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Jamestown Probate Court, RI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Jamestown Probate Court, the municipal probate court for the town of Jamestown alone (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). |
| Filing address | Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835. |
| Hearing location | Town Council Chambers, Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835. |
| Mailing | The town publishes the same Town Hall address for probate filings. |
| Probate phone | 401-423-7282. |
| Town Hall main phone | 401-423-7200. |
| Fax | 401-423-7230. |
| Hours | Town Clerk's office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. These are office hours, not the court session time. |
| Session schedule | First Wednesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. The town says to call to confirm or check the town calendar. Local administrative rules must include session dates and times (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29). |
| Cost to file | Set by state statute: one percent of the decedent's personal property, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, payable before the petition is filed and computed from the petitioner's own estimate, figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). Jamestown's own additional records and advertising charges were not published on its website; ask the clerk before you file. The one percent is recalculated against the inventory and the difference is billed or refunded. |
| Forms | Statewide PC forms are published free by the Rhode Island Secretary of State under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. Jamestown links to that catalogue and also links a local rules and regulations document. |
| Paper filing | Jamestown's probate page offers no electronic filing portal. Rhode Island statutes assume paper filing with the clerk (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1, 33-22-21 and 33-24-2). |
| Case lookup | Jamestown's own probate page does not publish a case lookup link. Probate records are kept by the town clerk of Jamestown, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. |
| How to appear | The published hearing location is the Town Council Chambers. Call the probate clerk before the hearing to confirm the calendar and appearance details. |
| Website | Jamestown Probate Court. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a form or call the Jamestown Probate Court, make a working list of the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, recurring bills and possible refunds in the estate. Rhode Island uses the value you put on the petition to calculate the probate charge before filing, and that amount is later revised when the inventory is filed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1 and 33-22-21.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can help you search across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets before you file. That gives you a cleaner estimate for the Jamestown petition and helps you decide whether a waiver, a voluntary informal filing under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24, or a full administration is the right path to discuss with the clerk or a lawyer.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File where the decedent lived. If the decedent's home was in Jamestown, the Jamestown Probate Court is the court, and no other Rhode Island probate court has jurisdiction over the estate (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). If the decedent lived in a neighboring Rhode Island city or town, that municipality's own probate court is the one to contact.
Rhode Island has no county probate courts and no county government. The Jamestown Probate Court is the court for the town of Jamestown and for no other municipality (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). Jamestown is in Newport County, which matters in one respect only: an appeal from a decree of this court goes to the Superior Court for that county (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1), and the Superior Court sits in four divisions statewide, with Providence and Bristol counties served together.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets and debts first. The amount entered on the petition affects the charge paid before filing, because Rhode Island computes that charge from the petitioner's estimate and later revises it under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
- Get the statewide PC forms from the Rhode Island Secretary of State or from the Jamestown probate clerk. The forms are free to the public under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Jamestown links to the state catalogue from its probate page.
- File the petition with the Town Clerk's office at Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835. The town clerk of Jamestown is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
- Pay the amount due before the petition is filed. For a petition to probate a will or grant administration, Rhode Island charges one percent of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). Jamestown's website does not publish its own records or advertising charges, so ask the clerk for the current total before you file.
- Decide whether notice can be handled by waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22. If every interested party signs the proper waiver, newspaper advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11 and its cost may fall away.
- Attend the court session if your matter is scheduled for hearing. Jamestown states that court is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. in the Town Council Chambers, and the town asks readers to call to confirm or check the town calendar. Local administrative rules must include session dates and times (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29).
- After appointment, order enough certificates of appointment from the probate clerk. Each certificate of appointment costs $5 under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, a figure unchanged since at least 1996, and banks, transfer agents and motor vehicle offices commonly ask for separate originals.
- File the inventory within 90 days after appointment unless the court allows more time (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1). The inventory is also when the one percent amount under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21 is recalculated and any difference is billed or refunded.
- Before the Jamestown Probate Court will allow your final account, it has to see that the Rhode Island estate tax has been paid, extended, or determined not to apply, and the Division of Taxation's certification settles the point (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36). In practice that means filing Form RI-706 with the Division of Taxation under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23 and getting back its Notice of No Tax Due for probate court purposes, even in an estate that owes nothing. The probate clerk separately notifies the Division within 30 days of your appointment (R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-6).
- Close the estate with the required account or affidavit of complete administration. An affidavit of complete administration is one of the filings priced by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21, and the final account cannot be allowed until the tax point is resolved under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Jamestown Probate Court
Rhode Island probate forms are statewide. A legislative commission prescribes them and the Secretary of State publishes them free to the public, to lawyers and to the probate clerks (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16); they are numbered in the PC series and downloadable at sos.ri.gov. The Jamestown Probate Court uses the same statewide forms as every other Rhode Island probate court.
For a typical decedent's estate, the starting point is usually PC-1.1 Administration Petition for an intestate estate, which cites R.I. Gen. Laws 33-8-8, or PC-1.5 Petition for Probate of Will for a will. Other commonly needed forms include PC-9.1 Waiver or Advertising for notice issues under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, PC-3.5 Appointment of Agent for an out-of-state executor under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2, and PC-7.3 Affidavit - Complete Administration, a filing priced by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Jamestown's probate page links the state form catalogue and a local rules and regulations document. The town's local rules document was not accessible through the public link during this review, so ask the Jamestown probate clerk whether any local checklist, deadline or payment instruction applies before you mail or deliver a packet.
Local nuance
Jamestown-specific considerations
Jamestown is situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, and the town describes its connections to Newport and North Kingstown by the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge. Plan travel around a court that sits once a month, on the first Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., and call the clerk to confirm the calendar before you drive to Town Hall.
