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Beadle County, SD Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Beadle County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The circuit court in Beadle County, at the Beadle County Courthouse in Huron |
| Courthouse address | 450 3rd Street SW, Huron, SD 57350 |
| Mailing address | 450 3rd Street SW, Huron, SD 57350 |
| Phone | 605-353-7165, clerk of courts in Beadle County |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Filing fee | $122.00 total court costs to open a probate estate, effective July 1, 2026: $75.00 filing fee under SDCL 16-2-29, $40.00 court automation surcharge under SDCL 16-2-39, and $7.00 county law library fee under SDCL 14-6-1 |
| Local forms | The UJS Beadle County page does not list a Beadle County-specific probate packet or cover sheet. The Unified Judicial System does not publish a statewide probate form set for opening an estate. |
| E-filing status | Represented parties file through Odyssey under SDCL 15-6-5(e). Self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so. |
| Case search | eCourts at ecourts.sd.gov gives public case summaries after free registration. The public tier does not provide filed documents; public access terminals at courthouses are available under SDCL 16-21-8. |
| Remote appearance | The assigned circuit judge decides whether any part of a case can be handled by telephone or video. Call the clerk to ask how to make that request. |
| Website | https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/third-judicial-circuit/beadle-county/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Huron, build a practical asset and liability list. You need to know what is titled in the decedent's name, what is jointly owned, what passes by beneficiary designation, and what debts may need attention before choosing a filing path.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can search across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, policies, and balances before the Beadle County paperwork is prepared.
Which court handles jurisdiction
South Dakota has no separate court for decedents' estates: estate settlement is a case class of the circuit court, the state's trial court of general jurisdiction, which sits in all 66 counties, and the papers are filed with the clerk of courts at the Beadle County Courthouse (S.D. Const. art. V, § 1; SDCL 16-6-9(5); SDCL 29A-3-201). The separate county-level trial forum that once shared this work was abolished and its jurisdiction folded into the circuit court (SDCL 16-6-9(7); SDCL ch. 16-9, repealed).
Probate for Beadle County is filed with the clerk of courts at the county courthouse in Huron. Beadle County is one of the 14 counties in the Third Judicial Circuit, which is how judges and court administration are organized; the case itself is filed at this county's own courthouse (SDCL 16-5-1.2; SDCL 29A-3-201).
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in South Dakota, any county where the decedent's property was located at death (SDCL 29A-3-201).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the right opening paper. Informal probate and informal appointment under SDCL ch. 29A-3 use an application directed to the clerk of court; formal probate under SDCL ch. 29A-3 uses a petition for a judge after notice.
- Prepare the will, death information, interested-person information, asset list, proposed personal representative information, and supporting papers. If there is an original will, ask the Beadle County clerk of courts how it should be lodged with the application.
- File at the Beadle County Courthouse, 450 3rd Street SW, Huron, SD 57350. Represented parties file through Odyssey under SDCL 15-6-5(e); self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so.
- Pay the $122.00 total court costs, effective July 1, 2026: $75.00 filing fee under SDCL 16-2-29, $40.00 court automation surcharge under SDCL 16-2-39, and $7.00 county law library fee under SDCL 14-6-1. A filer who cannot pay may ask for a fee waiver under SDCL 16-2-29.2 to SDCL 16-2-29.4 and SDCL 16-2-42.
- Follow the notice rules for the route you use. Informal probate under SDCL ch. 29A-3 is handled by the clerk of court without advance notice to interested persons, while formal proceedings are before a judge with notice to interested persons.
- If a hearing is needed, the clerk can explain local scheduling steps. Whether any telephone or video appearance is allowed is set by the assigned circuit judge.
- After at least 120 hours have passed since death, the clerk may issue the written statement of informal probate when the statute's findings are met (SDCL 29A-3-302). After appointment and qualification, estate administration begins when letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued (SDCL 29A-3-103).
- Administer the estate. The personal representative handles creditor notice under SDCL 29A-3-801, prepares the inventory and appraisement within six months after appointment or nine months after death, whichever is later, under SDCL 29A-3-706, and later closes by the proper court route or by closing statement under SDCL 29A-3-1003 when eligible.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Beadle County
The UJS Beadle County page does not list a county-specific probate packet or cover sheet for opening an estate.
The South Dakota Unified Judicial System publishes form sets and guided interviews for self-represented filers in divorce, custody, name change, guardianship, eviction, small claims and protection-order matters. It does not publish a statewide probate form set, so the application, the will and the supporting papers are prepared by the filer or by a lawyer and brought to the clerk of courts.
Creditors have a separate statement of claim form prescribed in SDCL ch. 29A-3, Appendix A, tied to claims filed under SDCL 29A-3-804. That is not the family opening packet for appointment of a personal representative.
