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Tipton County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Tipton County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Tipton County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Tipton County Clerk & Master |
| Courthouse address | 1801 South College Street, Room 110, Tipton County Justice Center, Covington, TN 38019 |
| Mailing | The Chancery Court page does not publish a separate mailing address. Use the courthouse address and call before mailing original wills or checks. |
| Phone | (901) 476-0209 |
| Fax | (901) 476-0246 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Probate estate fee | The statutory clerk fee 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. The statutory fee rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. |
| Local probate forms | Tipton County's Chancery Court page and Courts index do not publish a distinct local probate petition, packet, or checklist. |
| E-filing status | No Tipton County Chancery Court probate e-filing portal is published. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court e-filing system. |
| Case lookup | The county site links Circuit Court and General Sessions Court records to TN Public Court Records Web Inquiry, but does not publish an equivalent Chancery probate lookup. Ask the Clerk & Master whether a specific estate file can be checked online. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing and video conferencing to the trial court's discretion. Tipton County does not publish a probate-specific remote practice. |
| Website | https://tiptonco.com/government/courts/chancery/index.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you prepare a probate petition in Tipton County, make a working list of the person's accounts, vehicles, real estate, debts, beneficiaries, and any will. That list determines whether the estate settlement needs ordinary administration, a limited-letter path under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, or a different Tennessee procedure.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts before they spend time and money at the Covington courthouse. A clearer asset picture also helps you ask the Tipton County Clerk & Master better questions about forms, costs, and whether a court appearance may be needed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Tipton County Chancery Court in Covington serves probate filings for estates tied to Tipton County. Tennessee sends the matter to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In Tipton County, the ordinary chancery rule applies under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and the local filing office is the Tipton County Clerk & Master.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the Tennessee path before you prepare paperwork. If the estate is uncontested, common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 may be available; if all interested people must receive notice or there is a dispute, solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 may be required. If the estate may qualify for a small estate limited-letter process, use T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Tennessee calls the personal representative's authority document letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). Tipton County does not publish a local probate packet online, so call the Clerk & Master before relying on a form from another county.
- Take or mail the papers to the Tipton County Clerk & Master at 1801 South College Street, Room 110, Covington, TN 38019. Call first if you plan to mail an original will or need a current cost total.
- Pay the required costs. The statutory clerk fee for a probate estate is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
- Address notice requirements. For ordinary administration, the clerk gives notice to creditors within thirty days after letters issue, and the personal representative must send actual notice to known or reasonably ascertainable creditors as required by T.C.A. § 30-2-306. Solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons.
- Ask the Clerk & Master how Tipton County schedules any needed hearing. Tipton County does not publish fixed probate motion days, terms of court, or docket-sounding dates online.
- If you need to participate from outside Covington, ask the court how it applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, makes remote technology permissible at the trial court's discretion but does not create a statewide default.
- After the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, administer the estate. That can include collecting assets, handling claims, giving required notices, filing any required inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, and returning to the court for settlement and closing.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Tipton County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set; its self-help center directs estate and probate readers to the clerk in their own county. In Tipton County, the Chancery Court page and the county Courts index do not publish a distinct local probate petition, packet, or checklist.
For Tipton County, call the Clerk & Master before filing to ask what format the office wants for a petition, an original will, proposed orders, bonds, notices, and any small estate limited-letter request under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Do not assume a form from another Tennessee county will match Tipton County practice.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Tipton County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating nonprobate property from probate property, then call the Tipton County Clerk & Master if a will, bank account, vehicle, or individually owned asset needs letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps identify accounts and property so the spouse does not open a broader estate settlement than the assets require. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the assets fit Tennessee's limited-letter process, the petition is still filed with the Tipton County Chancery Court because the small estate court is the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county of residence at death under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and § 30-4-102. | Sunset helps collect account information, organize the asset list, and connect the child with a local attorney if travel to Covington or signature logistics become difficult. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires ordinary estate authority. The parent should ask the Tipton County Clerk & Master about a petition for letters of administration or letters testamentary under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 and any court approval needed before sale. | Sunset helps build the estate settlement checklist, find financial accounts, and coordinate next steps before the parent spends time at the Justice Center. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Tipton County Clerk & Master | The local filing office for Tipton County Chancery Court probate matters. The office can provide filing logistics, hours, address information, and current cost instructions, but court staff cannot give legal advice. | 1801 South College Street, Room 110, Covington, TN 38019. Phone: (901) 476-0209. |
| Tennessee Judiciary self-help center | The statewide self-help page says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk & Master in the county. It also states that court-system employees may not give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee court clerks list | The statewide clerk directory can help families confirm the correct county court office before starting an estate settlement. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
| West Tennessee Legal Services | Serves Tipton County and offers free services by appointment. Its published practice areas do not specifically name probate or estate administration, so ask directly whether your issue is within scope. | Toll free: 800-372-8346. Main office: 731-423-0616. Website: https://www.wtls.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider getting legal help if there is a dispute over the will, heirs disagree, a home must be sold, creditors are active, the estate may need solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, or you live outside Tennessee and need someone to handle filings in Covington. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate financial accounts, organize property information, and build a clearer picture of what belongs in the probate estate before papers are prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into a structured estate settlement packet you can review with the Tipton County Clerk & Master or a Tennessee probate attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. If your Tipton County matter needs legal judgment, court appearances, a real estate sale, or contested probate, Sunset can connect you with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps, and decide when local legal help makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Tipton County?
Tipton County probate filings go through the Tipton County Chancery Court in Covington. The local filing office is the Tipton County Clerk & Master at 1801 South College Street, Room 110, Covington, TN 38019. Tennessee places probate jurisdiction in chancery where not otherwise changed by law, and Tipton County follows that structure under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Does Tipton County publish probate forms online?
The Tipton County Chancery Court page and county Courts index do not publish a distinct probate petition, packet, or checklist. Call the Clerk & Master before using a form from another county, especially for a small estate limited-letter request under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
What does it cost to open a probate estate in Tipton County?
The statewide statutory clerk fee 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. The statutory fee rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Tipton County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local total for opening or closing an estate.
Can I look up a Tipton County probate case online?
The county site links Circuit Court and General Sessions Court records to TN Public Court Records Web Inquiry, but it does not publish an equivalent Chancery probate lookup. A Tipton-branded portal page may load, but that alone does not show that Chancery probate files are included. Call the Clerk & Master for the safest way to check a specific estate file.
Does Tipton County Chancery Court publish an e-filing portal for probate?
No Tipton County Chancery Court probate e-filing portal is published on the county pages. Tennessee also does not have a statewide trial-court e-filing system, so ask the Clerk & Master how the office wants original petitions, wills, and proposed orders delivered.
Can I handle a Tipton County probate matter without traveling to Covington?
Maybe, but do not assume it. Some steps may be handled by mail or through counsel, while original documents and hearings may require special handling. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, allows remote technology at the trial court's discretion, but Tipton County does not publish a probate-specific remote appearance practice.
When will a Tipton County probate hearing be scheduled?
Tipton County does not publish fixed probate motion days, terms of court, docket-sounding dates, or filing-to-hearing timelines on the Chancery Court page. After you submit papers, ask the Clerk & Master how the court sets any needed hearing.
What authority document will I receive in Tipton County?
Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). In a qualifying small estate, the clerk issues limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. In Tipton County, those papers come through the Clerk & Master for the Chancery Court.
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.