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York County, SC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | York County details |
|---|---|
| Court | York County Probate Court |
| Street address | Moss Justice Center, 1675 York Highway, 2nd Floor, York, SC 29745 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 219, York, SC 29745 |
| Phone | (803) 684-8513 |
| Fax | (803) 684-8536 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Estate and guardianship or conservatorship administrations require an appointment. Dropping off or picking up documents does not require an appointment. |
| Estate fee | The estate fee is set by the statewide valuation-based schedule in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770. The current statutory text dates to 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and applied retroactively to August 15, 1994. York also lists a $67.00 notice-to-creditors publication charge for estates with a personal representative, currently published without an effective date. |
| County documents | York County publishes estate guides and sends a Court Information Sheet after the appointment is booked. It points filers to the statewide South Carolina Probate Court forms. |
| Electronic filing | York County does not post a probate electronic filing system. South Carolina has no statewide probate electronic filing channel; the statewide electronic filing system is for Court of Common Pleas cases and attorneys. |
| Case lookup | York County estate files from 1975 to the present are searchable by decedent name or case number at southcarolinaprobate.net/search. Viewing is free; printing is $2.00 per document, currently published without an effective date. |
| Remote appearances | York County does not post a local remote-hearing rule for estate matters. Under the Supreme Court order on Remote Communication Technology by the Trial Courts, as amended February 19, 2025, the decision is made by the probate judge under the statewide standard. |
| Website | York County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you call York County Probate Court for an estate appointment, gather the original will if there is one, the death certificate, names and addresses for heirs or devisees, known debts, and a working list of probate assets. York County sends a Court Information Sheet after the appointment is booked, so the better your asset list is at the start, the smoother the first courthouse visit will be.
Sunset can support estate settlement before the appointment by helping identify accounts and property across its 2,300-institution asset discovery network, organizing liabilities, and turning that information into a clearer probate packet for the York County appointment.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The York County Probate Court serves estates for people who lived in York County, including Clover, Fort Mill, Hickory Grove, McConnells, Rock Hill, Sharon, Smyrna, Tega Cay, York, and unincorporated parts of the county. The court is in York, the county seat, at the Moss Justice Center on York Highway.
South Carolina venue for probate is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201. For a York County resident, the local filing point is the York County Probate Court; a person who lived in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, or Tega Cay still starts estate settlement at the probate court in York.
The jurisdiction process
- Call (803) 684-8513 or email [email protected] to book the estate appointment. York County requires an appointment to open an estate administration.
- Complete the Court Information Sheet that the court sends by mail or email after booking. Bring it to the appointment with the original will, if any, the death certificate, names and addresses for heirs or devisees, and any renunciations the court told you to obtain.
- Use the statewide South Carolina Probate Court forms. York County says the forms are handled at the appointment, including Form 300ES for informal application or formal petition and Form 420ES for a small-estate affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 when that route applies.
- Go to the Moss Justice Center, 1675 York Highway, 2nd Floor, York, SC 29745, for the appointment. The court staff may explain the administrative process and help with forms, but they cannot give legal advice.
- Pay local charges the court requests. York County lists a $67.00 notice-to-creditors publication charge, payable by cash, check, or money order to York County Probate Court, when a personal representative is appointed; the court posts that amount without an effective date.
- The York County Probate Court arranges the notice-to-creditors publication when a personal representative is appointed. The personal representative does not contact the newspaper for that publication.
- If a hearing is needed, the court schedules it. York County states that a hearing is scheduled if an heir or devisee files a Demand for Hearing within thirty days after the Proof of Delivery is filed, and that late closing can also lead to a hearing.
- Ask the court how the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, applies to any hearing. York County does not post a separate local remote-appearance practice for estate cases.
- After appointment, use the authority document issued through the probate court. South Carolina law calls the personal representative's authority document letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201, and estate administration begins when the court issues letters under § 62-3-103. The document banks and transfer agents usually ask to see is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the court's raised seal.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory, pay the invoice York County prepares after the inventory is filed, handle creditor releases, record any deed of distribution with the York County Register of Deeds if real estate is involved, send the recorded copy back to the Probate Court, and respond when the court notifies the personal representative that it is time to close.
Executor duties
- Complete the Court Information Sheet that York County sends after the estate appointment is booked, and bring it to the appointment.
- Pay the $67.00 notice-to-creditors publication charge listed by York County, currently published without an effective date, when a personal representative is appointed. The charge is payable to York County Probate Court by cash, check, or money order.
