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Perquimans County, NC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Perquimans County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Clerk of Superior Court, Perquimans County |
| Courthouse address | Perquimans County Courthouse, 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944 |
| Mailing address | Perquimans County Courthouse, PO Box 33, Hertford, NC 27944 |
| Phone | (252) 404-5000. The Judicial Branch lists this as both the courthouse and Clerk of Superior Court number, with no separate estates line. |
| Fax | No fax is published on the Judicial Branch Perquimans County pages. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. |
| Court costs | Effective 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 minimum of $15.00 per filing and a cap of $6,000.00. |
| Payment methods | By mail, money order or certified check only, payable to Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court. In person, cash, credit or debit card with processing fees, money order or certified check. No personal checks. |
| Local forms | No Perquimans County estate forms or estate checklist are published. Use the statewide AOC estate forms. |
| E-filing status | File & Serve is available statewide. Attorneys must use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use File & Serve but are not required to. Ask the clerk how to deliver an original will. |
| Case search | Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. There is no Perquimans-specific case-search site. |
| Remote appearance | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 permits approved audio and video proceedings, but Perquimans County publishes no estate-specific remote-appearance practice. |
| Website | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/perquimans-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Perquimans County, list the assets, debts, accounts, vehicles, real estate issues and known creditors. The clerk's estates counter will need enough information to decide which statewide AOC forms fit the estate settlement and whether letters testamentary, letters of administration, collection by affidavit or summary administration is the right path.
Because Perquimans publishes no appointment link and no walk-in policy, call (252) 404-5000 before visiting the Hertford courthouse, especially if you have an original will. Sunset can help organize estate settlement work first by searching across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets families might otherwise miss.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Perquimans County Courthouse at 128 N Church St in Hertford is the only court location published for Perquimans County. File Perquimans estate matters with the Clerk of Superior Court, not with a county office in Hertford County, which is a different North Carolina county.
Venue for probate of a will and estate administration is the North Carolina county where the decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent 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
- Choose the statewide AOC estate forms for the situation. A will estate generally starts with AOC-E-201, an intestate estate with AOC-E-202, a collection by affidavit with AOC-E-203B and summary administration with AOC-E-905 or AOC-E-906.
- Call the Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court at (252) 404-5000 before you go. The county publishes no booking link and no walk-in rule, so ask what to bring, how the clerk wants an original will delivered and whether your filing should be made at the counter or through File & Serve.
- File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Perquimans County Courthouse, 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944, or use File & Serve if you are filing electronically. Mail should go to Perquimans County Courthouse, PO Box 33, Hertford, NC 27944.
- Pay the estate court costs. Effective 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 minimum of $15.00 per filing and a cap of $6,000.00. By mail, Perquimans accepts money order or certified check only. In person, the cashier accepts cash, card with processing fees, money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted.
- If letters are issued to a personal representative, publish or post notice to creditors as North Carolina law requires. The notice date must give creditors at least three months from first publication or posting, and newspaper publication runs once a week for four consecutive weeks when a qualified newspaper is used (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-14-1).
- Ask the clerk whether any hearing or appearance is needed. Perquimans publishes no estate hearing day and no estate remote-appearance order. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 allows approved audio and video proceedings, but the clerk's current instruction controls the practical next step.
- After qualification, collect the authority document the clerk issues. A testate executor receives letters testamentary. An intestate administrator receives letters of administration.
- Administer the estate by collecting assets, handling creditors, filing the required inventory and accounts, making distributions and closing the file with the clerk. AOC-E-505 is the inventory form, and AOC-E-506 is the account form.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Perquimans County
Perquimans County does not publish a local estate form packet, local estate checklist or estate cover sheet beyond the statewide AOC forms. Its local rules and forms page lists First Judicial District civil, criminal and domestic materials, but no estate-specific local paperwork.
| Form | Use in Perquimans County |
|---|---|
| AOC-E-201 | Application for probate and letters testamentary or 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. 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 | Application for probate and petition for summary administration when there is a will. |
| AOC-E-906 | Petition for summary administration of estate without a will. |
Find the statewide forms at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms and filter to Estate (E).
