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Perry County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Perry County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Perry County Chancery Court, with probate handled through the Clerk and Master. Perry County probate jurisdiction is in chancery under the Tennessee default rule, T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Courthouse address | 121 E. Main Street, Linden, TN 37096. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 251, Linden, TN 37096. |
| Phone | (931) 589-2217. |
| Fax | No fax number for the Clerk and Master is published on the Perry County court site. |
| Hours | The public Perry County court pages do not list Clerk and Master office hours. Call before driving to Linden. |
| Probate estate fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | The statewide clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Forms | Perry County's court site does not publish a local probate petition packet or checklist. |
| Electronic filing | No Perry County Chancery Court probate filing portal is published. Plan to contact the Clerk and Master about the filing method before sending papers. |
| Online lookup | Perry.tncrtinfo.com lists Circuit Court and General Sessions Court search options, but no Chancery option for Perry County probate files. |
| Remote hearing practice | No Perry County probate-specific remote practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote proceedings to the trial court's discretion. |
| Website | https://courts.perrycountytn.com/index.php/court-administration |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you prepare a Perry County probate filing, make a working list of the person's accounts, debts, real estate, vehicles, benefits, and any property that passes outside probate. The right estate settlement path depends on what actually needs court authority.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions so families can find accounts and assets before they ask the Perry County Clerk and Master for letters or limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-103.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Perry County estates are filed in Linden. Tennessee law sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death, T.C.A. § 30-4-102. In Perry County, probate jurisdiction is handled through the Chancery Court and the Clerk and Master under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
The Perry County court administration page lists the Clerk and Master as handling civil and probate cases, including probate of testate and intestate estates. The same site lists Circuit, General Sessions, Chancery and Juvenile Courts, and no separate Perry County Probate Court page or probate clerk office is published.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the Perry County path before drafting. If the estate is uncontested, the ordinary Tennessee route is common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. If the estate fits the small estate route, the petition for limited letters is governed by T.C.A. § 30-4-103 and must stay within T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Tennessee calls the authority document letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not, T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Perry County does not publish a local probate packet, so ask the Clerk and Master what format the office requires.
- Submit the papers to the Perry County Clerk and Master in Linden. The mailing address used for the office is P.O. Box 251, Linden, TN 37096, and the public phone number is (931) 589-2217.
- Pay the required amount or ask about a pauper's oath under Rule 29 of the Tennessee Rules of the Supreme Court if payment would create substantial hardship. The probate estate filing fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275 effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation taxes and any required deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
- Follow the notice path for the type of case. In common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, notice of the opening proceeding is not required, but notice to creditors is handled after letters issue under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. Solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons.
- Ask the Clerk and Master whether the court will set a hearing. Perry County's calendar page did not publish a specific Chancery Court probate term date for this page, so do not assume a hearing day without calling.
- If a remote appearance would help, ask how the court applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says remote technology is permissible at the trial court's discretion.
- Once the court approves the appointment, obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In a small estate, the clerk issues limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-103.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative handles creditor mailings tied to the notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, returns any required inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, manages estate assets, and completes the final settlement steps required by the Perry County Clerk and Master.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Perry County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set. Its self-help center says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in your county, and Perry County's own court site places probate work with the Clerk and Master.
Perry County's court site does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist. It publishes court administration information, court calendars and fee schedules, but no probate forms library. Call the Clerk and Master before preparing a Perry County estate settlement packet so you know what the office wants filed.
Fees
The statewide probate estate filing fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any required deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, so the amount due at the Perry County counter can be higher than the statutory clerk's fee.
Perry County's own Chancery Court fee page is dated effective 1/26/2022, before the January 1, 2026 change to T.C.A. § 8-21-401 made by 2025 Public Chapter 486. Treat the county page as a dated Perry County publication and call the Clerk and Master for the amount due now.
