment with or without a will, formal proceedings with or without a will, objections, creditor claims, inventory and account forms, informal closing, formal closing, discharge, successor personal representative, and determination of descent. The statewide form set is useful, but it is not a complete form for every possible probate situation.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Todd County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home was titled, whether an original will exists, and whether a Todd County estate case is needed. If a case is needed, file at the Todd County Courthouse or through eFS and deposit the original paper will with the court. | Sunset helps organize title clues, accounts, debts, beneficiary information, and the first filing packet for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Minnesota allows a nonresident personal representative to be appointed (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 407(b)). A self-represented filer may use eFS or paper filing, and probate hearings are remote by statewide default, but the hearing notice controls. | Sunset helps identify accounts, prepare the probate packet, and coordinate attorney help if travel or signature logistics become difficult. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A real-estate sale often requires formal authority, careful notice, and letters before a personal representative can act. File the opening papers in Todd County if venue belongs there, then follow the judge's hearing notice and the court's order. | Sunset helps gather the asset picture, flag missing accounts, and connect the family with a local probate attorney for the sale process. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Todd County District Court | Courthouse location, Court Administrator's office phone, hours, county calendar, and Todd County filing information. | 221 First Avenue S., Long Prairie, MN 56347. Phone: (320) 357-5005. Website: https://mncourts.gov/find-courts/todd |
| Self-Help Center workstation | A courthouse workstation with a computer, phone, and printer is available for legal information, forms access, and contacting Self-Help Center staff. Todd County is not listed as a walk-in Self-Help Center county. | Todd County Courthouse, 221 First Avenue S., Long Prairie, MN 56347 |
| Statewide Self-Help Center | Provides legal information and resources for people representing themselves by phone and online contact. | (651) 435-6535, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Central Minnesota Legal Services | Civil legal aid organization serving Todd County. Its published casework does not include settling a decedent's estate, but it is the local civil legal aid starting point for questions about available help or referrals. | St. Cloud and Willmar intake: (320) 253-0138. Statewide intake: 1-877-696-6529. Website: https://www.centralmnlegal.org |
| Minnesota probate help and forms | Statewide probate overview and free statewide PRO forms for common estate filings. | Help: https://mncourts.gov/help-topics/probate-wills-and-estates. Forms: https://mncourts.gov/getforms/probate |
| Minnesota Court Records Online | Searches Todd County estate cases and provides free access to public probate documents filed on or after July 1, 2015, subject to limits for confidential records and older filings. | https://publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful when the estate includes real estate to sell, disagreements among heirs or devisees, missing beneficiaries, creditor issues, tax questions, a damaged or lost will, or a request for supervised administration. Counsel also helps when an out-of-state personal representative needs someone local to manage filings, notices, and hearing preparation. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families locate accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property that can shape the Todd County filing strategy.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information you provide into an organized probate packet for the Minnesota path that fits the case, with reminders for Todd County filing details and the original-will deposit rule.
Find a local probate attorney. When estate settlement needs legal judgment, a real-estate sale, formal proceedings, or help with disputes, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families move from uncertainty to an organized estate settlement plan without charging families for the core support.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to open an estate in Todd County?
File the estate case with the Court Administrator's office for the Todd County District Court at the Todd County Courthouse, 221 First Avenue S., Long Prairie, MN 56347, or use eFile and eServe if you are filing electronically.
What does it cost to open an estate in Todd County?
The first paper cost is $320, current as of August 2026. That amount is the $310 filing fee plus Todd County's $10 law library fee (Minn. Stat. § 357.021, subd. 2(1); Minn. Stat. §§ 134A.09, 134A.10).
Can I file probate papers on paper in Todd County, or do I have to use eFS?
Attorneys, government agencies and guardians ad litem must use eFS in Minnesota. A self-represented filer may choose eFS or paper filing, but once that filer uses eFS in a case, later filings in that case must also be electronic (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01).
Can the original will be submitted electronically in Todd County?
No. A copy of the will may be submitted electronically, but the original paper will must be deposited with the court when a will is filed in a probate case (Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 14.01(b)(2), 403(e)).
Does Todd County have its own probate forms?
No local Todd County probate forms or county cover sheet are published. Use Minnesota's statewide PRO forms for common probate filings, and ask the Court Administrator's office or an attorney if the case needs a form that is not in the statewide set.
Can I appear remotely for a Todd County probate hearing?
Minnesota's statewide policy sets probate hearings as remote by default, effective February 3, 2025. That is not a guarantee for every hearing. Read the hearing notice because it controls how to appear, and use the statewide request form if you need the judge to consider a different appearance format.
Can I look up a Todd County estate case online?
Yes. Minnesota Court Records Online, or MCRO, lets you search by name, case number, attorney, and other fields. Public probate documents filed on or after July 1, 2015 are available to download at no charge, while older filings and confidential records have limits.
Is legal aid available for someone settling an estate in Todd County?
Central Minnesota Legal Services is the civil legal aid organization serving Todd County. Its published casework does not include settling a decedent's estate, but it can be a starting point to ask about eligibility, available help, or referrals.
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.