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Sullivan County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Local answer |
|---|---|
| Court | Sullivan County Chancery Court at Blountville |
| Filing office | Sullivan County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 140 Blountville Bypass, Room 201, Blountville, TN 37617 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617 |
| Phone | (423) 323-6483 |
| Fax | The court publishes fax numbers for its Kingsport and Bristol offices, and the county page lists both against the probate contact block: (423) 989-4362 or (423) 224-1736. Call before sending a fax. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except designated holidays, Eastern time |
| 2026 filing cost | The statutory clerk's fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Sullivan County's 2026 schedule lists $438.50 to open an estate for January 1 through December 31, 2026, and states that the listed filing fees include litigation tax under § 8-21-401. |
| Forms | Yes. The Sullivan County Clerk and Master publishes a local probate form set. |
| Electronic filing | The Sullivan County Clerk and Master does not publish an e-filing system on its website. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system. |
| Fax or email filing | The 2026 Sullivan County fee schedule prices fax or email filing at $5.00 plus $1.00 per page for January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, but the court does not publish a rule explaining what may be sent that way. Call first. |
| Case lookup | Sullivan County publishes an online court records search at https://sullivan.tncrtinfo.com/. The search offers a Clerk and Master court type, but whether a specific estate appears should be checked with the office. |
| Remote policy | The court does not publish a Sullivan County remote-appearance policy. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, is the Rule 55 standard and leaves remote proceedings to the trial court's discretion. |
| Website | https://www.sullivantnchancery.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you start papers in Sullivan County, make a working list of the accounts, debts, real estate, vehicles, personal property and possible creditor issues. Local Rule 20 matters at the counter because the office may provide forms to a self-represented person only in estates not exceeding $50,000 net, counting real and personal property, a local assistance rule that is distinct from the statewide small estate definition in T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help you search for accounts across 2,300 institutions, organize what was found, and decide whether a Sullivan County filing is ready for the Clerk and Master's Blountville office or should be reviewed by a probate attorney first.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee law sends an estate to the court then exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In many Tennessee counties that court is chancery and the filing office is the Clerk and Master under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Sullivan County has its own local answer too: Private Acts of 1988, ch. 135 transferred probate jurisdiction to the Chancery Court of Sullivan County at Blountville and made the Clerk and Master the clerk for probate matters.
Use the Sullivan County Chancery Court at Blountville for estates of people who lived in Blountville, Kingsport, Bristol, Bluff City, the Sullivan County part of Johnson City, and unincorporated Sullivan County. The Clerk and Master also has Kingsport and Bristol offices, but estates are filed at Blountville, Room 201, Sullivan County Justice Center, 140 Blountville Bypass, or mailed to P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and any original will before going to the courthouse. This helps you choose the right local forms and keeps the first estate settlement filing focused.
- Gather the Sullivan County probate forms you need from the Clerk and Master's website, including the oath, notice to creditors, waiver of bond, inventory and accountings, affidavit of notice to TennCare, receipt form, verified claim, fee statement and fee consent forms, where they fit the case. The statewide small estate route is governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Submit the verified petition and any original will to the Sullivan County Clerk and Master at Blountville, 140 Blountville Bypass, Room 201, Blountville, TN 37617, or mail them to P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617. Do not take an estate filing to the Kingsport or Bristol chancery offices.
- Pay the filing fee and court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory clerk's fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and Sullivan County's January 1 through December 31, 2026 schedule lists $438.50 to open an estate with litigation tax included under § 8-21-401. The schedule says personal checks are not accepted.
- The Sullivan County Clerk and Master hears applications for letters testamentary or letters of administration under local Rule 21, without a separate order of reference. Tennessee uses those letters as the personal representative's authority document (T.C.A. § 30-1-117).
- The Clerk and Master makes a written report. Under local Rule 21, the report is subject to review by the court if exceptions are filed within ten days and a motion for review is made. If no exceptions are filed within ten days, an order of confirmation is lodged.
- After letters testamentary or letters of administration issue under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, the clerk handles the notice to creditors process required by T.C.A. § 30-2-306. The personal representative handles known-creditor mailings and the rest of the administration tasks required by law.
- Complete the early estate paperwork, including any inventory required within sixty days under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 and the TennCare notice affidavit tied to T.C.A. § 71-5-116, and submit it to the Clerk and Master.
