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Turner County, SD Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Turner County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The circuit court in Turner County, sitting at the Turner County Courthouse in Parker |
| Courthouse address | 400 S. Main St., Suite 203, Parker, SD 57053-0446 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 446, 400 S. Main St., Suite 203, Parker, SD 57053-0446 |
| Phone | 605-297-3115 |
| Fax | 605-297-2115 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Court costs | $122.00 total, 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 |
| Local forms | No Turner County probate cover sheet or local packet is listed on the Turner County Unified Judicial System page. |
| E-filing | Represented parties file through the Odyssey electronic filing system. Self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so, and may bring papers to the clerk of courts counter (SDCL 15-6-5(e)). |
| Case search | eCourts at ecourts.sd.gov requires free registration and shows docket summaries. The public tier does not show document images; courthouse public access terminals provide access to publicly available electronic filings at no charge during regular business hours (SDCL 16-21-8). |
| Remote appearance | The assigned circuit judge decides whether any part of a case can be handled by telephone or video. Ask the Turner County clerk of courts how to make the request. |
| Website | https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/first-judicial-circuit/turner-county/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Parker, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, family members, and any will. Turner County filings go through the clerk of courts at the Turner County Courthouse, but the right estate settlement path depends on what is actually titled in the decedent's name.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help families identify accounts before they choose forms, request letters, or decide whether a lawyer should prepare the papers. That front-end asset review can keep an estate settlement from being opened too broadly or in the wrong county.
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 Turner 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).
Turner County is in the First Judicial Circuit, one of the seven judicial circuits listed in SDCL 16-5-1.2. The First Judicial Circuit includes 14 counties. Probate for Turner County is filed with the clerk of courts at the Turner County Courthouse in Parker. Turner County includes Parker, Centerville, Hurley, Marion, and Viborg.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in South Dakota, in any county where the decedent had property at death (SDCL 29A-3-201).
The jurisdiction process
- Decide whether the filing is an informal application to the clerk of court or a formal petition to the court. Informal probate and informal appointment are handled under SDCL ch. 29A-3 by application; formal probate is handled under SDCL ch. 29A-3 by petition after notice.
- Prepare the will, death certificate information, proposed personal representative information, and supporting papers. If an original will exists, ask the Turner County clerk of courts how the original should be lodged because the rule on electronic filing does not answer that question.
- File at the Turner County clerk of courts counter in Suite 203 at 400 S. Main St. in Parker, or through Odyssey if represented. Self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so (SDCL 15-6-5(e)).
- Pay the $122.00 total court costs, effective July 1, 2026: $75.00 for the estate 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 fee waiver may be requested under SDCL 16-2-29.2 if the filer cannot afford the fees.
- For an informal filing, the clerk of courts reviews the application after the statutory waiting period. The clerk may issue a written statement of informal probate after one hundred twenty hours have passed since death (SDCL 29A-3-302). The personal representative receives letters testamentary or letters of administration after appointment and qualification (SDCL 29A-3-103).
- For a formal filing, follow the judge's scheduling and notice directions under SDCL ch. 29A-3. The assigned circuit judge decides whether any appearance can be handled by telephone or video.
- After appointment, handle creditor notice correctly. A personal representative may publish notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county where the proceeding is pending, which can create a four months claims bar from first publication (SDCL 29A-3-801; SDCL 29A-3-803). Known or reasonably ascertainable creditors must receive written notice by mail or other delivery under the same statute.
- Administer the estate, pay proper expenses and claims, distribute remaining property, and close by the correct closing route. A closing statement is available only when the requirements of SDCL 29A-3-1003 are met; a court order of complete settlement is a separate route under SDCL 29A-3-1001.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Turner County
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.