- Prepare the inventory carefully. York County says estate paralegals cannot prepare the inventory for the personal representative and are not responsible for its accuracy.
- Pay the fee invoice the estate paralegal prepares after the inventory is filed. York County states that fees must be paid before the estate may close, and the statewide estate fee is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, with current text effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994.
- File a release from each creditor whose claim is paid before the estate can close.
- If the decedent owned real estate, record the deed of distribution with the York County Register of Deeds and send a copy of the recorded document to the Probate Court.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in York County
York County uses the statewide numbered South Carolina Probate Court forms available from the South Carolina Judicial Branch. The court's own guide directs families to those forms and says Form 300ES is used for informal applications and formal petitions, while Form 420ES is used for a small-estate affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 when that route applies.
York County also publishes two estate guides of its own: What to Expect When You Administer an Estate and How to Prepare an Estate Inventory. It does not post a numbered county form set or a local cover sheet. Instead, after you book the estate appointment, the court sends a Court Information Sheet by mail or email for you to complete and bring with you.
The authority document is handled by the court, not downloaded by the family. South Carolina law refers to letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201, and the court-issued Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, must carry the raised seal.
Fees
The estate fee itself is set by the statewide schedule in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, whose current text dates to 1995 Act No. 15, effective April 4, 1995 and applied retroactively to August 15, 1994. York County adds local operational charges and practices that matter at the courthouse.
| Charge or practice | York County detail |
|---|---|
| Notice-to-creditors publication | York County lists $67.00, currently published without an effective date, payable by cash, check, or money order to York County Probate Court if a personal representative is appointed. The court handles the newspaper publication. |
| Online estate document printing | Viewing estate documents online is free. Printing is $2.00 per document, currently published without an effective date. |
| Deed of distribution recording | The Probate Court guide lists a $15.00 recording fee, currently published without an effective date, for recording the deed of distribution with the York County Register of Deeds. This is a recording charge, not a Probate Court estate fee. |
| Estate fee invoice | York County prepares the invoice after the inventory is filed and says the fee must be paid before the estate can close. |
Timeline
- Booking. Call or email the York County Probate Court to schedule the estate appointment. The court says calls and emails are returned within 24 hours.
- Before the appointment. The court sends the Court Information Sheet by mail or email, and you complete it before bringing it to the Moss Justice Center in York.
- Opening appointment. Court staff explain the administrative process and help with the opening forms, but they cannot give legal advice.
- Inventory help session. The court runs a public information session on preparing the estate inventory at the Moss Justice Center at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. Call (803) 684-8513 to confirm the date and room before travelling.
- After the inventory is filed. The estate paralegal prepares the fee invoice from the values shown and mails or delivers it to the personal representative.
- Demanded hearing. If an heir or devisee files a Demand for Hearing within thirty days after the Proof of Delivery is filed, York County says the court will schedule a hearing.
- Closing. York County says the court notifies the personal representative when it is time to close the estate and that closing should occur about a year after the decedent's death.
- Late closing. If the personal representative does not close the estate in a timely manner, York County says a hearing is scheduled.
Local nuance
York County-specific considerations
- The York County Probate Court is on the second floor of the Moss Justice Center at 1675 York Highway in York while the Historical Courthouse at 2 South Congress Street is closed for renovations for an indefinite period.
- York County publishes one probate office. Families from Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, Clover, and other parts of the county travel to York for estate settlement.
- Estate administrations require an appointment, but dropping off or picking up documents does not.
- The court sends a Court Information Sheet after the appointment is booked.
- York County runs a free monthly inventory information session at the Moss Justice Center at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. The court says no appointment is needed.
- York County estate files from 1975 to the present are searchable online at southcarolinaprobate.net/search. Viewing is free, and printing is $2.00 per document, currently published without an effective date.
- Estate files can also be read on public computers in the Register of Deeds office at the York County Government Center, 6 South Congress Street in York.
