Back to North Dakota
Stutsman County, ND Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Stutsman County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The district court in Stutsman County, at the Stutsman County Courthouse in Jamestown (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06) |
| Courthouse address | 511 2nd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND 58401 |
| Mailing address | 511 2nd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND 58401 |
| Clerk phone | 701-253-6243, option 1 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Filing fee | $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing probate, guardianship, or any other testamentary case under Title 30.1 (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03) |
| Local forms | No Stutsman County probate forms are listed. Use the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center probate forms at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help. |
| E-filing | Represented parties file through Odyssey. A self-represented filer is exempt from the electronic filing requirement and may file paper documents in person, by mail, or by third party commercial carrier, and may use Odyssey if preferred. Original wills may be filed as paper documents (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5). |
| Case search | North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov. Select Stutsman County and the Civil, Family & Probate Case Records category. Data is current through the end of the previous business day. |
| Remote appearance | A court may conduct a proceeding by reliable electronic means on its own motion or on a party's motion. A party request is a written motion procedure, not an automatic right (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52). |
| Court website | https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/stutsman-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Jamestown, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, titled property, beneficiary designations, and any original will. The right estate settlement path depends on what exists, what passes outside court, and whether the original will needs to be delivered to the Stutsman County Courthouse on paper under N.D.R.Ct. 3.5.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help families find accounts before they choose forms, request letters testamentary or letters of administration, or decide whether a lawyer should prepare the filing. Starting with a complete asset picture keeps the Stutsman County filing focused and reduces follow-up with the clerk of district court, whose office keeps the record and receives filings under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46.
Which court handles jurisdiction
North Dakota has no separate court for decedents' estates and no separate probate forum of any kind: estate settlement is a case class of the state's single district court, which sits in all 53 counties, and the papers are filed with the clerk of district court at the Stutsman County Courthouse (N.D. Const. art. VI, §§ 1, 8; N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46). The separate county-level forum that once heard these cases was abolished on January 1, 1995, and its files became district court files (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-00.1).
Probate for Stutsman County is filed with the clerk of district court at the county courthouse in Jamestown. Stutsman County is one of the 14 counties in the Southeast Judicial District, which is how judges and district administration are organised; the case itself is filed at this county's own courthouse (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 6; N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-13).
The Stutsman County Courthouse in Jamestown serves all of Stutsman County. North Dakota venue rules are in N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-13, and an informal application must state the county and state of the decedent's domicile at death (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct filing path and terminology. Use an application for informal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14, or a petition if the matter belongs in formal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15.
- Prepare the statewide North Dakota forms or lawyer-drafted documents. Stutsman County does not list a separate local probate form or local cover sheet; the statewide North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials are at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help.
- File with the clerk of district court at the Stutsman County Courthouse, 511 2nd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND 58401. The clerk of district court receives the papers, collects the fee, and keeps the record under N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46.
- Pay the $160 filing fee, effective July 1, 2025, for a Title 30.1 probate filing (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03). If you need a fee waiver form, use the district court fee waiver materials at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help/fee-waiver.
- Handle electronic filing correctly. Represented parties file through Odyssey, while a self-represented filer may file on paper in person, by mail, or by third party commercial carrier, and may use Odyssey if preferred. Original wills, codicils, and other documents of independent legal significance may be filed as paper documents (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5).
- If notice to creditors is part of the administration plan, follow the North Dakota notice rules, including publication once a week for three successive weeks and mailing to known and reasonably ascertainable creditors when notice is used (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-19-01). Claims timing is governed by N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-19.
- If a hearing is set in a formal or contested matter, ask about reliable electronic means only through the statewide motion procedure. A motion must be written, served at least seven days before the proceeding, and any response must be served at least four days before, unless the court shortens time for good cause (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52).
- After the informal requirements are met, the court issues the written statement of informal probate and issues letters testamentary or letters of administration within ten working days under N.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-14-02 and 30.1-14-07.
- Administer the estate, transfer assets, address claims, and close the case using the applicable North Dakota closing procedures under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-21.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Stutsman County
No Stutsman County probate forms are listed for local use, and the judiciary page for Stutsman County does not list a local cover sheet. A Stutsman County filer uses the statewide North Dakota Legal Self Help Center set at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help, the same statewide materials used in other North Dakota district court locations.
The North Dakota Legal Self Help Center materials include informal probate resources under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14 and a guidebook for informal administration. The Center also warns that its forms are not court-approved for every situation and that courts are not required to accept every Center form. For formal proceedings under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15, the Center says forms are not available, so a filer creates documents or uses a lawyer.
