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Orangeburg County, SC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Orangeburg County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Orangeburg County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 151 Docket Street, Room 105, 1st Floor, Orangeburg, SC 29115 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Drawer 9000, Orangeburg, SC 29116. Mail to the drawer, not the street address. |
| Phone | Main line: (803) 533-6280. Estate Clerk lines: (803) 533-6281 and (803) 533-6282. |
| Other direct probate lines | Law Clerk and Litigation Supervisor: (803) 533-6283. Clerk of Probate and Probate Court Supervisor: (803) 533-6284. Probate Court Administrative Supervisor: (803) 533-7830. |
| Fax | (803) 533-6279. The court publishes a fax number, but its pages do not say what estate papers may be sent by fax. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding county holidays. The court does not publish a lunch closure or daily cutoff. |
| Contact form | The court routes email inquiries through its Contact Probate Court form on the county site. It does not publish an office-level email address. |
| Estate fee under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770 | The estate opening charge follows the statewide gross-value scale in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994. Orangeburg also publishes service charges on its own Court Fees page. |
| Local forms | Yes. Orangeburg hosts the statewide probate form set and adds county-captioned documents, opening and closing groupings, closing packets and a current Orangeburg-captioned SCCA 420ES affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201. |
| Electronic filing | Orangeburg County's probate court pages do not publish an electronic filing system for estate cases. South Carolina's statewide electronic filing rules are for the Court of Common Pleas and attorney-only filings, not probate filings. |
| Case lookup | The court links an online estate search at southcarolinaprobate.net, where Orangeburg is a selectable county. Search by case number or name; call the court if the result does not answer your question. |
| Remote hearing practice | Orangeburg publishes Zoom workshops, but not a local rule for hearings. Under the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge decides whether a non-criminal proceeding may or must use remote communication technology. |
| Website | https://www.orangeburgcounty.org/206/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a filing path in Orangeburg County, make a practical estate settlement inventory: bank accounts, vehicles, real estate, debts, beneficiary designations, the original will, and anything that may already pass outside probate. The Probate Court's first questions depend on what exists, where it is located and who is asking to act.
Sunset can search across 2,300 institutions to help you find accounts and assets before you prepare the Orangeburg County packet. That makes the first Probate Court conversation cleaner and helps you avoid filing a form that has to be corrected later.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File Orangeburg County estate matters at the Orangeburg County Probate Court, Room 105 on the first floor of the Orangeburg County Courthouse at 151 Docket Street in the city of Orangeburg. The court publishes one probate office for the county.
The court's own estate FAQ says that an estate is processed through the Orangeburg County Probate Court if the deceased was a permanent resident of Orangeburg County, was a nonresident holding property in Orangeburg County or had a right to take legal action in the county. That local wording should be read with South Carolina's venue rule for probate administration, S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201.
The Orangeburg courthouse serves estates connected to Orangeburg, Holly Hill, Santee, Elloree, Eutawville, Branchville, Bowman, North, Springfield and the other towns and unincorporated parts of Orangeburg County.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the Probate Court's forms page. For a regular estate, use Form 300ES, the informal application or formal petition for probate of a will or appointment, and check the box that matches the filing path. If the filing is formal, Form 300ES itself notes that a summons is also required and that the formal proceeding fee is $150 under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770(C)(11), using the civil filing fee amount.
- Use the court's Orangeburg forms and packets when they fit. The court sorts materials into opening documents and closing documents, and it hosts county-captioned items such as the Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent, the Affidavit of Tax Liability, the Family Settlement Agreement and separate Closing Packet, Sole Heir and Closing Packet, Full files.
- File in person at 151 Docket Street, Room 105, first floor, or mail papers to P.O. Drawer 9000, Orangeburg, SC 29116. The court's pages do not publish an electronic filing system for estate cases.
- Pay the estate fee required by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770. The gross-value scale in that statute is statewide, current text from 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994, and Orangeburg publishes added service charges on its Court Fees page.
- After you submit the court's application, follow Orangeburg's local five-day instruction. The court says that if you have not been contacted within five days after submitting your blue application, call your Estate Clerk to arrange an appointment. Use (803) 533-6281 or (803) 533-6282 for the Estate Clerk lines.