Jamestown uses one published address for both filing and hearings: Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Avenue. File through the Town Clerk's office, and appear for hearings in the Town Council Chambers unless the clerk gives you different instructions. The town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying what was owned jointly and what was in the decedent's name alone. If a Jamestown filing is needed, file at Town Hall and ask whether all interested parties can sign a waiver under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22, which may avoid newspaper advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. If the home was not solely in the decedent's name, the probate issue may center on accounts or other assets rather than a sale petition. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, generate the estate settlement packet, and flag questions to ask a Jamestown probate attorney before the first-Wednesday session. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the Rhode Island decedent died without a will, an out-of-state child cannot be the voluntary administrator because R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1 requires a Rhode Island resident for that role. If the child lives in New York, Florida, California or Texas and is named executor in a will, the voluntary executor route under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 can be available with a resident agent on PC-3.5. Jamestown accepts filings at Town Hall, and a mailed waiver packet under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 may reduce travel. | Sunset helps compare the will, account list and residence facts so the family can see whether the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 route is worth discussing with the clerk or counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | Real property takes the estate out of the voluntary informal path under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24. A sale of Jamestown real estate generally requires full administration, appointment by the Jamestown Probate Court, and the proper sale or mortgage petition, including PC-4.2. Rhode Island estate tax lien issues also have to be addressed before closing because the final account depends on the tax determination under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-36. | Sunset helps identify accounts, prepare the probate packet, and connect the parent with a local attorney for the sale petition and lien-discharge steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Jamestown Probate Court, town of Jamestown | Address, first-Wednesday session schedule, Town Council Chambers hearing location, and links to statewide probate forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 and local rules under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29. | Jamestown Probate Court |
| Jamestown Town Clerk's Office | The office that keeps probate records and administers the probate court for Jamestown under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6. | Jamestown Town Clerk |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State, probate forms | The statewide PC form catalogue, free to the public under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16. | Probate forms |
| Rhode Island Superior Court | The court that hears an appeal from a Jamestown probate decree under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-23-1. | Superior Court |
| Rhode Island Division of Taxation, estate tax | Estate tax return information, the nine-month filing clock under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-1, and lien-discharge forms for Rhode Island real property under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23-12. | Estate tax |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful when the will may be contested, a Jamestown home has to be sold, a fiduciary lives outside Rhode Island, the R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 small estate route may or may not fit, or the estate tax lien and final account rules under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23 need to be coordinated with a closing. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build the inventory behind an estate settlement, including bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, real estate clues and debts that may affect the Jamestown petition.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet, so you can review the statewide Rhode Island forms under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16 and know what to ask the Jamestown probate clerk before filing.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, an out-of-state fiduciary, a R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 question, or a Rhode Island estate tax issue under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-23, Sunset can connect you with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, prepare for the Jamestown Probate Court, and move from asset discovery to filing without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Jamestown?
File with the Jamestown Probate Court through the Town Clerk's office at Jamestown Town Hall, 93 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, RI 02835. Rhode Island probate jurisdiction is municipal, and the Jamestown Probate Court serves the town of Jamestown alone (R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-9). The town clerk is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6.
When does the Jamestown Probate Court meet?
Jamestown states that court is held on the first Wednesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. in the Town Council Chambers. The town also tells readers to call to confirm or check the town calendar. Rhode Island requires local administrative rules to include the court's session dates and times (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-29).
Can I file a Jamestown probate case electronically?
Jamestown's probate page does not offer an electronic filing portal. Rhode Island statutes assume paper filing: petitions are written and signed, the original will must reach the court when required, and the charge is paid before filing with a written receipt from the clerk (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-1, 33-24-2 and 33-22-21). Plan on filing in person or by mail with the Town Clerk's office.
How much does probate cost in Jamestown?
For a petition to probate a will or grant administration, Rhode Island sets the charge at one percent of the decedent's personal property over which the court has jurisdiction, with a minimum of $30 and a maximum of $1,500, figures unchanged since at least 1996 (R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21). The amount is paid before filing from the estimate on the petition, then revised against the inventory filed under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-9-1. Jamestown's website does not publish its own records or advertising charges, so ask the probate clerk for the current local total before filing. Newspaper advertising is governed by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11, and waivers are handled under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22.
Does Jamestown have its own probate forms?
The forms are statewide. Rhode Island's Secretary of State publishes the PC form catalogue free to the public under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-16, and Jamestown links to that catalogue. Jamestown also links a local rules and regulations document, so ask the clerk whether a local checklist or deadline applies to your packet.
Can I look up a Jamestown probate case online?
Jamestown's own probate page does not publish a case lookup link. Probate records are kept by the town clerk of Jamestown, who is the clerk of the probate court under R.I. Gen. Laws 8-9-6, and copies of probate documents are priced by R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-21.
Do I have to travel to Jamestown for probate?
Not every step requires a trip. You can call the probate clerk at 401-423-7282 about mailing a filing to Town Hall, and a waiver signed by all interested parties under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22 may reduce the need for newspaper advertising under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-22-11. If a hearing is scheduled, Jamestown's published session is the first Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. in the Town Council Chambers, and the town asks readers to confirm the calendar.
What if I live out of state and the Jamestown estate is small?
For an intestate estate, the voluntary administrator route requires a Rhode Island resident under R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-1. For a will that names you as executor, R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24-2 allows an out-of-state executor to proceed through the voluntary executor route if a resident agent is appointed on PC-3.5. Ask the Jamestown clerk or a probate attorney which R.I. Gen. Laws 33-24 path fits before mailing a packet.
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.