- The court arranges the notice-to-creditors publication and collects the $67.00 charge, currently published without an effective date, when a personal representative is appointed.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely York County path | Sunset support |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Confirm what passed outside probate and what, if anything, must be administered through the York County Probate Court. If an estate must be opened, book an appointment and bring the will, death certificate, and asset information. If a deed of distribution is needed, York County recommends an attorney prepare it because it requires a legal description. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize title and beneficiary information, and prepare an estate settlement packet for the York appointment. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call York County before travelling. Form 420ES may be used only when the small-estate affidavit requirements in S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 are met, including the $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025. York County says Form 121ES is used when the personal representative is not a South Carolina resident. | Sunset helps list accounts, estimate probate assets, and connect you with a South Carolina probate attorney if travel or residency issues make the process harder. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate by appointment in York. If real estate must be sold or released from the personal representative's control, York County's guide points to the deed of distribution and recommends attorney preparation. The recorded deed copy goes back to the Probate Court. | Sunset helps find assets and debts, build the forms packet, and connect the family with a vetted attorney for the deed and sale issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| York County Probate Court | Staff may explain the administrative process and help with forms at the opening appointment, but they cannot give legal advice. The court publishes estate guides and sends the Court Information Sheet after booking. | Moss Justice Center, 1675 York Highway, 2nd Floor, York, SC 29745; (803) 684-8513; [email protected]; court website |
| Monthly inventory information session | Free public session on preparing the estate inventory, held at the Moss Justice Center at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. No appointment is needed. | Call (803) 684-8513 to confirm the date and room. |
| York County estate lookup | Search York County estate files from 1975 to the present by decedent name or case number. Viewing is free; printing is $2.00 per document, currently published without an effective date. | southcarolinaprobate.net/search |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch probate forms | Provides the statewide numbered Probate Court forms used in York County. | South Carolina Probate Court forms |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch self-help resources | Explains what court staff can and cannot do, including providing approved forms, instructions, and basic case-file information. | Judicial Branch self-help resources |
| South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Refers callers to lawyers. The Bar lists a cap of no more than $50.00 for a 30-minute consultation, currently published without an effective date, and states that participating 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 available 24/7 at scbar.org |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank, investment, insurance, retirement, and other financial accounts so the York County estate settlement starts with a clearer asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into an organized packet for the York County appointment, including asset lists, contact information, and form-ready details.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, such as a deed of distribution, contested heirs, creditor disputes, or real estate sale issues, Sunset can connect you with a vetted South Carolina probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps, and get connected to probate help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate case in York County, South Carolina?
File with the York County Probate Court at the Moss Justice Center, 1675 York Highway, 2nd Floor, York, SC 29745. The mailing address is P.O. Box 219, York, SC 29745. Estate administrations require an appointment, so call (803) 684-8513 or email [email protected] before going to open an estate.
Do I need an appointment to open an estate in York County?
Yes. York County requires appointments for estate administrations and guardianship or conservatorship administrations. You do not need an appointment just to drop off or pick up documents.
What is the Court Information Sheet in York County probate?
After you book the estate appointment, York County sends a Court Information Sheet by mail or email. Complete it and bring it to the appointment. The court does not post the sheet for download or describe all of its contents.
Can I look up a York County estate case online?
Yes. York County estate files from 1975 to the present are searchable at southcarolinaprobate.net/search by decedent name or case number. Viewing is free, and printing is $2.00 per document, currently published without an effective date. The court says the site is updated every evening.
Does York County have its own probate forms?
York County uses the statewide South Carolina Probate Court form set. It also publishes local estate guides and sends a Court Information Sheet after booking, but it does not post a numbered county form set or local cover sheet. Form 300ES is the statewide form for informal application or formal petition, and Form 420ES is tied to S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 for a small-estate affidavit.
Is electronic filing available for probate in York County?
York County does not post a probate electronic filing system, attorney portal, or online submission channel for estate filings. The county does offer online estate lookup, but that is a search tool, not a way to start or administer an estate.
What does York County charge to publish the notice to creditors?
York County lists $67.00, currently published without an effective date, for notice-to-creditors publication when a personal representative is appointed. The court says the payment is made to York County Probate Court by cash, check, or money order, and the court handles the publication.
When are York County's inventory information sessions?
The York County Probate Court lists a monthly public information session on preparing the estate inventory at the Moss Justice Center at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. No appointment is needed, but call (803) 684-8513 to confirm the date and room before travelling.
Can I participate remotely in York County Probate Court?
York County does not post a local remote-appearance practice for estate matters. South Carolina's statewide order on Remote Communication Technology by the Trial Courts, as amended February 19, 2025, allows the probate judge to decide under the statewide standard whether remote communication technology is appropriate for a non-criminal proceeding. Ask the York County Probate Court how that order applies to your hearing.
I live in Rock Hill or Fort Mill. Do I still file in York?
Yes. York County probate filings go to the York County Probate Court in York. Rock Hill and Fort Mill have other court locations for other matters, but estate settlement for York County residents starts with the Probate Court in York.
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.