- Handle publication through the court. Orangeburg says the court publishes the notice to creditors in The Times and Democrat for the personal representative, and that the publication cost is charged in addition to the S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770 estate fee. Because the court posts two different publication amounts on two pages, ask the Probate Court for the current amount before you file.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the court how the judge wants it handled. Orangeburg does not publish local hearing days or a video-hearing rule. Under the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge decides whether a non-criminal proceeding may or must use remote communication technology.
- Once the court appoints a personal representative, use the South Carolina authority-document language correctly. The probate code calls the authority document letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201, and administration begins when letters are issued under § 62-3-103. The document the Orangeburg County Probate Court hands the personal representative for banks and transfer agents is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the court's raised seal.
- Administer the estate, then close it using Orangeburg's closing materials. The court publishes live and prerecorded closing workshop help, separate sole-heir and full closing packets, and a closing checklist that includes the accounting, application for settlement, notice and waiver materials, receipt and release materials, Affidavit of Tax Liability and Proof of Delivery.
- If real estate is distributed, record the Deed of Distribution with the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located, then file a certified copy back with the Probate Court. In Orangeburg County, the court's own building page places the Probate Court and Register of Deeds on the first floor of the same courthouse.
Executor duties
Orangeburg adds several practical duties at the closing stage. Before assembling final papers, use the court's live or prerecorded closing workshop and download the closing packet that matches the estate, either Sole Heir or Full.
For Orangeburg closing papers, include the county's Affidavit of Tax Liability and Proof of Delivery with the accounting and application for settlement. Name those documents as filing requirements only, and ask the court or a lawyer if you have questions about what belongs in them.
If the estate includes an Orangeburg County Deed of Distribution, the court says the deed should be recorded with the Register of Deeds and that a certified copy should be filed with the Probate Court. After the closing documents are accepted, the court says it issues a Certificate of Discharge and mails a true copy.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Orangeburg County
Use two form libraries together. The statewide South Carolina Judicial Branch probate form set is the master numbered set, including Form 300ES for informal application or formal petition, inventory forms, accounting forms, creditor forms and SCCA 420ES for the affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201. Orangeburg also republishes many of those forms from its own Court Forms page.
Orangeburg's local forms page is more than a copy of the statewide list. It groups forms into opening documents and closing documents, hosts a current Orangeburg-captioned SCCA 420ES affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, and publishes county-captioned documents such as the Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent, Affidavit of Tax Liability, Family Settlement Agreement, Closing Packet, Full and Closing Packet, Sole Heir.
The Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent is useful when the death certificate address does not clearly show the decedent's Orangeburg County domicile. The court's Family Settlement Agreement document also warns that some title companies do not honor those agreements, which matters when a house must be sold or refinanced.
Get Form 300ES from the Orangeburg County Probate Court's Court Forms page. The court's Opening and Closing an Estate page points to a Form 300 link that did not work when the page was reviewed, while the Court Forms page had the working 300ES entry.
Fees
The estate opening charge itself is the statewide gross-value scale in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994. Orangeburg's Court Fees page also lists service charges for probate work. The county page reviewed in August 2026 does not post effective dates for those local charges, so confirm the current total with the Probate Court before filing.
| Charge | Amount shown by Orangeburg | Reader note |
|---|---|---|
| Notice to creditors publication | $68.60 on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | The Opening and Closing an Estate page shows a different publication cost, so ask the Probate Court for the current amount before you pay. |
| Formal petition filing fee under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770 | $150.00 on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Use this for a formal proceeding, not as the ordinary informal estate scale. |
| Hearing a formal petition to sell real estate in aid of assets | $150.00 formal filing fee on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Ask whether any publication, copy or certification charge also applies. |
| Will filed only | $25.00 filing fee on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026, under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770 | This is for filing a will only, not for opening a full estate. |
| Final estate accounting | $5.00 on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Orangeburg lists this as a separate closing charge. |
| Creditor claim filing | $5.00 on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | This is paid by the person filing the claim. |
| Research fee | $10.00 on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Ask the court when this applies. |
| Photostat copies | $0.50 per image on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Certification, if needed, is separate. |
| Certified copies | $5.00 per certification on the Court Fees page reviewed August 2026 | Use certified copies when a bank, title company or other institution requires court-certified proof. |