Local nuance
Stutsman County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to know |
|---|---|
| Courthouse layout | Courtrooms are on the second floor of the Stutsman County Courthouse in Jamestown. |
| Accessibility | The courthouse has a handicapped accessible elevator. |
| Parking | Parking is available in front of the courthouse. |
| Courtroom rules | Electronic devices, including cell phones, must be turned off. The courthouse instructions also state no purses or backpacks, no food, and no hats or caps while attending court. |
| Southeast Judicial District | Stutsman County is in the Southeast Judicial District with Barnes, Dickey, Eddy, Foster, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, and Wells (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 6). |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Stutsman County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating assets that pass outside the estate from assets that need authority from the district court in Stutsman County (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06). If a probate filing is needed, file with the clerk of district court in Jamestown during courthouse hours and pay the $160 filing fee, effective July 1, 2025 (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46). | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues, and likely non-court transfers before the family pays for a filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | For a smaller personal-property estate, review the North Dakota ch. 30.1-23 options before opening a case. If a court filing is needed, a self-represented filer may mail paper documents to 511 2nd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND 58401, use a commercial carrier, or use Odyssey if preferred. The original will still needs to reach the courthouse on paper (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5). | Sunset helps gather institution information, locate the will, and decide whether the court filing can be prepared without travel. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually requires an appointed personal representative with letters testamentary or letters of administration. File in Jamestown; after all informal requirements are met, the court issues letters within ten working days (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-07). Certified copies are $20, effective July 1, 2025, under N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03. | Sunset helps prepare the asset list, generate the filing packet, and connect the parent with a local probate attorney when a sale or title issue needs counsel. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota Legal Self Help Center | Statewide self-help pages for informal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14, the informal administration guidebook, personal-property affidavit information under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-23, and fee waiver materials. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help |
| Judiciary page for Stutsman County | Courthouse address, clerk phone, email, hours, and local courthouse instructions for filing in Jamestown. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/court-locations/stutsman-county |
| North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry | Case lookup for Civil, Family & Probate Case Records. Select Stutsman County. Data is current through the end of the previous business day. | https://publicsearch.ndcourts.gov/ |
| North Dakota Attorney Search | Search for North Dakota lawyers through the court system's lawyer directory. | https://www.ndcourts.gov/lawyers |
| Legal Services of North Dakota | Statewide civil legal aid intake. Nothing on this page promises that decedents' estate representation is available. | https://lsnd.org/; under age 60: 1-800-634-5263; age 60 and over: 1-866-621-9886 |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful when family members disagree, the will may be challenged, the estate includes real property that must be sold, the case needs formal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15, or a personal representative needs help with creditor and title issues. North Dakota law says assistance of an attorney is not required for informal probate or appointment procedure, but that does not make every estate a good self-represented filing (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01.1; N.D.R.Ct. 3.5). Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property before filing in Stutsman County. A clearer asset list makes estate settlement decisions easier.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset can help organize the information needed for the North Dakota probate packet, including the will, heirs, assets, debts, and the request for letters testamentary or letters of administration under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-07.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Stutsman County estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney for contested issues, real estate sales, formal proceedings, or questions the clerk cannot answer.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are free for families, and families can decide whether to use Sunset only for organization, for document preparation, or to find counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Stutsman County?
File with the clerk of district court at the Stutsman County Courthouse, 511 2nd Ave SE, Jamestown, ND 58401. Probate is handled by the district court in Stutsman County (N.D.C.C. § 27-05-06; N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 46).
What are the clerk's hours in Jamestown?
The courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 701-253-6243, option 1, before traveling if timing matters.
Do I have to e-file in Stutsman County if I am self-represented?
A self-represented filer is exempt from the electronic filing requirement and may file paper documents in person, by mail, or by third party commercial carrier. A self-represented filer may also use Odyssey if preferred. Represented parties file electronically through Odyssey (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5).
Can I mail the original will to the Stutsman County Courthouse?
Original wills, codicils, and other documents of independent legal significance may be filed as paper documents under N.D.R.Ct. 3.5. Mail or deliver them to the Stutsman County Courthouse address used for filings.
How much does it cost to file probate in Stutsman County?
The filing fee is $160, effective July 1, 2025, for filing probate, guardianship, or any other testamentary case under Title 30.1 (N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03). Fee waiver materials are available through ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help/fee-waiver.
Are there Stutsman County probate forms?
No Stutsman County probate forms are listed for local use. Use the North Dakota Legal Self Help Center probate forms at ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help for informal probate under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14. The Center states that forms are not available for formal proceedings under N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-15.
Can I look up a Stutsman County probate case online?
Use North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry at publicsearch.ndcourts.gov and select Stutsman County under the Civil, Family & Probate Case Records category. The system states that data is current through the end of the previous business day.
Can I appear by video or phone for a Stutsman County probate hearing?
Remote appearance is governed by the statewide reliable electronic means rule. A party must first contact the other parties, then file a written motion stating the reasons and whether the parties agree. The motion must be served at least seven days before the proceeding, and any response must be served at least four days before, unless the court shortens time for good cause (N.D. Sup. Ct. Admin. R. 52).
How long does it take to get letters in an informal Stutsman County case?
After all informal proceeding requirements are met, the court must issue letters testamentary or letters of administration within ten working days (N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-07). That deadline starts when the requirements have been met, not simply when a document is first delivered.
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.