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Person County, NC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Clerk of Superior Court, Person County. Estates are handled before the clerk of superior court, who serves as ex officio judge of probate. |
| Courthouse address | Person County Courthouse, 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573. |
| Mailing address | Person County Courthouse, 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573. Person publishes the same address for mail and in-person filing. |
| Phone | (336) 503-5200. This is the published courthouse and Clerk of Superior Court number; no separate estates line is published. |
| [email protected]. No Estates-specific mailbox is published. | |
| Fax | No fax number is published for Person estate filings. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Opening cost | Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307). |
| Payment methods | By mail, money order or certified check only, payable to Person County Clerk of Superior Court. No cash or personal checks by mail. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, credit or debit cards with processing fees and restrictions, money orders and certified checks. No personal checks. |
| Local forms | No Person County estate checklist, estate cover sheet or local estate form is published beyond the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms. |
| E-filing | eCourts is live in all 100 North Carolina counties, including Person. Attorneys are required to use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use File & Serve but are not required to register and file online. |
| Original will | No Person page states how the clerk wants an original will delivered. Call (336) 503-5200 or email [email protected] before relying on an online filing alone. |
| Case search | Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. There is no Person-only case search site. |
| Remote appearance | Person publishes no estate-specific remote hearing order or procedure. North Carolina law permits audio and video proceedings when the judicial official allows them, but Person does not publish a standing estate practice. |
| Website | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/person-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Person County estate path, list the assets, debts, account holders, real estate, vehicles and beneficiaries. The clerk's office will need enough information to place the matter in the right estate settlement track and to calculate court costs from the gross estate where that applies.
Sunset helps families start with asset discovery instead of guesswork. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps organize liabilities and documents, and turns that information into a clearer Person County estate settlement plan before you file.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Person County has one published court location for estate filings: the Person County Courthouse at 105 S Main St in Roxboro. There is no published branch office or second estate filing counter for Person County.
File in Person County when venue belongs there. North Carolina venue is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent not domiciled in North Carolina, a county where the decedent left property or where estate property came into the county (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1).
Person is part of a multi-county judicial district, but estate venue is a county rule. A Person County estate is not filed in another county just because that county is in the same district.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the right filing path before you go to Roxboro. If there is a will, the usual opening application is AOC-E-201. If there is no will, the usual opening application is AOC-E-202. If the estate qualifies for collection of personal property by affidavit, the opening affidavit is AOC-E-203B.
- Gather the original will, if there is one, a certified death certificate, the application or affidavit, the preliminary asset information, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and payment. Person does not publish how it wants an original will delivered, so call (336) 503-5200 or email [email protected] before relying on an online filing alone.
- File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Person County Courthouse, 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573. Attorneys use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use File & Serve, but Person does not publish a rule requiring self-represented estate filers to file online.
- Pay the statutory court costs. Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307). By mail, Person accepts money orders and certified checks only. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, cards with processing fees and restrictions, money orders and certified checks. No personal checks.
- If the clerk qualifies an executor or administrator, the clerk issues the proper letters. A testate estate uses letters testamentary for an executor. An intestate estate uses letters of administration for an administrator.
- Give required notice to creditors after qualification. North Carolina notice must name a claim date at least three months from first publication or posting, and the notice is published once a week for four consecutive weeks or posted as the statute allows (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-14-1).
- Use the authority document to collect estate property, close accounts, transfer estate funds and communicate with institutions. Keep receipts because the clerk will review the inventory and accounts.
- File the inventory and accounts on the statewide AOC forms. The inventory form is AOC-E-505, and the account form is AOC-E-506.
- Ask the Person clerk before planning around a hearing. Person publishes no estate hearing days, hearing wait times or standing remote appearance procedure for estate matters.
- Close the estate when administration is complete, required costs are paid and the clerk approves the final accounting or closing filing.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Person County
Person County uses the statewide North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms. Person's published local rules and forms page does not list an estate checklist, estate cover sheet, estate calendar request or other Person-specific estate form.
| Form | Use in Person County |
|---|---|
| AOC-E-201 | Application for probate and letters testamentary or of administration c.t.a. Use when there is a will. |
| AOC-E-202 | Application for letters of administration. Use 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. |
| 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 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 library rather than an old saved PDF.
