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DeKalb County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | DeKalb County Chancery Court, the court exercising probate jurisdiction in DeKalb County under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Filing office | DeKalb County Clerk and Master. |
| Courthouse address | DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 302, 1 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166. |
| Mailing | The Clerk and Master page lists the courthouse address. Call the office before mailing if you need a different mailing address. |
| Phone | (615) 597-4360. |
| Fax | (615) 597-3441. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Probate estate fee | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. DeKalb County does not publish a total counter amount on the Clerk and Master page, so call before paying. |
| Forms | DeKalb County's Court Forms page lists only divorce packets. No probate, estate, will, or small estate form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 appears on that page. |
| E-filing | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system. The DeKalb County pages used here do not publish a DeKalb probate e-filing option. |
| Case lookup | The county's Courts and Dockets page does not publish a Chancery or probate case lookup, and dekalb.tncrtinfo.com returned 404. |
| Remote appearances | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing, and other remote court proceedings to the discretion of the trial court. Ask the DeKalb County Clerk and Master how the court handles a particular hearing. |
| Website | dekalbtennessee.com/clerk-and-master.html. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in DeKalb County, build a working list of the person's assets, debts, beneficiaries, and possible creditors. That list helps you decide whether the estate needs ordinary probate or a small estate petition under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and it helps the Clerk and Master route questions to the right DeKalb County process without giving legal advice.
Sunset's estate settlement tools search more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then organize what you find into a probate-ready picture. That can make the first call or visit to the DeKalb County Clerk and Master more focused.
Which court handles jurisdiction
DeKalb County filings are handled in Smithville at the DeKalb County Courthouse. The DeKalb County Chancery Court serves estates for people whose legal residence at death was in DeKalb County.
Tennessee law sends the estate to the court that exercises probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In most counties that court is chancery unless another law provides otherwise (T.C.A. § 16-16-201). In DeKalb County, the Chancery Court remains the probate forum, and the Clerk and Master is the filing office.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the local filing path. For a DeKalb County resident, start with the DeKalb County Chancery Court and the Clerk and Master in Room 302 of the courthouse in Smithville.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Tennessee uses a verified petition for letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). If the estate may qualify as a small estate, use the petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Check the forms before filing. DeKalb County's Court Forms page lists divorce packets, not probate forms, so call the Clerk and Master before relying on a downloaded document from another county.
- File with the local office. Take the original will, if there is one, the death certificate, the petition, and any required supporting materials to the DeKalb County Clerk and Master at the courthouse address, or call the office before mailing anything.
- Confirm the amount due. The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. DeKalb County does not publish a total amount on the Clerk and Master page.
- Handle notice and hearing requirements. Common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 does not require notice of the probate proceeding, while solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons. After letters issue, the clerk gives notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Ask about scheduling. DeKalb County does not publish Chancery probate hearing days on the pages used here, so ask the Clerk and Master what happens after the petition is accepted.
- Ask before planning a remote appearance. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, allows remote proceedings at the court's discretion, but it does not create a statewide right to appear remotely.
- Receive authority from the clerk. Tennessee calls the authority document letters testamentary or letters of administration (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). In a small estate, the clerk issues limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Administer and close the estate. Track assets, creditor issues, distributions, and any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301. Keep copies of everything you file or receive from the DeKalb County Clerk and Master.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in DeKalb County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not provide a statewide probate form set for county estate filings. Its self-help materials direct people to the clerk in their own county for probate and estate matters.
DeKalb County's Court Forms page lists two divorce packets and does not list probate, estate, will, or small estate forms under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Before you use a form found elsewhere, call the DeKalb County Clerk and Master at (615) 597-4360 and ask what the office accepts for the filing you plan to make.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by separating probate property from property that passes outside the estate. If a DeKalb County filing is needed, the Chancery Court in Smithville is the local forum under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and title clues so the spouse can see what belongs in estate settlement and what may not need a DeKalb County probate filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the DeKalb County Clerk and Master before traveling or mailing documents. A small estate uses a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and DeKalb County does not publish a local probate packet on its Court Forms page. | Sunset organizes assets and family information into a probate packet and can help decide whether a local attorney should review the filing before it is sent to Smithville. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires careful review before choosing the filing path, because limited letters for a small estate are restricted by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The DeKalb County filing office is the Clerk and Master for the Chancery Court. | Sunset helps gather account information, documents, and a DeKalb County attorney connection when the estate settlement involves real property or a sale. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for DeKalb County Chancery Court probate matters under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Court staff can provide filing-office information, but court employees cannot give legal advice or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 302, 1 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166. Phone: (615) 597-4360. |
| Tennessee Courts self-help center | The statewide self-help page directs estate and probate readers to the Clerk and Master in their county and states the legal-advice limit for court staff under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center. |
| AOC clerks list | The Tennessee court system's clerk directory can help confirm the right local clerk if the decedent lived in another Tennessee county. | tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list. |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Cookeville office | The office-location page lists DeKalb County among the counties served by the Cookeville office. The page does not say that probate representation is available, so ask about scope and eligibility. | 9 South Jefferson Avenue, Suite 102, Cookeville, TN 38501. Phone: 931-528-7436 or 800-238-1443. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, the family disagrees, a home must be sold, creditors are active, the filing may need solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, or you are unsure whether a DeKalb County small estate petition under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 is available. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property so families can see what belongs in the estate settlement before they contact the DeKalb County Clerk and Master.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet, including asset lists, family information, and filing notes you can review before starting in Smithville.
Find a local probate attorney. When a DeKalb County estate has a home sale, creditor issue, family dispute, or court hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in DeKalb County?
For a person who lived in DeKalb County at death, probate is filed through the DeKalb County Chancery Court in Smithville. Tennessee sends the estate to the county court exercising probate jurisdiction where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and DeKalb County uses the chancery default under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
What is the DeKalb County probate office address?
The DeKalb County Clerk and Master is located at the DeKalb County Courthouse, Room 302, 1 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166. The office phone number is (615) 597-4360.
Can I e-file a DeKalb County probate case?
Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court e-filing system. The DeKalb County pages used here do not publish a DeKalb probate e-filing option, so call the Clerk and Master before preparing to send documents electronically.
Does DeKalb County publish local probate forms?
The DeKalb County Court Forms page lists divorce packets and does not list probate, estate, will, or small estate forms under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Call the Clerk and Master before relying on a form from another county.
How much is the DeKalb County probate filing fee?
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. T.C.A. § 8-21-401 also allows state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit to be added. DeKalb County does not publish a total counter amount on the Clerk and Master page, so call (615) 597-4360 before paying.
Does DeKalb County have an online probate case lookup?
The DeKalb County Courts and Dockets page does not publish a Chancery or probate case lookup, and dekalb.tncrtinfo.com returned 404. That means you should call the Clerk and Master for case-access questions.
When are DeKalb County probate hearings held?
DeKalb County does not publish Chancery probate hearing days on the pages used here. After you file, ask the Clerk and Master how the Chancery Court schedules common form or solemn form probate matters under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
Can I attend a DeKalb County probate hearing remotely?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says remote court proceedings are permissible at the discretion of the trial court. It does not create a statewide right to use teleconferencing or video conferencing under Rule 55, so ask the DeKalb County Clerk and Master how the court will handle your hearing.
Do I have to travel to Smithville to start estate settlement?
Maybe. The filing office is in Smithville, but you should call the DeKalb County Clerk and Master before traveling or mailing documents. Ask what originals are required, how payment should be made under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and whether your specific filing can be handled without an in-person visit.
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.