Local nuance
Beadle County-specific considerations
For Beadle County clerk questions, use the published phone number or the clerk counter at 450 3rd Street SW in Huron. The court page does not provide a generic clerk email address, and it does not list a clerk fax number.
Do not confuse the separate Court Services office on 4th Street SW with the clerk of courts. Estate filings go through the clerk of courts at the Beadle County Courthouse.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | The Unified Judicial System Schedule of Court Costs for civil filings took effect. Opening a probate estate is listed at $122.00 total court costs, effective July 1, 2026: $75.00 under SDCL 16-2-29, $40.00 under SDCL 16-2-39, and $7.00 under SDCL 14-6-1. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Beadle County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Confirm how the home is titled before filing. If an estate case is needed, file at the Beadle County Courthouse in Huron and ask whether informal or formal papers under SDCL ch. 29A-3 fit the family facts. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and title clues so the spouse knows what is actually part of the estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate under SDCL 29A-3-1201 | Start by checking whether a court appointment is needed at all. The personal-property affidavit route under SDCL 29A-3-1201 has its own conditions, including the Department of Social Services medical assistance condition, and is separate from opening a Beadle County probate case. | Sunset organizes account information and can help decide whether to prepare a court packet or connect with counsel for affidavit questions. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually requires clear authority for a personal representative or another title path. File the opening papers with the Beadle County clerk of courts in Huron, then use the letters issued under SDCL 29A-3-103 to work with title and closing professionals. | Sunset helps gather asset information, generate the estate packet, and connect the parent with a local probate attorney when a sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota Unified Judicial System help pages | Explains how court staff may give general procedural information but cannot give legal advice or choose words for your papers. | https://ujs.sd.gov/self-help/get-legal-help/ |
| SD Law Help | Online intake created by nonprofit legal aid groups serving South Dakota and local Tribal Nations. The intake routes the application to an appropriate legal services program. | https://sdlawhelp.org |
| East River Legal Services | Beadle County is on its published county list. Its listed practice areas are family, housing, consumer, and public benefits, so ask whether your civil issue fits. | 335 North Main Avenue, Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104; toll-free 1-800-952-3015 |
| State Bar of South Dakota lawyer referral service | Helps families look for a South Dakota lawyer, including for estate settlement questions that need legal advice. | https://findalawyerinsd.com; 800-952-2333 |
| South Dakota Free Legal Answers | Online civil legal question service linked by the Unified Judicial System. | https://sd.freelegalanswers.org |
| UJS Legal Form Help Line | Answers questions about UJS forms and form completion. It cannot provide legal advice, and UJS does not publish an opening probate form set. | 1-855-784-0004 |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer makes sense when heirs disagree, a will may be challenged, real estate must be sold, creditor issues are unclear, a nonresident decedent owned Beadle County property, or the family is unsure whether informal papers under SDCL ch. 29A-3 are enough. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help uncover bank accounts, investments, insurance, and other assets that may affect Beadle County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information, asset details, and Beadle County filing information into an organized probate packet for the filing path you choose.
Find a local probate attorney. When a lawyer is the safer path, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted South Dakota probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, understand next steps, and get matched with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Beadle County?
File with the clerk of courts at the Beadle County Courthouse, 450 3rd Street SW, Huron, SD 57350. Venue depends on the decedent's domicile or South Dakota property location under SDCL 29A-3-201.
Is Beadle County in the Third Judicial Circuit?
Yes. Beadle County is one of the 14 counties in the Third Judicial Circuit under SDCL 16-5-1.2. The case is still filed at the Beadle County Courthouse in Huron.
Can I e-file a Beadle County probate case?
Represented parties file through Odyssey under SDCL 15-6-5(e). Self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so, and may work with the clerk of courts for counter or mail filing steps.
Does Beadle County publish local probate forms?
The UJS Beadle County page does not list a Beadle County-specific probate packet or cover sheet. The Unified Judicial System does not publish a statewide probate form set for opening an estate, so the application or petition is prepared by the filer or by a lawyer.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Beadle County?
The total is $122.00, effective July 1, 2026: $75.00 filing fee under SDCL 16-2-29, $40.00 court automation surcharge under SDCL 16-2-39, and $7.00 county law library fee under SDCL 14-6-1.
Can I look up a Beadle County probate case online?
Use eCourts at ecourts.sd.gov. Free registration is required, and the public tier shows case summary information rather than filed documents. Public access terminals at courthouses are available under SDCL 16-21-8.
Can I attend a Beadle County probate hearing by phone or video?
The assigned circuit judge decides whether any part of a case can be handled by telephone or video. Call the Beadle County clerk of courts to ask how to make that request.
Do I have to travel outside Beadle County for probate?
Probate for Beadle County is filed in Huron. State law directs the presiding judge to arrange for a circuit judge to be available to hold court in the county seat of each county in the circuit as necessary (SDCL 16-2-21), but the assigned judge controls scheduling for any particular hearing.
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.