Local nuance
Orangeburg County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for estate settlement |
|---|---|
| Free virtual workshops | The Probate Court runs a Virtual Opening Workshop at 9:00 a.m. and a Virtual Closing Workshop at 10:00 a.m. on scheduled Tuesdays, with tickets posted on the court's probate page. The court also publishes a prerecorded closing workshop for people who cannot attend live. |
| Blue application and five-day instruction | The court says that if you have not been contacted within five days after submitting your blue application, call your Estate Clerk to arrange an appointment. The estate clerk lines are (803) 533-6281 and (803) 533-6282. |
| County-captioned documents | Orangeburg publishes an Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent, Affidavit of Tax Liability, Family Settlement Agreement, Closing Packet, Full and Closing Packet, Sole Heir. Use the county forms page instead of hunting for raw document links. |
| Family Settlement Agreement warning | The court's own Family Settlement Agreement document says some title companies do not honor those agreements. If a home must be sold, that warning is a reason to speak with a probate attorney before relying on a private agreement. |
| Online estate search | The court links southcarolinaprobate.net, where Orangeburg is a selectable county. The search screen allows case-number and name searches and displays case status, filing date, appointment date and creditor claim due date when a result appears. |
| First-floor courthouse offices | The court's building page places the Probate Court, Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds on the first floor. That matters when a Deed of Distribution must be recorded with the Register of Deeds and a certified copy filed back with the Probate Court. |
| Courthouse access | The court says one-hour parking is available near the courthouse, longer parking may be ticketed by the City, and additional parking is available behind Smiley's Presto Shine and Muffler Center. It also says the courthouse has two public entrances, including one for handicap access and parking, and elevators for access to upper floors. |
| New courthouse notice | The county publishes that a new Orangeburg County Courthouse is under construction and that updates will be shared as progress continues. The Probate Court's published address remains 151 Docket Street, Room 105, so confirm the location before travelling. |
Recent updates
| Update | What to do |
|---|---|
| Orangeburg publishes ongoing virtual probate workshops and a prerecorded closing workshop. | Check the Probate Court page for the current opening and closing workshop tickets, because the ticket dates and Zoom details change. |
| The court hosts a current Orangeburg-captioned SCCA 420ES affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201. | Use the Court Forms page for the current county-hosted form instead of older narrative text on the county site. |
| The county says a new Orangeburg County Courthouse is under construction. | The Probate Court's published address remains 151 Docket Street, Room 105. Confirm the courthouse location before travelling. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Orangeburg County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying what passes outside probate and what still needs the Orangeburg County Probate Court. If a Deed of Distribution is needed, the court says it should be recorded with the Register of Deeds and a certified copy filed back with the Probate Court. The court's own page says the Register of Deeds and Probate Court are both on the first floor of the courthouse. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize the asset list and prepare the probate packet so the spouse can focus on the parts that actually need court action. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Use the Orangeburg forms page, the virtual opening workshop and the estate clerk phone lines before travelling. If the death certificate address does not clearly show Orangeburg County domicile, the county's Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent may be part of the packet. A small estate affidavit must satisfy S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, and the $45,000 figure has applied since May 8, 2025. | Sunset helps with estate settlement from a distance by identifying assets, generating forms and connecting the child with local counsel if a courthouse trip or title issue becomes likely. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Use Orangeburg's opening documents first, then be careful at closing. The court publishes a Family Settlement Agreement but warns that some title companies do not honor those agreements, and it recommends legal help for the Deed of Distribution. If the estate is closing, choose the Sole Heir or Full closing packet that matches the family situation. | Sunset helps gather the asset picture, build the court packet and connect the parent with a vetted South Carolina probate attorney for the real-estate and title-company pieces. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County Probate Court virtual workshops | Free Zoom sessions run by the court for help filling out opening documents and final documents. The court also publishes a prerecorded closing workshop. | Use the current ticket on https://www.orangeburgcounty.org/206/Probate-Court |
| Orangeburg County Probate Court Court Forms page | Opening documents, closing documents, statewide numbered forms and Orangeburg-specific documents, including the Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent, Affidavit of Tax Liability, Family Settlement Agreement and closing packets. | https://www.orangeburgcounty.org/221/Court-Forms |
| Orangeburg County Probate Court estate clerks | The court says to call your Estate Clerk if you have not been contacted within five days after submitting your application. | Estate Clerk lines: (803) 533-6281 and (803) 533-6282. Main line: (803) 533-6280. Mailing: P.O. Drawer 9000, Orangeburg, SC 29116. |
