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Moore County, TX Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Two courts share original probate jurisdiction concurrently: the County Court at Law of Moore County (Judge Jerod Pingelton) and the Moore County Court, the constitutional county court (Judge Rowdy Rhoades), under Estates Code Section 32.002(b) and Government Code Section 25.0003(d). Moore County has one statutory county court (Government Code Section 25.1731), which is a county court at law, not a statutory probate court, so "Probate Court" is not this county's court name. Moore County's own Administrative Order 2024-1 on small estate affidavits is captioned in the County Court of Moore County, Texas, and signed by Judge Rhoades (verified August 2026) |
| Filing office | The Moore County Clerk, Brenda McKanna. The clerk is the clerk of both the county court and the county court at law for probate purposes; the District Clerk serves the district courts and does not open estates |
| Courthouse | Moore County Courthouse, 715 S. Dumas Ave., Dumas, TX 79029. County Clerk in Room 107; County Judge in Room 202; County Court at Law Judge in Room 206 |
| Mailing address | None published separately; correspondence goes to 715 S. Dumas Ave., Dumas, TX 79029, to the relevant room number |
| Phone | 806-935-2009 (or 806-935-6164) for the Moore County Clerk; 806-935-5588 for County Judge Rowdy Rhoades; 806-935-2440 for County Court at Law Judge Jerod Pingelton and Court Coordinator Patsy Ortega |
| Fax | 806-935-9004 (County Clerk); 806-935-5102 (County Court at Law); 806-935-5697 (County Judge) |
| Office hours | Not published on the county's site for the County Clerk. Call ahead to confirm |
| Filing fee | Moore County's own dated schedule, "Probate Fees Effective January 1, 2026," prices an original probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship filing at a total base fee of $360.00 (matching the statewide statutory base: a $223 local consolidated fee under Local Government Code Section 135.102(a)(1) plus a $137 state consolidated fee under Section 133.151(a)(1)), then adds $8.00 for issuance of citation, $100.00 for the sheriff's fee for posting, and $2.00 for the judge's signature on each order, for a published total of $470.00 to open a probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship case. A later contested or adverse action within an existing case is $120.00 total (Local Government Code Sections 135.102(a)(2) and 133.151(a)(2)) |
| Local forms | Moore County requires its OWN Small Estate Affidavit form under Administrative Order 2024-1: "the Moore County Probate Court will not approve any Small Estate Affidavit filed after August 30, 2024 unless it uses the approved form posted on the Court's website." No other local probate forms are published |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys, with the county's own carve-out for self-represented filers. The Moore County Clerk's page states verbatim: "Moore County Clerk's Office is MANDATORY e-filing for all Civil/Probate cases, except for those not represented by an attorney, beginning January 1, 2016." Filing is through eFileTexas.gov |
| Case search | None found for probate. Moore County publishes no online probate case search on its own site. Documents e-filed in a Moore County case may be reachable through the statewide re:SearchTX portal, which charges for documents and states it provides an unofficial copy |
| Remote appearance | Not published for probate matters. The County Court at Law posts remote-hearing orders, but they cover juvenile proceedings. Confirm with the relevant court |
| Website | https://www.co.moore.tx.us/page/moore.County.Clerk (Moore County Clerk), https://www.co.moore.tx.us/page/moore.County.Court (County Court at Law), and https://www.co.moore.tx.us/page/moore.County.Judge (County Judge) |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Dumas, know what is actually in the estate and what it owes. Whether a Texas estate needs a court proceeding at all, and which route fits, depends on whether there is a will, who the distributees are, what the assets are worth, and whether there are unpaid debts. Those routes are set by state statute and are the same in all 254 Texas counties; they are explained on the Texas state page. Getting the answer right matters in Moore County specifically for the small estate affidavit route, because the county's own administrative order will reject an affidavit that does not use the court's required form.
Identify every bank and credit union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of Moore County or out-of-county real property, along with every debt, before applying. How each asset is titled decides whether it passes through the estate at all: survivorship accounts, accounts with a named beneficiary, and land covered by a recorded transfer on death deed pass outside the estate and never reach either Moore County court. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for exactly this step, so the application filed with the Moore County Clerk describes the estate accurately the first time, and so a small estate affidavit lists every asset the court's own form requires.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Moore County Courthouse in Dumas, the county seat, is the single probate filing location for the whole county. There is no branch counter for estates: the County Clerk takes filings in Room 107 of the courthouse, and the case is heard by whichever of the two courts it is docketed to. The court serves every community in the county, including Dumas, Sunray, and Cactus.