Local nuance
Person County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Person County filing |
|---|---|
| One published clerk line | The Judicial Branch lists (336) 503-5200 as both the courthouse main line and the Clerk of Superior Court line. No separate estates line is published. |
| General clerk email | [email protected] is the published general clerk mailbox. No Estates-specific mailbox is published. |
| Same mailing and street address | Use 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573 for both mail and in-person filing unless the clerk gives you a different instruction. |
| Payment limits | By mail, use a money order or certified check payable to Person County Clerk of Superior Court. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, cards with processing fees and restrictions, money orders and certified checks. No personal checks are accepted. |
| No local estate forms | Person's local rules and forms page lists district rules and non-estate forms, but no local estate paperwork. Use the statewide AOC estate forms. |
| No published appointment rule | Person publishes no booking link and no walk-in policy for opening an estate. Call or email before traveling to Roxboro. |
| No published estate remote procedure | North Carolina law permits remote proceedings when allowed by the judicial official, but Person publishes no standing estate remote appearance practice. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Person County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying how the Person County home is titled and whether any solely owned assets need clerk authority. If the spouse is the sole heir or devisee, ask whether summary administration is available. If estate authority is needed, file at the Person County Courthouse in Roxboro. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues and documents so the spouse can choose the right estate settlement path before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call (336) 503-5200 or email [email protected] before traveling to ask about appointments, original documents and whether the clerk needs anything by mail first. If the estate fits collection by affidavit, AOC-E-203B is the opening form. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, prepare the probate packet and reduce unnecessary trips to Roxboro. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the Person County home must be sold through the estate or title must be cleared, full administration may be needed so an executor or administrator has authority. Contested claims, caveats and monetary disputes may require attorney help beyond the clerk's routine estate process. | Sunset helps find assets and liabilities, generate the initial filing packet and connect the family with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney when the home sale or dispute needs counsel. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court, Person County | Filing counter for Person County estate matters. Staff can answer filing logistics questions, but cannot give legal advice. | Person County Courthouse, 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573. (336) 503-5200. [email protected]. https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/person-county |
| Person County contact directory | Judicial Branch directory for courthouse phone and email contacts. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/person-county/contact-directory |
| Person County payment information | Explains payment methods by mail and in person, including the Cashier's Office. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/person-county/person-county-payment-information |
| North Carolina Judicial Branch estates help topic | Court-maintained overview of wills, letters, what to bring to the clerk and general estate procedure. | 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 North Carolina estate forms used in Person County. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms |
| Portal | Statewide case search, hearing search and online payment where a case is eligible. If a Person estate file does not appear, call the clerk. | https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ |
| Guide & File | Statewide guided interview tool. The live interview list includes a probate interview for summary administration. | https://northcarolina.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina, Durham office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents in counties served by the Durham office, including Person. Ask at intake whether an estate question fits their help areas. | 411 W. Chapel Hill Rd., Suite 1A, Durham, NC 27701. Toll free 1-800-331-7594. Local (919) 688-6396. Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. https://legalaidnc.org/get-help/offices/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a North Carolina probate attorney when Person County real property must be sold or title must be cleared through the estate, heirs disagree, a caveat is threatened, creditors press claims, the personal representative lives out of state and bond is a concern, or the issue belongs in the Superior Court Division rather than before the clerk. The clerk of superior court handles estate proceedings, but claims for monetary damages, caveats and certain other matters fall outside routine clerk administration (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-2-4). Sunset connects families to a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps identify bank accounts, investments, debts and other estate property so Person County families can begin estate settlement with a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information into an organized probate packet using the right North Carolina estate path, whether the Person filing starts with a testate application, an intestate application, collection by affidavit or summary administration.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Person County home sale, creditor issue, caveat or out-of-state representative problem needs legal counsel, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a single place to organize estate settlement tasks, documents, contacts and next steps without charging families to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Person County?
File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Person County Courthouse, 105 S Main St, Roxboro, NC 27573. Person County publishes one courthouse location and no branch filing counter for estate matters.
Does Person County have a separate estates phone number?
No separate estates phone extension is published. The Judicial Branch lists (336) 503-5200 as both the Person County Courthouse main line and the Clerk of Superior Court line. The general clerk email is [email protected].
Do I need an appointment to open an estate in Person County?
Person publishes no booking link and no walk-in or appointment statement for opening an estate. Call (336) 503-5200 or email [email protected] before traveling to Roxboro.
Can I e-file a Person County estate case?
eCourts is live statewide, and File & Serve is available. Attorneys are required to use File & Serve. Self-represented filers may use File & Serve but are not required to file online. Person does not publish how the clerk wants an original will delivered, so ask the clerk before relying on an online filing alone.
What does it cost to open an estate in Person County?
Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap, effective January 1, 2026 (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307). These costs are statewide, not set by Person County.
How do I pay Person County estate court costs?
By mail, send a money order or certified check payable to Person County Clerk of Superior Court. Do not mail cash or a personal check. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, credit or debit cards with processing fees and restrictions, money orders and certified checks. Personal checks are not accepted.
Are there Person County probate forms?
Person publishes no local estate checklist, estate cover sheet or local estate form. 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 Person County estate hearing?
Person publishes no estate-specific remote appearance procedure. North Carolina law allows a judicial official to conduct many proceedings by audio and video transmission when allowed, but you should ask the clerk about any particular Person County estate hearing.
Can I look up a Person County estate online?
Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. If a Person estate file does not appear or the site does not show what you need, call the Person clerk at (336) 503-5200.
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.