- Sign the Sullivan County fiduciary fee form at appointment if a personal representative fee may be requested. Under local Rule 19, failing to sign the fee form waives the fiduciary fee.
- Use motion days only when a matter must go before the Chancellor. Sullivan County chancery motion days are held at Kingsport on the second and fourth Fridays and at Bristol on the first and third Fridays, and a Blountville chancery case may be heard at either location.
- Administer, account and close the estate through the Clerk and Master. Sullivan County's 2026 schedule lists a $75.00 annual accounting charge and a $75.00 reopen-case charge for January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
Executor duties
Sullivan County adds local fee-handling duties that personal representatives should know before taking compensation from estate funds. Under local Rule 19, every fiduciary signs a fee form at appointment stating whether a fee will be charged. If the fiduciary does not sign that form, the fiduciary fee is treated as waived.
If a fee is charged, the method for computing it must be stated and time records must be provided. A fiduciary or attorney fee is not paid from estate funds without an order signed by the Clerk and Master or the Chancellor approving the fee, unless the local rule's written-contract, will-fixed-fee or written-consent shortcut applies.
The Sullivan County Clerk and Master publishes matching forms for this step, including the Probate Fee Statement, Probate Consent to Attorney Fees and Probate Consent to Fiduciary Fees Form. Local Rule 21 also gives the Clerk and Master authority to hear accounts and settlements and report in writing.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Sullivan County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate petition packet for county estate filings. In Sullivan County, the local answer is unusually strong: the Sullivan County Clerk and Master publishes a probate form section on its own website.
| Form group | Sullivan County forms |
|---|---|
| Opening and authority | Probate Oath, Personal Representative Oath, Petition and Order for Small Estate with Limited Letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 |
| Notice and creditor papers | Probate Notice to Creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, Probate Verified Claim Against Estate, Probate Notice to Commissioner |
| Estate administration | Probate Waiver of Bond Inventory and Accountings, Probate Receipt Form, Notice of Continued Administration, Affidavit of Notice to TennCare under T.C.A. § 71-5-116 |
| Will proof and beneficiaries | Probate Affidavit of Notice to Devisees of Testate Estate, Probate Affidavit of Handwriting, Affidavit of Witness |
| Fees | Probate Fee Statement, Probate Consent to Attorney Fees, Probate Consent to Fiduciary Fees Form |
Local Rule 20 limits what the office may hand to a self-represented person. The office may provide forms in estates not exceeding $50,000 net, counting real and personal property, and that local rule does not apply to insolvent estates. That is a Sullivan County counter-assistance rule, not the statewide small estate definition in T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
Fees
Sullivan County publishes a dated local fee schedule, so families can see the local court costs before filing. The statutory clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Sullivan County's local schedule for January 1 through December 31, 2026 lists higher counter amounts because the schedule states that its filing fees include litigation tax under § 8-21-401.
| 2026 Sullivan County item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Open an estate, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $438.50 |
| County small estate route charge, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and § 8-21-401 | $358.50 |
| Record will only, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $358.50 |
| Reopen case, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $75.00 |
| Annual accounting, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $75.00 |
| Claim, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $50.00 |
| Exception to claim, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $100.00 |
| Order other than a closing order not otherwise provided for, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $20.00 |
| Request not otherwise provided for, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $25.00 |
| Process other than initial process, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $10.00 |
| Deposit a will, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $5.00 |
| Fax or email filing, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $5.00 plus $1.00 per page |
| Copies, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $.50 per page |
| Certification and seal, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $5.00 |
| Exemplified copy, January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $10.00 plus $.50 per page |
The Sullivan County schedule also says personal checks are not accepted. It separately lists the Kingsport Times News at $125.00 for January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, but the schedule does not state whether that publication cost is included in the $438.50 estate line, so confirm the total with the Clerk and Master's office before paying.
Timeline
- Opening application: under Sullivan County local Rule 21, the Clerk and Master may hear applications for letters testamentary and letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 without a specific order of reference.
- Written report: the Clerk and Master makes a written report of the findings and actions.
- Ten-day review window: local Rule 21 allows review by the court on exceptions filed within ten days and a motion for review. If no exceptions are filed within ten days, an order of confirmation is lodged.
- Motion days: chancery motion days are the second and fourth Fridays of each month at Kingsport and the first and third Fridays at Bristol. A Blountville chancery case may be heard on any motion day at either location.
