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Comanche County, OK Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Comanche County information |
|---|---|
| Court | District Court of Comanche County |
| Filing office | Comanche County Court Clerk, Civil office |
| Courthouse address | 315 SW 5th Street, Lawton, OK 73501. Probate is handled at the Civil office, Room 207. |
| Mailing address | Comanche County Court Clerk, 315 SW 5th Street, Suite 504, Lawton, OK 73501 |
| Phone | 580-355-4017. Press 3 for the Civil office. |
| Fax | No Court Clerk fax number is published. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. Older case files may not be available the same day, so call before traveling for an older record. |
| Filing fee | The Comanche County Court Clerk's published probate filing figures, as of August 2026, are PB $220.39 with an attorney and $210.39 without an attorney. The list has no printed date, and the statutory probate flat fee within the cost structure is $135.00 (28 O.S. § 152(A)(3)). Confirm the current amount before filing. |
| Local forms | The Comanche County Court Clerk does not publish local probate forms or a local probate cover sheet. It publishes a records request form for copies from an existing case file. |
| E-filing | Comanche County is one of thirteen Oklahoma counties where electronic filing is available, but it is for registered Oklahoma attorneys, state agency representatives and licensed process servers. A new probate case starts on paper with the Court Clerk, and paper filing remains accepted. |
| Case search | Comanche County dockets are searched on OSCN. Search by county, case number, case type or name. OSCN does not publish how far back Comanche County records go, and older cases can be harder to locate, so call the Court Clerk if a case is not found. |
| Remote appearance | Oklahoma authorizes videoconferencing in district courts (20 O.S. § 130), and Rule 34 of the Rules for District Courts of Oklahoma gives the presiding judge discretion (Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34). Ask the Comanche County Court Clerk when the matter is set. |
| Website | https://www.comanchecountyok.gov/190/Court-Clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Comanche County, identify the assets, debts, deed language, beneficiary designations and any transfer-on-death deed. The filing route, the notices and whether land must be recorded at the end all depend on what the estate owns.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts before choosing an estate settlement path. That is especially useful before mailing a petition to Suite 504 or traveling to the Civil office in Room 207.
Which court handles jurisdiction
A Comanche County probate is filed with the Comanche County Court Clerk at the Comanche County Courthouse in Lawton, in the District Court of Comanche County, which sits in Oklahoma's Fifth Judicial District together with Stephens, Cotton and Jefferson counties. The shared district is a judicial district, not a shared filing counter.
For an Oklahoma resident, venue is the county where the decedent lived at death, regardless of where the death occurred (58 O.S. § 5). For a nonresident decedent, Oklahoma applies the sequence in 58 O.S. § 5(2). Comanche County communities listed by the county include Lawton, Cache, Chattanooga, Elgin, Fletcher, Fort Sill, Geronimo, Indiahoma, Medicine Park and Meers.
The jurisdiction process
- Find the death certificate, the original will if there is one, deeds, account statements, beneficiary paperwork and any transfer-on-death deed before choosing the filing route.
- Decide whether the estate can be handled without a court case, through summary administration, through a regular probate, or through a regular case that later qualifies for dispensing with regular proceedings under 58 O.S. § 241.
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers for the estate. Comanche County does not publish a local probate petition packet, and the Court Clerk accepts filings but does not choose the route or draft papers for you.
- File the original petition with the Comanche County Court Clerk. In person, use the Civil office in Room 207 at 315 SW 5th Street in Lawton. By mail, address the filing to Suite 504. Bring or include at least one copy of the petition and exhibits because Comanche County Local Rule 4 requires a copy at filing.
- Pay the Comanche County Court Clerk's published probate filing figure, as of August 2026, of $220.39 with an attorney or $210.39 without an attorney, and confirm the current amount before filing. The office does not accept personal checks. A new probate case cannot be opened through electronic filing, and people filing without a lawyer cannot register for the e-filing system.
- Give the required notice of the first hearing. The hearing is before a district judge, who decides whether to admit the will and appoint the personal representative.
- After appointment, complete any oath, any bond the court requires, and the inventory and appraisement required in the case. The Court Clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration after the court authorizes them.
- Publish and mail the notice to creditors. The notice states a presentment date, and a claim not presented by that date is barred forever (58 O.S. § 333).
- Administer the estate, collect assets, address claims, and seek court approval for a sale if property must be sold. A proceeding for sale or lease of real or personal property or a mineral interest in probate carries a separate $43.00 charge (28 O.S. § 152(A)(5)).
- If a hearing, witness or party is proposed by video, use the statewide rule rather than a Comanche County local rule. Oklahoma authorizes videoconferencing in district courts (20 O.S. § 130), and Rule 34 of the Rules for District Courts of Oklahoma gives the presiding judge discretion (Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34). A party who wants to present testimony remotely files a notice of intent at least 30 days before the hearing and bears the cost in a civil matter unless the judge orders otherwise.