| Orangeburg County Probate Court Attorney's List | The court publishes an attorney list on its Court Forms page. Use the list as a starting point, but evaluate fit, fees and availability yourself. | https://www.orangeburgcounty.org/221/Court-Forms |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch probate form set | The statewide numbered probate forms for filings not covered by the Orangeburg page. | https://www.sccourts.org/court-forms/?courtType=PC |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch self-help resources | Court staff can provide approved court forms and available instructions and can make sure papers are complete. Court staff cannot tell you what to say in court papers or predict what a judge will do. | https://www.sccourts.org/resources/general-public/self-help-resources/ |
| South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Referral to a lawyer in your area. The Bar states that participating lawyers charge no more than $50, as posted August 2026, for a 30-minute consultation, and also states that those lawyers do not take pro bono cases. | (803) 799-7100, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Online referral is available 24/7 at https://www.scbar.org/public/get-legal-help/ |
When to hire an attorney
The Orangeburg County Probate Court itself says an attorney is recommended for formal probate or appointment, because that path requires a summons, petition, formal filing fee under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770 and service on interested parties. The court also highly recommends consulting an attorney for the Deed of Distribution, and its Family Settlement Agreement document warns that some title companies do not honor those agreements. If a will has markings, a house must be sold, heirs disagree, or a formal hearing is likely, Sunset connects you to a vetted South Carolina probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance and other assets so the Orangeburg County estate settlement starts with a clearer inventory.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family and asset information into a probate packet you can review against Orangeburg County's opening documents, closing documents and local instructions.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help, Sunset connects the family with a vetted South Carolina probate attorney who can handle Orangeburg County filings, real-estate issues or a formal proceeding.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next step and decide whether to file themselves or work with counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Orangeburg County, South Carolina?
File with the Orangeburg County Probate Court at 151 Docket Street, Room 105, first floor, Orangeburg, SC 29115, or mail papers to P.O. Drawer 9000, Orangeburg, SC 29116. The court's local venue wording should be read with South Carolina's probate venue statute, S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201.
Does the Orangeburg County Probate Court hold free probate workshops?
Yes. The court publishes free virtual opening and closing workshops over Zoom, plus a prerecorded closing workshop. Check the Probate Court page for the current ticket because dates and joining details change.
Can I look up an Orangeburg County estate case online?
The Orangeburg County Probate Court links an online estate search at southcarolinaprobate.net, where Orangeburg is a selectable county. The search screen allows searches by case number or name and can show case status, filing date, appointment date and creditor claim due date when a result appears. The page does not say how complete the search is, so call the court if you need confirmation.
Can estate papers be filed electronically in Orangeburg County?
Orangeburg County's probate court pages do not publish an electronic filing system for estate cases. South Carolina's statewide electronic filing rules are for the Court of Common Pleas and attorney-only filings, not probate filings. File at the courthouse or mail to the Probate Court unless the court tells you otherwise.
What happens if the Orangeburg County Probate Court does not contact me after I file my application?
The court's local instruction says that if you have not been contacted within five days after submitting your blue application, call your Estate Clerk to arrange an appointment. The Estate Clerk lines are (803) 533-6281 and (803) 533-6282.
Does the Orangeburg County Probate Court have its own forms?
Yes. Orangeburg hosts statewide probate forms and county-captioned materials on its Court Forms page. The page is sorted into opening and closing documents and includes local documents such as the Affidavit of Residency (Domicile) for Decedent, Affidavit of Tax Liability, Family Settlement Agreement and separate closing packets.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Orangeburg County?
The estate opening charge follows the statewide scale in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994. Orangeburg also lists local service charges, including publication, copy and certification charges, on its Court Fees page. Ask the Probate Court for the current total before filing because two county pages show different publication amounts.
Can an Orangeburg County probate hearing use video or phone?
Orangeburg publishes Zoom workshops, not a local rule for hearings. Under the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge decides whether a non-criminal proceeding may or must use remote communication technology, unless the judge finds it would likely cause substantial prejudice or affect fairness. Ask the Probate Court how the judge wants your hearing handled.
Where do I record the Deed of Distribution in Orangeburg County?
The court says the Deed of Distribution must be recorded with the Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located and that a certified copy should be filed in the Probate Court. In Orangeburg County, the court's building page places the Probate Court and Register of Deeds on the first floor of the courthouse.
Do I have to travel to Orangeburg to settle the estate?
Not always, but do not assume the whole estate settlement can be handled from home. The court publishes mail filing information, direct estate clerk lines, online forms, online estate lookup and virtual workshops. It does not publish an electronic filing system or a local rule that hearings are remote, so call the Probate Court 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.