- Longer matters: under the local rules, matters requiring more than thirty minutes are not set or heard on motion days.
- Fees from estate funds: local Rule 19 requires a fiduciary fee form at appointment and generally requires an order approving fiduciary or attorney fees before payment from estate funds.
- Weather at Blountville: for civil matters, local Rule 18 says court is not held at Blountville if Kingsport or Bristol city schools are closed.
Local nuance
Sullivan County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a family |
|---|---|
| Blountville only | The Clerk and Master has offices in Blountville, Kingsport and Bristol, but Private Acts of 1988, ch. 135 and T.C.A. § 16-16-201 put Sullivan County probate jurisdiction in the Chancery Court at Blountville. Take or mail estate papers to Blountville. |
| Older references to a separate probate court | Sullivan County had a separate probate court beginning in 1983, but it was repealed in 1988 and the docket moved to chancery at Blountville. Older paperwork may use older wording, but current estates go to the Chancery Court at Blountville. |
| Counter forms for self-represented people | Local Rule 20 allows the office to provide forms to a self-represented person in estates not exceeding $50,000 net, counting real and personal property, and not in insolvent estates. That local rule is separate from the statewide small estate definition in T.C.A. § 30-4-102. |
| Clerk and Master role | Local Rule 21 lets the Clerk and Master hear applications for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, make a written report, and move toward confirmation if no exceptions are filed within ten days. |
| Published 2026 costs | The county's January 1 through December 31, 2026 schedule lists $438.50 to open an estate and states that its filing fees include litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory clerk's fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. |
| Courthouse security | The court's security notice bars purses, backpacks, totes, bags, food, drinks, cell phones, recording devices, electronic devices and weapons, and says no safekeeping location is provided. |
| Motion-day geography | The estate is filed at Blountville, but chancery motion days are held at Kingsport and Bristol. A Blountville chancery case may be heard on any motion day at either location. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | The statutory clerk's fee for a probate estate became $275 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| January 1 through December 31, 2026 | The Sullivan County Clerk and Master's chancery filing fee schedule lists $438.50 to open an estate and states that the published filing fees include litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Sullivan County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from jointly owned property. If an estate must be opened, submit the petition and any original will to the Sullivan County Clerk and Master at Blountville. If spousal allowances, homestead or elective-share issues arise, local Rule 21 lets the Clerk and Master hear those matters subject to court review. | Sunset helps organize asset information, locate accounts, and prepare the family for a focused estate settlement conversation with the Blountville office or a probate attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Use the Sullivan County Clerk and Master's forms page for the Petition and Order for Small Estate with Limited Letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, but mail or deliver papers to Blountville. The office does not publish an e-filing system, and the 2026 fee schedule prices fax or email filing without explaining what may be sent that way. | Sunset helps find accounts before you mail papers, generate a probate packet, and identify when a local attorney should handle the Blountville filing. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually needs full probate administration rather than relying on a personal-property small estate route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. File the opening papers at Blountville, then expect any real-property sale request to be handled through the Chancery Court and the Clerk and Master. | Sunset helps build the asset list, track debts, prepare estate settlement documents, and connect the family with a Sullivan County probate attorney when a house sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County Clerk and Master, Blountville office | The filing office for Sullivan County estates. It publishes probate forms, the 2026 fee schedule, local rules, a public records policy and a courthouse security notice. Court personnel are forbidden from interpreting procedural rules or giving legal advice. | 140 Blountville Bypass, Room 201, Blountville, TN 37617; mail to P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617; (423) 323-6483; https://www.sullivantnchancery.com/ |
| Sullivan County probate forms page | Local forms for opening and administering an estate, including the oath, notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, fee forms, receipt form, TennCare affidavit under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, and the Petition and Order for Small Estate with Limited Letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. | https://www.sullivantnchancery.com/forms/ |
| Sullivan County chancery filing fee schedule | The January 1 through December 31, 2026 schedule lists probate court costs, states that filing fees include litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and says personal checks are not accepted. | https://sullivantnchancery.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/CHANCERY-FILING-FEES-2026-with-and-without-officers-cost.pdf |