Venue is straightforward for a Moore County resident: you file in the county where the decedent resided, if the decedent had a domicile or fixed place of residence in Texas (Estates Code Section 33.001(a)(1)). For a decedent with no Texas domicile or fixed residence, venue depends on where the death happened and where the estate or the nearest of kin are (Section 33.001(a)(2)).
Moore County has one statutory county court, the County Court at Law of Moore County (Government Code Section 25.1731), which sits in Dumas. Because Moore County has no statutory probate court, the county court at law and the Moore County Court have CONCURRENT original probate jurisdiction under Estates Code Section 32.002(b); neither court replaces the other. Government Code Section 25.1732, which sets out the county court at law's own provisions, adds nothing that narrows its probate jurisdiction; it covers a family-law grant, a special-judge rule, and staffing provisions, and its clerkship provision assigns the District Clerk to the county court at law only in the concurrent family-law matters the section describes, so probate filings stay with the Moore County Clerk. In practice, Moore County's own administrative order on small estate affidavits is captioned in the constitutional county court and signed by County Judge Rowdy Rhoades, which is the clearest local evidence of how the county actually runs uncontested probate matters.
If a matter in the proceeding becomes contested, the mechanism is Estates Code Section 32.004, not Section 32.003: the judge of the county court may, on the judge's own motion, or shall, on the motion of any party, transfer the contested matter to the county court at law, and may transfer the entire proceeding there as well.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm the route and gather the documents. Collect the original signed will if there is one, a certified copy of the death certificate, the names and addresses of the people who inherit, and a list of assets and debts with values. A person named in a will to settle the estate is an executor; a person appointed by the court where there is no will, or where no named executor qualifies, is an administrator; the Texas Estates Code's umbrella term for either is personal representative.
- If the route is a small estate affidavit, use Moore County's OWN required form. Administrative Order 2024-1 states that the court "will not approve any Small Estate Affidavit filed after August 30, 2024 unless it uses the approved form posted on the Court's website," and that all distributees must sign it and it must be posted with the County Clerk. For every other route, Texas has no comprehensive statewide set of probate procedure forms, so the application, proof of death and other facts, proposed order, oath, and inventory are drafted documents.
- File with the Moore County Clerk in Room 107 of the courthouse, or e-file through eFileTexas.gov. The Clerk's own notice states plainly: "Moore County Clerk's Office is MANDATORY e-filing for all Civil/Probate cases, except for those not represented by an attorney, beginning January 1, 2016."
- Deliver the original will to the County Clerk within three business days if you e-filed the application. This is a statewide rule with no electronic substitute (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f)(12)).
- Pay the filing fee. Moore County's own dated schedule prices opening a probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship case at $470.00 total: the $360.00 statutory base (Local Government Code Sections 135.102(a)(1) and 133.151(a)(1)), plus $8.00 for issuance of citation, $100.00 for the sheriff's posting fee, and $2.00 for the judge's signature on the order. A filer who cannot afford the cost files a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145).
- Have the citation posted by the sheriff, and let the assigned court set the hearing. Moore County publishes no self-scheduling portal or filing-to-hearing window for probate; call the County Clerk to ask which court the case was docketed to and when a hearing can be set.
- Collect the letters. On an admitted will the court grants Letters Testamentary to a qualifying executor (Estates Code Section 306.001); where there is no will, or no named executor qualifies, it grants Letters of Administration (Section 306.002). Each set costs $2.00 (Local Government Code Section 118.061).
- Administer the estate and file what the statute requires. Notice to beneficiaries (Section 308.002), published notice to creditors within one month of receiving letters (Section 308.051), notice to secured creditors within two months (Section 308.053), and the inventory, filed before the 91st day after the personal representative qualifies unless the court grants longer (Section 309.051(a)), apply the same way in every Texas county. A timely inventory carries no filing fee; Moore County's own fee schedule prices the inventory fee at $27.00, but only if it is filed after the 90th day following qualification (Local Government Code Section 118.056(d)). Where the estate runs as an independent administration (Estates Code chapters 401 to 405), the court's involvement afterward is deliberately minimal.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Moore County
Moore County is unusual for its size in requiring its OWN Small Estate Affidavit form. Administrative Order 2024-1, signed by County Judge Rowdy Rhoades, states: "The Court finds that over half of the Small Estate Affidavits filed in Moore County do not provide all of the information the Code and the Court require ... It is therefore ORDERED that the Moore County Probate Court will not approve any Small Estate Affidavit filed after August 30, 2024 unless it uses the approved form posted on the Court's website ... All Small Estate Affidavits shall be required to posting notice with the County Clerk. All Distributees must sign the Small Estate Affidavit to be approved." The county's own form runs eight pages and closely tracks Estates Code chapter 205's required content, family-history sections, and the statutory liability warning under Section 205.007(c).
