Back to North Carolina
New Hanover County, NC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | New Hanover County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Clerk of Superior Court, New Hanover County. The clerk handles estate matters as ex officio judge of probate. |
| Courthouse address | New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401. |
| Mailing address | New Hanover County Courthouse, PO Box 2023, Wilmington, NC 28402. |
| Phone | (910) 772-6600. The Judicial Branch lists this as both the courthouse main line and the Clerk of Superior Court line. No separate estates line is published. |
| Fax | No clerk fax number is published for New Hanover County. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday closed. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Filing cost | For costs assessed or collected on or after January 1, 2026, opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute. |
| Payment methods | By mail, use a money order or certified check payable to New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court. No cash and no personal checks by mail. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, credit or debit cards with processing fees, money orders and certified checks. No personal checks. |
| Local forms | No New Hanover estate forms or estate checklist are published. Use the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms. |
| E-filing | File & Serve is available through eCourts. Attorneys must use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use it, but are not required to do so. Ask the clerk how the original will should be delivered. |
| Case search | Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. If a New Hanover estate file does not appear, call the clerk at (910) 772-6600. |
| Remote appearance | North Carolina law permits audio and video proceedings in some circumstances, but New Hanover publishes no estate-specific remote appearance procedure. Ask the clerk when the matter is scheduled. |
| Website | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a New Hanover estate path, make a practical list of the assets, debts, title issues and accounts you know about. The clerk's office will expect the correct statewide form and a preliminary inventory, and the right path depends on whether there is a will, whether real property must be sold or cleared, and whether an institution will accept a simpler procedure.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families search across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organize accounts and liabilities, and turn that asset picture into a probate packet for the New Hanover County clerk.
Which court handles jurisdiction
New Hanover County estate filings go to the Clerk of Superior Court at the New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess St in Wilmington. The Judicial Branch lists one court location for the county, so there is no branch filing counter for estate matters.
File in New Hanover County when the decedent was domiciled in New Hanover County at death, including Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Castle Hayne, Seabreeze or another part of the county. For a decedent who was not domiciled in North Carolina, venue may be a county where the decedent left property or where estate property has come (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1).
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the will, the asset list and the debt list. Decide whether you need letters testamentary, letters of administration, collection by affidavit, summary administration or another statewide procedure.
- Get a certified death certificate. For a death recorded in New Hanover County, certified copies come from the New Hanover County Register of Deeds, 320 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401, phone (910) 798-4530.
- Choose the correct statewide estate form from the North Carolina Judicial Branch form library at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms. New Hanover publishes no local estate packet.
- Call the clerk at (910) 772-6600 before going to the courthouse. New Hanover publishes no appointment link and no walk-in policy for opening an estate.
- File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess St, Wilmington, or mail to PO Box 2023, Wilmington, NC 28402. If there is an original will, ask the clerk how it must be delivered because an original will cannot be filed electronically as an original.
- Pay the court costs by an accepted method. For costs assessed or collected on or after January 1, 2026, opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute.
- After the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration, use those letters to collect estate property, open or manage an estate account, and deal with institutions.
- Give creditor notice, mail required notices, and keep receipts and disbursements organized for the inventory and accounts required in a full administration.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the clerk how it will be scheduled. New Hanover publishes no estates calendar, no filing-to-hearing window and no estate-specific remote appearance procedure.
- Close the estate by filing the required account, affidavit or closing paper for the procedure you used, and pay any remaining court-cost assessment before final approval.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in New Hanover County
New Hanover County uses the statewide North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms. The county's Local Rules and Forms page does not publish an estate checklist, estate cover sheet, estate calendar request or local estate form.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| AOC-E-201 | Application for probate and letters testamentary or letters of administration c.t.a. 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. |
| AOC-E-204 | Affidavit of collection, disbursement and distribution, used to close a collection by affidavit. |
| AOC-E-505 | Inventory for decedent's estate. |
| AOC-E-506 | Account. |
Use the form library at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms and filter to Estate (E). Some forms are versioned by date of death, so use the form landing pages rather than an old saved PDF.