Local nuance
Perquimans County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| One published phone number | Call (252) 404-5000 for the Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court. No separate estates extension is listed. |
| Different street and mailing addresses | Use 128 N Church St in Hertford for in-person courthouse business. Use PO Box 33, Hertford, NC 27944 for mail. |
| Payment restrictions | Perquimans accepts money order or certified check by mail. In person, the cashier accepts cash, card with processing fees, money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted. |
| No published appointment link | The county publishes no estate appointment scheduler and no walk-in statement. Call before visiting to open an estate or deliver an original will. |
| No local estate paperwork | Use statewide AOC estate forms. Perquimans does not publish an estate local rule, estate checklist or estate cover sheet. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Perquimans County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Call the Perquimans clerk before visiting and ask which statewide forms fit the estate. If a spouse is the sole beneficiary or heir, summary administration may be a fit under the statewide rules. If the home must be sold through the estate, expect the clerk to focus on letters and authority. | Sunset helps gather asset and debt information, organize the spouse's filing packet and identify questions for a local attorney if the house sale affects the estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Start by calling (252) 404-5000 because Perquimans publishes no appointment link and no rule for delivering an original will. If the estate fits collection by affidavit, AOC-E-203B is the opening form and AOC-E-204 is used later to close that collection. | Sunset helps find accounts, prepare a clean asset list and generate the right packet so the adult child can ask the clerk targeted questions before traveling to Hertford. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File in Perquimans County if venue belongs there under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1. A sale through the estate often requires clear authority from the clerk, so full administration and letters may be needed rather than a collection by affidavit. | Sunset helps organize title, mortgage, account and creditor information and can connect the family with a Perquimans County probate attorney for the real estate and administration issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court, Perquimans County | The filing counter for Perquimans estate matters. Staff can explain what to bring and how the clerk wants filings presented, but cannot give legal advice. | 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944. Mailing: PO Box 33, Hertford, NC 27944. Phone (252) 404-5000. https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/perquimans-county |
| North Carolina Judicial Branch Estates help topic | The court system's plain-language overview of opening and administering an estate. | https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/wills-and-estates/estates |
| AOC Decedent's Estate Procedures pamphlet | A Judicial Branch guide to executor, administrator, collection by affidavit and summary administration procedures. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/decedents-estate-procedures-pamphlet |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina, Greenville office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income Perquimans County residents. Ask at intake whether an estate question fits the office's services. | 301 S Evans St, Ste 400, Greenville, NC 27858. Phone (252) 758-0113 or toll free 1-800-682-4592. https://legalaidnc.org/get-help/offices/ |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney can be especially useful in Perquimans County when the estate includes a home that must be sold, there are creditor problems, heirs disagree, a caveat is possible, the applicant lives outside North Carolina or the clerk asks for a bond or additional filings. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney when legal advice or court representation is the right next step.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, insurance and other assets that may belong in the estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized probate packet for the Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court, using the statewide North Carolina estate forms that fit the situation.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Perquimans estate needs legal advice, a home sale, a creditor strategy or help with a disputed issue, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement work, understand next steps and decide when attorney help is needed without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate papers in Perquimans County?
File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Perquimans County Courthouse, 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944. Mail goes to Perquimans County Courthouse, PO Box 33, Hertford, NC 27944.
Does Perquimans County have a separate estates phone number?
No separate estates line is published. The Judicial Branch lists (252) 404-5000 for both the courthouse and the Clerk of Superior Court.
Do I need an appointment to open an estate in Perquimans County?
Perquimans County publishes no appointment scheduler and no walk-in policy for estate filings. Call (252) 404-5000 before visiting the Hertford courthouse.
Can I e-file an estate case in Perquimans County?
File & Serve is available statewide. Attorneys must use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use it but are not required to. If there is an original will, ask the clerk how that original must be delivered because an electronic copy is not the original will.
Does Perquimans County have local probate forms?
No Perquimans County estate form packet, estate checklist or estate cover sheet is published. Use the statewide AOC estate forms, including AOC-E-201 for a will estate, AOC-E-202 for an intestate estate and AOC-E-203B for a collection by affidavit.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Perquimans County?
Effective 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 minimum of $15.00 per filing and a cap of $6,000.00.
How do I pay Perquimans County estate court costs?
By mail, use a money order or certified check only, payable to Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court. In person, the cashier accepts cash, credit or debit card with processing fees, money order or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted.
Can I appear remotely for a Perquimans County estate matter?
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6 permits approved audio and video proceedings, but Perquimans County publishes no estate-specific remote-appearance practice. Ask the clerk whether any appearance is needed and how it will be handled.
Can I look up a Perquimans County estate case online?
Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. There is no Perquimans-specific portal. If an estate file does not appear or the search page requires an identity check, call the clerk at (252) 404-5000.
Do I have to travel to Hertford to handle a Perquimans County estate?
Not always. Attorneys use File & Serve, and self-represented filers may be able to use it. Because Perquimans publishes no local rule for original wills or estate appointments, call the clerk 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.