| Rules of Local Practice in the Circuit and Chancery Courts for Sullivan County | Local rules effective September 1, 2019. Rule 20 addresses probate forms for self-represented people, Rule 21 addresses Clerk and Master proceedings, Rule 19 addresses fiduciary and attorney fees, Rule 3 addresses motion days, and Rule 14.10 addresses courthouse electronic-device limits. | https://sullivantnchancery.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Local-Rules-of-Practice-for-the-2nd-Judicial-District-in-the-Circuit-and-Chancery-Courts.pdf |
| Sullivan County online court records system | The county's online lookup offers Circuit Court, General Sessions and Clerk and Master court types. Try it for a chancery matter, then confirm with the Clerk and Master's office whether a particular estate appears. | https://sullivan.tncrtinfo.com/ |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center and clerk directory | The Judiciary's statewide self-help center says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in the county, and the clerk directory lists Sullivan County's Blountville office and phone. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
When to hire an attorney
A Sullivan County probate attorney is especially useful when the estate includes real estate to sell, creditor disputes, an insolvent estate, a disagreement among heirs or beneficiaries, a request for fiduciary or attorney fees, or any matter that must go before the Chancellor rather than being handled at the Clerk and Master's counter. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property so the Sullivan County estate settlement starts with a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into organized probate documents and next-step guidance for the Sullivan County Clerk and Master's Blountville office.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Sullivan County estate involves real estate, disputes, creditor issues or court approval, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand the local filing path, and move forward without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Sullivan County?
Submit Sullivan County estate papers to the Sullivan County Clerk and Master at Blountville, 140 Blountville Bypass, Room 201, Blountville, TN 37617, or mail them to P.O. Box 327, Blountville, TN 37617. Tennessee venue is tied to the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Private Acts of 1988, ch. 135, together with T.C.A. § 16-16-201, puts Sullivan County probate jurisdiction in the Chancery Court at Blountville.
Can I open a Sullivan County estate at the Kingsport or Bristol office?
No. The Clerk and Master has offices in Kingsport and Bristol, but Sullivan County estates go to Blountville. The local private act gives the Chancery Court at Blountville exclusive jurisdiction over probate matters in Sullivan County, with T.C.A. § 16-16-201 as the statewide chancery framework.
Does Sullivan County still have a separate probate court?
No. Sullivan County had a separate probate court beginning in 1983, but it was repealed in 1988 and the probate docket moved to the Chancery Court at Blountville. Current estate filings go through the Sullivan County Clerk and Master at Blountville.
How much does probate cost in Sullivan County in 2026?
The statutory clerk's fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Sullivan County's January 1 through December 31, 2026 schedule lists $438.50 to open an estate, states that filing fees include litigation tax under § 8-21-401, and says personal checks are not accepted.
Does Sullivan County have local probate forms?
Yes. The Sullivan County Clerk and Master publishes probate forms on its website, including an oath, notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, waiver of bond, inventory and accountings under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, TennCare affidavit under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, receipt form, verified claim, fee statement, fee consent forms, and a Petition and Order for Small Estate with Limited Letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Can I e-file a Sullivan County probate case?
The Sullivan County Clerk and Master does not publish an e-filing system on its website, and Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system. Sullivan County's 2026 schedule prices fax or email filing at $5.00 plus $1.00 per page for January 1 through December 31, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, but the court does not publish what may be sent that way. Call (423) 323-6483 before sending anything.
Can I look up a Sullivan County estate online?
Sullivan County publishes an online court records search at https://sullivan.tncrtinfo.com/, and its search offers a Clerk and Master court type. Whether a particular estate appears there should be confirmed with the Clerk and Master's office.
Do I have to see a judge to open an uncontested Sullivan County estate?
Usually the opening application starts with the Clerk and Master. Under local Rule 21, the Clerk and Master hears applications for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 without a specific order of reference, makes a written report, and the report may be reviewed by the court if exceptions are filed within ten days.
Can I appear by phone or video in Sullivan County probate?
The Sullivan County Chancery Court does not publish a remote-appearance policy on its website or in its local rules. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, is the Rule 55 standard and says teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology for court proceedings is permissible at the trial court's discretion, so ask the Clerk and Master's office how the court wants a specific matter handled.
What should I know before going to the Blountville courthouse?
The court's security notice bars purses, backpacks, totes, bags, food, drinks, cell phones, recording devices, electronic devices and weapons. It also says prohibited items must be returned to the owner's vehicle or discarded and that no safekeeping location is provided.
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.