No Turner County probate cover sheet or local packet is listed on the Turner County Unified Judicial System page. A creditor's statement of claim form is prescribed by rule in SDCL ch. 29A-3, Appendix A, and fee waiver materials are available for people who need to ask to waive the filing fee under SDCL 16-2-29.2.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Turner County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming how the home is titled and whether any accounts remain in the decedent's name alone. If a Turner County filing is needed, file at the clerk of courts in Parker under the venue rule for the decedent's domicile (SDCL 29A-3-201). | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize title questions, and prepare the information a lawyer or filer needs before starting estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the property is personal property and the statutory affidavit route fits, SDCL 29A-3-1201 allows a claiming successor to present an affidavit after thirty days, but the Department of Social Services medical assistance condition in SDCL 29A-3 matters. If a Turner County case is opened instead, ask the clerk how to handle signatures and any hearing request from outside South Dakota. | Sunset helps locate accounts, compare probate and affidavit paths, and coordinate a local attorney if travel to Parker is difficult. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If Turner County real estate must be transferred for sale, check whether the real-property affidavit route under SDCL 29A-3-1203 fits. If it does not, a personal representative may need letters from the circuit court in Turner County before signing sale papers. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, find title documents, and connect the family with a South Dakota probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps Turner County families |
|---|---|
| Turner County clerk of courts | Provides filing counter access at 400 S. Main St., Suite 203, Parker, SD 57053-0446. Staff can give general procedural information, but court staff cannot provide legal advice or choose wording for your papers. |
| South Dakota Unified Judicial System fee waiver materials | Use this route if you need to ask the court to waive the filing fee under SDCL 16-2-29.2. The estate opening total is $122.00, effective July 1, 2026, under SDCL 16-2-29, SDCL 16-2-39, and SDCL 14-6-1. |
| SD Law Help | Online intake route for nonprofit legal help in South Dakota. It routes applications to an appropriate legal services program. |
| East River Legal Services | Turner County is on East River Legal Services' published eastern county list. Contact: 335 North Main Avenue, Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, toll-free 1-800-952-3015. Its published practice areas are family, housing, consumer and public benefits. |
| State Bar of South Dakota Lawyer Referral Service | Find a private lawyer through findalawyerinsd.com or 800-952-2333. |
| South Dakota eCourts | Use ecourts.sd.gov for docket summaries after free registration. Public document images are not shown in the public tier, but courthouse public access terminals provide access to publicly available electronic filings at no charge during regular business hours (SDCL 16-21-8). |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially helpful when family members disagree, a will may be challenged, a home needs to be sold, creditor issues are unclear, the decedent lived outside South Dakota, or the personal representative is unsure which papers belong in an informal application versus a formal petition. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can see what may need to be collected, transferred, or included before choosing a Turner County estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information families need for an application, petition, notices, asset schedules, and attorney review, while keeping South Dakota's clerk of courts terminology straight.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal help in Turner County or the First Judicial Circuit, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted South Dakota probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand assets, next steps, and attorney options without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for Turner County?
File Turner County probate papers with the clerk of courts at the Turner County Courthouse, 400 S. Main St., Suite 203, Parker, SD 57053-0446. Venue is usually the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (SDCL 29A-3-201).
What are the Turner County clerk of courts hours?
The Turner County clerk of courts office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 605-297-3115 before traveling if timing is tight.
Can I e-file a Turner County probate case?
Represented parties file through the Odyssey electronic filing system. Self-represented parties may file electronically but are not required to do so, and may bring papers to the clerk of courts counter (SDCL 15-6-5(e)).
How much does it cost to open an estate in Turner County?
The estate opening total is $122.00, 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.
Are Turner County probate forms posted online?
No Turner County probate cover sheet or local packet is listed on the Turner County Unified Judicial System page. The Unified Judicial System 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.
How do I look up a Turner County probate case?
Use eCourts at ecourts.sd.gov for docket summaries after free registration. The public tier does not show document images. Courthouse public access terminals provide access to publicly available electronic filings at no charge during regular business hours (SDCL 16-21-8).
Can I appear by phone or video in Turner County?
The assigned circuit judge decides whether any part of a case can be handled by telephone or video. Ask the Turner County clerk of courts how to make the request before assuming travel is or is not needed.
Will my hearing be somewhere other than Turner County?
Turner County is in the First Judicial Circuit. 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). That does not guarantee where a particular hearing will be held, so confirm scheduling with the clerk.
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.