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Forsyth County, NC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Forsyth County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Clerk of Superior Court of Forsyth County, estates section, Forsyth County Courthouse |
| Courthouse address | 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 |
| Mailing address | Forsyth County Courthouse, PO Box 20099, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. For mailed payments, use Clerk of Superior Court, Forsyth County Courthouse, c/o Court Payments, PO Box 20099, Winston-Salem, NC 27120-0099. |
| Phone | (336) 779-6300. Forsyth publishes this as the clerk of superior court line and does not publish a separate estates phone line. |
| [email protected] for estates questions. The county does not publish this email as a filing channel. | |
| Fax | No fax number is published for the Forsyth clerk of superior court or courthouse. |
| Hours | Clerk's office: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Courthouse building: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Saturday and Sunday. |
| Filing cost | Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs, effective January 1, 2026, plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cumulative cap (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307). |
| Payment methods | By mail: money order or certified check only, payable to Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court. In person: cash, money order, certified check, and major credit or debit cards with processing fees. No personal checks are accepted by mail or in person. |
| Local forms | Forsyth publishes no local estates form, checklist or estates calendar request. Use the statewide AOC-E estate forms. |
| E-filing | File & Serve is statewide. Attorneys must use File & Serve. Self-represented individuals may use it but are not required to. |
| Case search | Portal is the statewide public case search: https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ . Search by party name or file number and filter to Forsyth. No account is needed to search public information. |
| Appointments | Forsyth publishes no estates appointment booking page and no walk-in policy. Call (336) 779-6300 or email [email protected] before traveling. |
| Remote appearance | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 permits audio and video proceedings, but Forsyth publishes no remote-appearance practice for estate matters before the clerk. Ask the clerk whether a specific matter can be handled without a trip. |
| Website | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/forsyth-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Forsyth County, make a practical list of the assets, debts, accounts, real property and documents you know about. The clerk's counter cannot choose the right path for estate settlement unless the filing paperwork identifies what exists, who is entitled to act and whether there is an original will.
Sunset can help organize the estate settlement work before you contact the Forsyth estates section. Sunset's asset discovery checks more than 2,300 institutions so families can find accounts, policies and other assets that may affect the Forsyth filing packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Forsyth County has one Judicial Branch court location for estate filings: the Forsyth County Courthouse at 175 N. Chestnut Street in Winston-Salem. Do not use the older North Main Street courthouse address for a current estate filing.
The same Forsyth clerk's estates counter serves Bethania, Clemmons, Kernersville, Lewisville, Rural Hall, Tobaccoville, Walkertown, Winston-Salem and unincorporated Forsyth County communities, including Pfafftown.
Venue for probate of a will and for all proceedings relating to administration of a decedent's estate is generally the North Carolina county where the decedent was domiciled at death (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1). The district number shown on court pages does not change the county where a Forsyth estate is filed.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct statewide estate form. Use AOC-E-201 when there is a will, AOC-E-202 when there is no will, AOC-E-203B for collection by affidavit, or the summary administration forms when that statewide path fits.
- Gather the original will if there is one, a certified death certificate, the application and preliminary inventory, and the information needed to identify heirs, devisees, assets and debts.
- Contact the Forsyth estates section before traveling if timing matters. Forsyth publishes no estates booking link and no walk-in policy, so call (336) 779-6300 or email [email protected].
- File at the Clerk of Superior Court's office in the Forsyth County Courthouse, 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, or mail the packet to the Forsyth County Courthouse, PO Box 20099, Winston-Salem, NC 27120. Attorneys use File & Serve. Self-represented individuals may use File & Serve but are not required to.
- Plan a paper step for an original will. If you are not filing in person, ask the Forsyth estates section how it wants the original delivered.
- Pay the statewide estate court costs. Forsyth's mailed-payment rules allow money order or certified check only, payable to Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court. Personal checks are not accepted.
- After appointment, publish or post notice to creditors as required by North Carolina procedure, then track claims, receipts and disbursements for the estate file.
- If the clerk schedules a hearing or asks for more information, follow the clerk's instruction. Forsyth publishes no estates hearing day, and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 permits remote proceedings only when the judicial official allows them.