For every other route, Texas has no comprehensive statewide set of probate procedure forms: the Texas Judicial Branch forms page carries only will forms, a transfer on death deed kit, and civil forms in this area, and the Supreme Court of Texas has not promulgated a muniment of title form under Government Code Section 22.020(b)(1) (Estates Code chapter 257). The application to probate a will, proof of death and other facts, order, oath, and inventory in a Moore County estate other than a small estate affidavit are drafted documents.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Moore County's Required Small Estate Affidavit form (co.moore.tx.us) | Moore County's own mandatory form for a Chapter 205 small estate affidavit, required by Administrative Order 2024-1 for any affidavit filed after August 30, 2024. Updated for 9/1/2017 |
| Probate Fees Effective January 1, 2026 (co.moore.tx.us) | Moore County's own itemized, dated fee schedule for original probate and guardianship filings |
| Additional Fees Probate/GDSHP January 1, 2026 (co.moore.tx.us) | Moore County's own itemized schedule for inventory, claims, accountings, sale applications, and miscellaneous clerk fees, including the late-only inventory fee |
| Texas Judicial Branch court forms (txcourts.gov) | The statewide forms that do exist, including the Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs required by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145 |
Fees
Moore County publishes a genuinely detailed, dated fee schedule, which is rare at this county size. "PROBATE FEES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026" itemizes the base fee down to each fund it is allocated to, then adds the county's own service charges.
| Item | Amount | Authority or source |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory base fee (opening any probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship case) | $360.00 | The statewide statutory base, itemized line by line on Moore County's own schedule across twelve local fund lines ($223 total, Local Government Code Section 135.102(a)(1)) plus a $137 state consolidated fee (Section 133.151(a)(1)) |
| Issuance of citation (posting) | $8.00 | Moore County's own schedule, matching the statutory issuing-document fee (Local Government Code Section 118.059) |
| Sheriff's fee for posting | $100.00 | Moore County's own schedule. Sheriff and constable posting fees are set by the commissioners court, capped at what is necessary to pay the expense of the service (Local Government Code Section 118.131) |
| Judge signing order (each order signed) | $2.00 | Moore County's own schedule |
| Total to open a probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship case | $470.00 | Moore County's own arithmetic: $360.00 plus $8.00 plus $100.00 plus $2.00 |
| Inventory, appraisement, and list of claims | $27.00, LATE FILINGS ONLY | Moore County's own schedule labels this "after 90th day after Qualification." Local Government Code Section 118.056(d): this fee applies only if the inventory is filed after the 90th day following qualification (or after any extension the court grants); a timely inventory carries no clerk fee for this item |
| Guardianship, additional (posting, personal service on the ward) | $578.00 total per Moore County's own schedule | Includes an additional $100.00 sheriff's fee for personal service on the ward (Local Government Code Sections 118.131 and 118.052(3)(F)) |
| Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration | $2.00 each | The statutory per-document fee (Local Government Code Section 118.061) |
| Later contested or adverse action within an existing case | $120.00 | $75 under Local Government Code Section 135.102(a)(2) plus $45 under Section 133.151(a)(2) |
| If you cannot afford the fee | No cost | File a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs, the statewide form required by Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145 |
One caution: Moore County's own fee schedule cites the base fee's underlying sections with minor stylistic variations (for example "LCC 135.151(a)(1)" for the state consolidated fee); the current codified citation is Local Government Code Section 133.151(a)(1). The dollar amounts on the county's schedule are what is reproduced here.