- Set and give notice of the final hearing, file the final account or report and the petition for distribution, and ask for a decree of distribution and discharge.
- If the estate includes land, record the decree or notice with the county clerk in each county where the decedent owned real property, including the Comanche County Clerk in Room 304 for Comanche County land (58 O.S. §§ 247(B), 711).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Comanche County
The Comanche County Court Clerk does not publish local probate forms or a local probate cover sheet. Its probate fee tab lists the PB filing category but does not link to a petition form.
The Court Clerk does publish a records request form for copies from an existing case file. That form is useful after a case exists, but it is not a petition, notice, proposed order or letters form.
Probate papers for a Comanche County estate are drafted for the estate and filed with the Civil office. Court staff can accept filings and collect costs, but they do not decide what the petition should say.
Fees
| Cost item | Amount and local note |
|---|---|
| Comanche County published probate filing figures | PB $220.39 with an attorney and $210.39 without an attorney, on the Court Clerk's list as of August 2026. The list has no printed effective date or revision date, so confirm the current amount before filing. |
| Statutory probate flat fee | $135.00 (28 O.S. § 152(A)(3)). |
| Statutory schedule update | 28 O.S. § 152 was last amended effective November 1, 2025. That amendment raised the Oklahoma court-appointed special advocates assessment in 28 O.S. § 152(D) from $5.00 to $10.00, so an undated county total may not reflect the current statutory cost structure. |
| Dispute Resolution System cost | $7.00 (12 O.S. § 1809(A)). |
| Sale or lease proceeding in probate | $43.00 for any proceeding for sale or lease of real or personal property or a mineral interest in probate or guardianship (28 O.S. § 152(A)(5)). |
| Copies from a case file | As of August 2026, the Court Clerk lists $1.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. Mail requests require a money order or cashier's check, not cash or personal checks. |
| Recording a decree with the Comanche County Clerk | As of August 2026, the County Clerk lists $18.00 for the first page of a deed, mortgage or other instrument, $2.00 for each additional page of the same instrument, and a $5.00 preservation charge per instrument. |
Timeline
- A motion is entered on the assigned judge's motion docket not less than 23 days from the date it is presented for setting, unless the court sets the matter specially under Comanche County Local Rule 8(A).
- The person who presents the motion must notify every other party or counsel of the hearing date. Motions are not mailed to the Court Clerk asking the clerk to obtain a date or a signature under Local Rule 8(B).
- After a motion ruling, Local Rule 8(D) requires the prevailing party's counsel to prepare a journal entry within 10 days and present it to the other parties' counsel. Local Rule 13 requires journal entries, orders and decrees to be prepared, submitted to the court and filed within 20 days of the verdict or ruling.
- A civil case, including a probate case, with no activity on the appearance docket for 12 months goes on the annual disposition docket. The Court Clerk mails notice two weeks ahead, and a case nobody answers for can be dismissed without prejudice under Local Rule 14.
Local nuance
Comanche County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Civil office in Room 207 | The Court Clerk has separate Civil, Criminal and Small Claims counters. Probate belongs at the Civil office in Room 207, while mail goes to Suite 504. Call 580-355-4017 and press 3 for the Civil office. |
| OSCN in a mixed district | Comanche County dockets are searched on OSCN. Stephens, Cotton and Jefferson counties, the other counties in the Fifth Judicial District, use On Demand Court Records. A family with cases in more than one county in the same district may need both systems. |
| Annual disposition docket | A Comanche County civil case that sits for 12 months with nothing filed goes on the annual disposition docket and can be dismissed without prejudice if nobody responds when it is called. |
| Recording and courtroom conduct | Local Rule 25 bars cameras, audio or video recording equipment, cell phones and other electronic devices inside courtrooms and related court areas unless the individual judge permits it. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2024 | The District Court of Comanche County's current local court rules took effect and repealed earlier local rules. |
| August 12, 2026 | The summary administration ceiling in 58 O.S. § 245 rose to $300,000 under Laws 2026, HB 2650. The five-years-deceased and nonresident-decedent routes in 58 O.S. § 245 carry no dollar limit. |
| November 1, 2026 | The combined-notice publication mechanics in 58 O.S. § 246 change under Laws 2026, HB 4339. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Comanche County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed. Joint tenancy, beneficiary designations and a transfer-on-death deed may change what must be filed in the District Court of Comanche County. Any document that clears Comanche County land records is recorded with the Comanche County Clerk in Room 304. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds and nonprobate transfers before the family spends money on an estate settlement filing path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | The small estate affidavit under 58 O.S. § 393 is presented to the bank or other holder, not filed with the Comanche County Court Clerk. If a court case is needed, mail filing to Suite 504 may be possible, and the Court Clerk does not accept personal checks. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, identify whether a court case is needed, and assemble the documents for a Comanche County attorney or the Civil office. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | This usually requires letters from a real case in Lawton. The Court Clerk's published PB filing figures apply, a sale proceeding carries a separate $43.00 charge (28 O.S. § 152(A)(5)), and the decree is recorded with the Comanche County Clerk so the buyer's title reflects the court order. | Sunset helps find accounts, prepare the estate information, generate the probate packet, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when a sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it can help | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Lawton office | Free civil legal help for low-income Oklahomans, subject to eligibility and program priorities. Its published legal-information topics do not include probate or estate administration, so ask whether any help is available for your situation. | 323 South West C Avenue, Lawton, OK 73501. 580-248-4675 or 800-850-5950. Statewide application line: 1-888-534-5243. |