- When the clerk approves qualification, the executor receives letters testamentary or the administrator receives letters of administration, depending on whether the decedent left a will.
- Administer and close the estate by filing the required inventory, accountings and final paperwork with the Forsyth clerk's estates counter.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Forsyth County
Forsyth County uses North Carolina's statewide AOC-E estate forms. Forsyth publishes no local estates rule, local estates form, estates checklist or estates calendar-request form on its Judicial Branch local rules and forms page.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| AOC-E-201 | Application for probate and letters testamentary or of administration CTA when there is a will. |
| AOC-E-202 | Application for letters of administration when there is no will. |
| AOC-E-203B | Affidavit for collection of personal property of decedent. This opens a collection by affidavit. |
| AOC-E-204 | Affidavit of collection, disbursement and distribution. This closes a collection by affidavit. |
| AOC-E-505 | Inventory for decedent's estate. |
| AOC-E-506 | Account for annual or final accounting. |
| AOC-E-905 and AOC-E-906 | Summary administration forms, with or without a will. |
| AOC-E-100 | Petition and assignment for year's allowance. Use the form landing page because versions depend on the date of death. |
Statewide forms are available at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms . Filter to Estate (E) or search by form number.
Local nuance
Forsyth County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Forsyth filing |
|---|---|
| New courthouse address | Forsyth court operations moved to 175 N. Chestnut Street on October 23, 2023. Use the North Chestnut Street courthouse, not the older North Main Street building. |
| Estates email, no estates phone line | Forsyth publishes [email protected] for estates questions, but the only published phone route for the clerk is (336) 779-6300. |
| Counter opens after the building | The courthouse building opens at 8:00 a.m., but the clerk's office opens at 8:30 a.m. for counter service. |
| Payment rules are specific | Mailed payments must be a money order or certified check. In person, the clerk accepts cash, money order, certified check, and major credit or debit cards with processing fees. Personal checks are not accepted. |
| No estates booking link | Forsyth publishes no estates appointment scheduler and no walk-in policy. Call or email before making a trip, especially if you need letters issued the same day. |
| No local estates forms | Forsyth's local forms page contains civil, criminal, domestic, juvenile and calendar forms, but no estates form. Use the statewide AOC-E form set. |
Recent updates
| Date | Forsyth County update |
|---|---|
| October 23, 2023 | Forsyth court operations opened in the new Forsyth County Courthouse at 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, replacing the older courthouse on North Main Street. Estate filings with the clerk are at the North Chestnut Street building. |
| October 1, 2024 | The amended General Rules of Court and Case Management Plan for the Superior Court of the 31st Judicial District, Forsyth County, took effect. It governs Superior Court civil and criminal practice and does not create a local estates rule or remote-appearance rule for matters before the clerk. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Forsyth County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home is titled, whether there are solely owned assets and whether a spouse-only summary administration or allowance filing is relevant under statewide law. File any needed Forsyth estate paperwork with the clerk at 175 N. Chestnut Street. | Sunset helps locate accounts, organize title and debt information, and generate a cleaner estate settlement packet before the spouse contacts the Forsyth estates section. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Use the statewide collection by affidavit path only if the estate fits that statewide procedure. Because Forsyth publishes no appointment policy and no original-will delivery rule, call or email the estates section before mailing paperwork or traveling to Winston-Salem. | Sunset helps identify institutions, assemble the affidavit packet and decide whether a local attorney should review the filing before the adult child sends it to Forsyth. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of real property through the estate usually requires careful administration and may require full estate settlement steps through the Forsyth clerk. If a dispute, creditor issue or caveat develops, counsel is especially important. | Sunset helps collect asset and debt information, organize closing tasks and connect the parent with a vetted local probate attorney when the home sale or dispute risk makes legal help important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court of Forsyth County, estates | Opens and administers Forsyth estate matters. The county publishes an estates email but no separate estates phone line. | 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. (336) 779-6300. [email protected]. https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/forsyth-county/contact-directory |
| Forsyth County Courthouse page | Lists the current courthouse address, mailing address, clerk's office hours and building hours. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/forsyth-county/forsyth-county-courthouse |