| Perry County item | Published amount and date |
|---|---|
| Probate, regular estate | $444.50, effective 1/26/2022, one certified letter included plus notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. |
| Small estate affidavits, county wording | $155.50, effective 1/26/2022. Current small estate procedure is under T.C.A. § 30-4-103. |
| Muniment of title | $344.50 plus service, effective 1/26/2022, with the muniment of title route referenced at T.C.A. § 32-2-111. |
| Wills contested | Three hundred thirty-nine dollars and fifty cents plus service, effective 1/26/2022. |
| Conservatorship | $274.50 plus service, effective 1/26/2022. |
| Guardianship | $274.50 plus service, effective 1/26/2022. |
| Accountings | $40.00, effective 1/26/2022, on a fee page predating the January 1, 2026 T.C.A. § 8-21-401 change. |
| Wills deposited with court, not probated | $5.00, effective 1/26/2022. |
Local nuance
Perry County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Use the court administration page | The older Perry County Chancery Court Clerk URL no longer works. The current court administration page is where the Clerk and Master information appears. |
| The page says Chancery and Probate Courts | For Perry County, that wording describes the Clerk and Master's probate docket. The county site does not publish a separate Probate Court office, separate probate judge page or separate probate clerk page. |
| The online lookup is limited | Perry.tncrtinfo.com lists Circuit Court and General Sessions Court options. It does not list Chancery, so it is not a reliable way to find a Perry County probate file. |
| Hours and fax are not posted | The Perry County court pages do not list Clerk and Master hours or a fax number. Call (931) 589-2217 before you mail papers, travel to Linden or rely on fax filing. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed for Perry County readers |
|---|---|
| Live court page | The older Chancery Court Clerk URL does not load. Perry County court administration information is on https://courts.perrycountytn.com/index.php/court-administration. |
| Fee schedule timing | Perry County's public Chancery Court fee page is dated effective 1/26/2022. The statewide probate estate filing fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 changed to $275 effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Perry County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying which assets actually require Perry County court authority. If probate assets remain, the spouse usually begins with the Clerk and Master for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps separate accounts, debts and property questions before the spouse spends time preparing an estate settlement filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate is personal property within T.C.A. § 30-4-102, the child can ask the Clerk and Master about the small estate petition for limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-103. The public Perry County site does not publish a packet, so call before mailing papers. | Sunset helps find accounts and generate an organized packet so the adult child can ask the Perry County office precise filing questions. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A small estate under T.C.A. § 30-4-102 does not give authority over real estate, so a home sale usually requires the full Perry County probate path and letters under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps organize the estate settlement facts and can connect the parent with a local probate attorney for real estate and court-sale questions. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Perry County Clerk and Master | The Clerk and Master is the local starting point for Perry County probate filings. Use (931) 589-2217 to confirm hours, filing method, and the amount due under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Perry County courts website | The court administration page lists the Clerk and Master's probate role and links to county court information. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts Self-Help Center | The AOC Self-Help Center says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in your county. It also states that court employees may not engage in the practice of law or give legal advice, T.C.A. § 16-3-804. |
| Tennessee court clerks list | The statewide clerks list helps confirm the correct court office when a family is unsure where a Tennessee estate settlement belongs. |
| Justice for All site | The AOC Self-Help Center links to the Supreme Court's Justice for All site as a statewide access-to-justice resource. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for accounts, policies and property leads so families can see what belongs in the estate settlement before contacting the Perry County Clerk and Master.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for a petition, heirs, assets, debts and supporting documents so the Perry County filing conversation is clearer.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Perry County estate involves real estate, a dispute, a contested will or uncertain creditor issues, Sunset can connect the family with a probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the work, understand next steps and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Perry County?
Perry County probate is handled through the Chancery Court office of the Clerk and Master in Linden. Tennessee sends the case to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death, T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and Perry County's local court page places probate work with the Clerk and Master under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Does Perry County publish probate forms online?
Perry County's court site does not publish a local probate petition packet or checklist. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set, and its self-help center directs probate and estate matters to the Clerk and Master in your county.
Can I file a Perry County probate case electronically?
No Perry County Chancery Court probate filing portal is published. A payment link appears through a separate court-fee payment site, but it was not found to be a probate case filing system. Contact the Clerk and Master before sending papers.
What is the Perry County probate estate fee?
The statewide probate estate filing fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Perry County's public fee page is dated effective 1/26/2022, so call the Clerk and Master for the amount due now, including any litigation taxes under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
Can I look up a Perry County probate case online?
Perry.tncrtinfo.com publishes search options for Circuit Court and General Sessions Court. It does not list Chancery Court, so it does not provide a clear online lookup for Perry County probate files.
Will Perry County let me attend a probate hearing by phone or video?
No Perry County probate-specific remote hearing practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote proceedings are permissible at the trial court's discretion.
Do I have to travel to Linden for probate?
Call the Clerk and Master before traveling. Perry County does not publish a probate e-filing portal or a Chancery Court probate remote appearance practice, but the office can tell you whether your filing can be mailed and whether a hearing will be required.
What are letters testamentary and letters of administration in Perry County?
They are the Tennessee authority documents for a personal representative. Letters testamentary apply when there is a will, and letters of administration apply when there is not, T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In Perry County, the Clerk and Master is the office to contact about issuance.
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.