| Oklahoma Indian Legal Services | Help connected to restricted land, trust land, mineral interests and wills clinics for tribal elders. It is not a general probate provider. | (405) 943-6457 or 800-658-1497 in Oklahoma. [email protected]. |
| Oklahoma Bar Association free legal information | General public information about Oklahoma probate. The page is dated to a 2018 revision and should not be used for any current dollar figure or fee. | https://www.okbar.org/freelegalinfo/probate/ |
| Comanche County Court Clerk | Filing office for Comanche County probate cases. Staff can accept filings, collect costs and provide case-copy procedures, but they do not give legal advice. | 315 SW 5th Street, Lawton, OK 73501. Civil office, Room 207. Mail to Suite 504. 580-355-4017, press 3. |
When to hire an attorney
A Comanche County probate attorney is most useful when land must be sold, heirs disagree, a personal representative lives outside Oklahoma, the estate has gone dormant long enough to risk the annual disposition docket, or trust or restricted land may be involved. An Oklahoma attorney is also the practical route for later electronic filings into an existing Comanche County case, because people filing without a lawyer cannot register for the system. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for accounts, policies and assets so the family can decide what belongs in the Comanche County estate and what may pass outside probate.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family intake into an organized probate packet for the estate, including the information a local attorney or the Court Clerk's Civil office will need.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs counsel, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Oklahoma probate attorney familiar with filings in Comanche County.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, find assets and get matched with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate in Comanche County, Oklahoma?
File with the Comanche County Court Clerk at the Comanche County Courthouse, 315 SW 5th Street in Lawton. Probate is handled at the Civil office in Room 207. Mail goes to Suite 504.
How much does it cost to file a probate in Comanche County?
The Court Clerk's published probate figures, as of August 2026, are PB $220.39 with an attorney and $210.39 without an attorney. The list has no printed date, and the statutory probate flat fee within the cost structure is $135.00 (28 O.S. § 152(A)(3)). Confirm the current amount before filing, and do not send a personal check.
Can I use e-filing for a Comanche County probate?
Comanche County is one of thirteen Oklahoma counties with electronic filing, but it is limited to registered Oklahoma attorneys, state agency representatives and licensed process servers. A new probate case starts on paper with the Court Clerk, and people filing without a lawyer cannot register for e-filing.
How do I look up a Comanche County probate case?
Use OSCN and choose Comanche County. OSCN allows searches by county, case number, case type or name. OSCN does not publish how far back Comanche County records go, and older records can be harder to locate, so call the Court Clerk if you cannot find the case.
Does the Comanche County Court Clerk have probate forms?
No local probate forms or local probate cover sheet are published by the Comanche County Court Clerk. The office publishes a records request form for copies from an existing case file, but that is not a probate petition.
Can I appear by video for a Comanche County probate hearing?
Oklahoma authorizes videoconferencing in district courts (20 O.S. § 130), and Rule 34 of the Rules for District Courts of Oklahoma gives the presiding judge discretion (Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34). Comanche County does not publish a local video-hearing rule. Ask the Comanche County Court Clerk when the hearing is set.
Do I have to travel to Lawton to settle the estate?
Not always. Some filings may be mailed to the Court Clerk at Suite 504, and an attorney can handle many steps for the family. If a hearing is set, ask the Court Clerk and the assigned judge's procedure what appearance is required.
What are the Comanche County Court Clerk's hours?
The published hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No lunch closure or early filing cutoff is published. Older case files may not be available the same day, so call before traveling for older records.
What happens if a Comanche County probate sits for a year with nothing filed?
Under Comanche County Local Rule 14, a civil case with no activity on the appearance docket for 12 months goes on the annual disposition docket. The Court Clerk mails notice two weeks ahead, and a case nobody answers for can be dismissed without prejudice.
Where is the decree recorded once the estate is closed?
If the estate includes land, the decree or notice is recorded with the county clerk in each county where the decedent owned real property (58 O.S. §§ 247(B), 711). For Comanche County land, that is the Comanche County Clerk in Room 304, not the Court Clerk's Civil office.
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.