| Forsyth County Payment Information | Explains payment methods accepted by mail, in person and online for eligible items, including Forsyth's no-personal-check rule. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/forsyth-county/forsyth-county-payment-information |
| North Carolina Judicial Branch estates help topic | Explains estates, letters testamentary, letters of administration and what to bring to the clerk. | https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/wills-and-estates/estates |
| Decedent's Estate Procedures pamphlet | Summarizes procedures for executors, administrators, collectors by affidavit and summary administration. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/decedents-estate-procedures-pamphlet |
| Statewide estate forms | Provides the AOC-E forms used in every North Carolina county, including Forsyth. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms |
| Portal | Statewide public case search. Estates is an advanced filtering category, and county is a filter. No account is needed to search public information. | https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ and https://www.nccourts.gov/services/portal-training-and-resources |
| Guide & File | Offers a guided interview for summary administration with or without a will. It does not provide a full-administration interview. | https://northcarolina.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina, Winston-Salem office | Provides free civil legal help for people with low incomes. Its published service area includes Forsyth County, but estate administration is not listed among its issue areas, so apply and ask about fit. | 102 W 3rd St, Suite 460, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. 336-725-9162. Toll free 1-800-660-6663. https://legalaidnc.org/offices/ |
| North Carolina Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | Matches members of the public with North Carolina attorneys. | https://www.ncbar.org/members/resources/lawyer-referral-service/ |
When to hire an attorney
You do not have to hire a lawyer just because an estate is filed in Forsyth County, but counsel makes sense when the estate includes a home sale, unclear title, out-of-state fiduciary issues, creditor disputes, a caveat, a fiduciary-duty claim or any matter that may leave the clerk's exclusive estate jurisdiction and move into the Superior Court Division (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-2-4). Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies and other assets that may affect a Forsyth County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's answers into an organized packet for the correct North Carolina path, using the statewide AOC-E forms and the local Forsyth filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, a creditor problem or a question the clerk cannot answer, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, prepare for the Forsyth clerk's counter and avoid missing accounts without paying Sunset for access.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate paperwork in Forsyth County?
File with the Clerk of Superior Court of Forsyth County at the Forsyth County Courthouse, 175 N. Chestnut Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Mail goes to Forsyth County Courthouse, PO Box 20099, Winston-Salem, NC 27120.
Is there a separate estates phone number in Forsyth County?
No separate estates phone line is published. Call the clerk of superior court line at (336) 779-6300. Forsyth does publish an estates email address, [email protected].
Does Forsyth County require an appointment to open an estate?
Forsyth publishes no estates appointment booking page and no walk-in policy. The safe step is to call (336) 779-6300 or email [email protected] before traveling to the courthouse.
Can I e-file a Forsyth County estate case?
File & Serve is available statewide. Attorneys must use File & Serve, while self-represented individuals may use it but are not required to. If there is an original will, ask the Forsyth estates section how it wants the original delivered.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Forsyth County?
Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs, effective January 1, 2026, plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cumulative cap (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307). Forsyth does not add a county surcharge.
What payment methods does the Forsyth clerk accept?
For mailed payments, Forsyth publishes money order or certified check only, payable to Forsyth County Clerk of Superior Court. In person, the clerk accepts cash, money order, certified check, and major credit or debit cards with processing fees. Personal checks are not accepted.
Does Forsyth County have local probate forms?
No. Forsyth publishes no local estates form, checklist or estates calendar request. Use the statewide AOC-E forms available through the North Carolina Judicial Branch forms page.
Can I appear remotely for a Forsyth County estate matter?
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 permits judicial officials to conduct proceedings by audio and video, but Forsyth publishes no local remote-appearance practice for estate matters before the clerk. Ask the clerk whether your specific matter can be handled without a trip.
How do I look up a Forsyth County estate case?
Use Portal, the statewide public case search at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ . Search by party name or file number and filter to Forsyth. Forsyth file numbers use the county identifier 330.
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.