Local nuance
New Hanover County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a filer |
|---|---|
| One published clerk phone number | Call (910) 772-6600 for estate questions. New Hanover publishes no separate estates line and no estates email address. |
| Different street and mailing addresses | Use 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401 for in-person filing. Use PO Box 2023, Wilmington, NC 28402 for mail. |
| Payment restrictions | By mail, send a money order or certified check only. In person, use the Cashier's Office for cash, card, money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted. |
| eCourts kiosk at the courthouse | The courthouse has an eCourts public access kiosk with access to Portal, File & Serve, payments, scanning and printing. It is useful if you do not have a printer, scanner or reliable internet at home. |
| No local estate paperwork | New Hanover's published local forms are for other case types. Estate filings use statewide AOC estate forms. |
| Death certificate source | Certified death certificates for New Hanover deaths come from the New Hanover County Register of Deeds, not from the clerk. |
| No booking link | The county publishes no appointment scheduler and no walk-in statement for opening an estate, so call before traveling to Wilmington. |
| Accessibility note | The Judicial Branch lists handicap parking and handicap access at the rear of the courthouse and wheelchair access among building facilities. |
Recent updates
| Date | New Hanover County update |
|---|---|
| June 10, 2025 | The Judicial Branch announced that eCourts public access kiosks would be available at the New Hanover County Courthouse beginning in June 2025, with on-site access to Portal case search, File & Serve, payments, scanning and printing. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely New Hanover path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking the deed, account ownership and beneficiary designations. If the spouse is the sole beneficiary or heir, ask whether a statewide spouse-focused procedure fits. If the home title must be cleared or property must be sold through the estate, file with the New Hanover clerk in Wilmington. | Sunset organizes the asset list, flags title and account questions, and prepares the estate settlement packet for the clerk or for attorney review. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call (910) 772-6600 before traveling because New Hanover publishes no appointment link and no walk-in policy. Ask how the original will, if any, must be delivered and whether File & Serve or mail fits your situation. | Sunset helps collect account information remotely, generate the correct packet, and coordinate the questions to ask the clerk before a trip to Wilmington. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale or title-clearing issue usually means the family should open an estate with the New Hanover clerk and consider counsel, especially if heirs, creditors or title issues are involved. | Sunset builds the asset and debt picture, prepares the probate materials, and connects the family with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney when legal help is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court, New Hanover County | Filing office for every New Hanover estate. Staff can explain what to bring and how the clerk wants an original will delivered, but cannot give legal advice. | 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401. Mailing: PO Box 2023, Wilmington, NC 28402. Phone (910) 772-6600. https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county |
| New Hanover County contact directory | Judicial Branch directory for the Wilmington courthouse. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county/contact-directory |
| New Hanover County payment information | Explains accepted mail and in-person payment methods and the courthouse Cashier's Office. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county/new-hanover-county-payment-information |
| North Carolina Judicial Branch estates help topic | Court's plain-language overview of wills, letters, what to bring to the clerk and bond. | https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/wills-and-estates/estates |
| Decedent's estate procedures pamphlet | Administrative Office of the Courts pamphlet for executors, administrators, collectors by affidavit and summary administration. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/decedents-estate-procedures-pamphlet |
| Statewide estate forms | Form library for Estate (E) forms used in New Hanover County. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms |
| Portal | Statewide case search, court date search and online payment where a case is eligible. | https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ |
| Guide & File | Free guided document preparation for year's allowance, summary administration and small estate administration. | https://northcarolina.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL |
| New Hanover County Register of Deeds | Issues certified death certificates for deaths recorded in New Hanover County. Bring valid identification and proof of relationship. | 320 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401. Phone (910) 798-4530. https://www.ncard.us/find-your-register-of-deeds/new-hanover-county/ |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina, Wilmington office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents of New Hanover County. Ask at intake whether your estate question fits their help areas. | 272 N Front St, Suite 220, Wilmington, NC 28401. Phone (910) 763-6207. Helpline 1-866-219-5262, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. https://legalaidnc.org/get-help/offices/ |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney makes sense in New Hanover County when real property in Wilmington, Carolina Beach, Kure Beach or Wrightsville Beach must be sold or title must be cleared, when heirs disagree, when a caveat is threatened, when creditors press claims, when a personal representative lives out of state and bond may be an issue, or when a matter belongs in the Superior Court Division rather than before the clerk under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-2-4. Sunset connects the family to a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and debts, and gives the family a clearer asset picture before filing in New Hanover County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized estate settlement packet using the statewide North Carolina forms and the New Hanover filing details, including the Wilmington courthouse address and mailing address.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a home sale, a creditor dispute, a threatened caveat, out-of-state administration or another issue that needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement support is free for families, so you can organize the work, understand the next step and decide whether you need attorney help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in New Hanover County?
File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess St, Wilmington, NC 28401. Mail goes to New Hanover County Courthouse, PO Box 2023, Wilmington, NC 28402.
Does New Hanover County have a probate court?
No. North Carolina estate matters are handled by the clerk of superior court, who serves as ex officio judge of probate. In New Hanover County, that office is at the Wilmington courthouse.
Do I need an appointment to open an estate in Wilmington?
New Hanover County publishes no appointment link and no walk-in policy for opening an estate. Call the clerk at (910) 772-6600 before you travel.
How much does it cost to open an estate in New Hanover County?
For costs assessed or collected on or after January 1, 2026, opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute.
Can I file a New Hanover estate online?
File & Serve is available through eCourts. Attorneys must use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use it, but are not required to do so. If there is an original will, call (910) 772-6600 to ask how the clerk wants the original delivered.
How do I look up a New Hanover County estate case?
Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. If an estate file does not appear, call the New Hanover clerk at (910) 772-6600.
Are there local probate forms in New Hanover County?
No local New Hanover estate packet is published. Use the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms and filter to Estate (E).
Can I appear remotely for a New Hanover County estate matter?
North Carolina law permits judicial officials to conduct some proceedings by audio and video transmission using approved applications, and a party may object and ask for an in-person setting (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6). New Hanover publishes no estate-specific remote procedure, so ask the clerk when the matter is scheduled.
Where do I get a certified death certificate in New Hanover County?
For a death recorded in New Hanover County, certified copies come from the New Hanover County Register of Deeds, 320 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401. The office phone is (910) 798-4530.
Do I have to travel to Wilmington to settle the estate?
Not always. Self-represented filers may use File & Serve, and some paperwork may be mailed, but New Hanover does not publish how an original will must be delivered or whether the counter accepts every paper estate filing. Call (910) 772-6600 before making travel plans.
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.