Recent updates
| Change | What it means in Moore County |
|---|---|
| Small Estate Affidavit administrative order, effective August 30, 2024 | Administrative Order 2024-1 requires every Moore County Small Estate Affidavit filed after that date to use the court's own approved form, signed by all distributees and posted with the County Clerk |
| Probate and additional fee schedules updated, effective January 1, 2026 | Moore County republished its itemized probate and guardianship fee schedules, confirming the $360.00 statutory base and adding the county's own service charges |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Moore County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Dumas-area home was held with a right of survivorship or passed under a recorded transfer on death deed, it goes to the survivor outside the estate. Where other assets stood in the decedent's sole name and the estate qualifies, the surviving spouse may use Moore County's own required Small Estate Affidavit form (Administrative Order 2024-1); otherwise the spouse applies in either the County Court at Law or the Moore County Court, files with the County Clerk in Room 107 or e-files through eFileTexas.gov, and budgets $470.00 for the county's own itemized probate opening cost. | Asset discovery to establish how the home and accounts are titled and whether the estate qualifies for the small estate affidavit route. Packet generation using Moore County's own required form. A vetted attorney referral if title or a claim turns out to be disputed. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | Much of this can be done from out of state. Moore County's e-filing notice is unusually clear about the pro se carve-out: "MANDATORY e-filing for all Civil/Probate cases, except for those not represented by an attorney." If the estate is intestate and under the statutory threshold, Moore County requires its own Small Estate Affidavit form, signed by all distributees, filed with the County Clerk. If a fuller administration is needed, the original will (if any) must still reach the County Clerk within three business days of an e-filed application (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f)(12)). | Asset discovery to size the estate from out of state and confirm which route fits, including whether Moore County's own small estate affidavit form is the right tool. Packet generation so the filing is accepted the first time. Attorney referral where distance or a dispute makes local counsel the practical answer. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling real property means someone needs the authority document, so this goes through an administration in whichever of Moore County's two courts the case is docketed to. The parent applies, the County Clerk dockets the case, the sheriff posts citation (part of the $470.00 the county's own schedule prices), and the court appoints the personal representative and grants Letters of Administration (Estates Code Section 306.002), or Letters Testamentary if there is a will (Section 306.001). The inventory follows, filed with the County Clerk before the 91st day after qualification at no fee if timely (Section 309.051(a); Local Government Code Section 118.056(d)). | Asset discovery for the child's accounts, insurance, and real property. Packet generation for the administration and the inventory. Attorney referral where a sale, a mortgage payoff, or a disagreement among heirs makes counsel worthwhile, which matters more here because a contested matter can be transferred to the County Court at Law of Moore County (Estates Code Section 32.004). |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Moore County Clerk (co.moore.tx.us), 806-935-2009 | The filing office for estates in Moore County: Room 107 of the courthouse, the county's fee schedules, and the mandatory Small Estate Affidavit form. Clerk staff can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice |
| County Court at Law of Moore County (co.moore.tx.us), 806-935-2440 | Judge Jerod Pingelton and Court Coordinator Patsy Ortega, Room 206 of the courthouse |
| Moore County Judge (co.moore.tx.us), 806-935-5588 | Judge Rowdy Rhoades, Room 202 of the courthouse, who signed the county's small estate affidavit administrative order |
| eFileTexas.gov | Registration for the statewide electronic filing system and the list of certified electronic filing service providers |
| re:SearchTX (research.txcourts.gov) | The statewide court records portal. Free registration is required, documents are charged for, and the portal states it provides an unofficial copy |
| Texas State Law Library probate research guide (guides.sll.texas.gov), (844) 829-2843 toll free in Texas | The strongest government self-help source for Texas probate: general information, probating a will, executors, formal administration, informal methods, and legal forms |
| TexasLawHelp.org, wills, estate planning and probate (texaslawhelp.org) | Plain-language Texas probate articles and self-help toolkits from the Texas Legal Services Center, a non-profit |
| Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Amarillo office (legalaidtx.org), (806) 373-6808; Legal Aid Line 1-888-529-5277 | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents. Moore County's own self-help notice lists the organization's Dallas office, but the Amarillo office is the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas location whose published service area covers Moore County; confirm it can take a decedent's estate matter before relying on it |
| State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service (texasbar.com), (800) 252-9690 | Referrals to Texas attorneys, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. The initial consultation is capped at $20 for 30 minutes |
| Texas law libraries directory (guides.sll.texas.gov) | The Texas State Law Library's curated directory of law libraries in Texas, organized by region |
| Texas Estates Code (statutes.capitol.texas.gov) | The statute itself, including the court structure provisions in chapter 32, small estate affidavits in chapter 205, and the inventory in chapter 309 |
When to hire an attorney
Many uncontested Moore County estates, especially straightforward small estate affidavits using the county's own required form, are handled without a lawyer. Counsel earns its keep when a will or an appointment is likely to be challenged, when there is no will and the heirs have to be determined, when real property has to be sold or divided, when the estate is insolvent or a creditor is pressing, or when the estate exceeds the small estate affidavit threshold and needs a full administration. Because Moore County requires its own Small Estate Affidavit form and has rejected affidavits that skip required information, careful preparation matters even on the simplest route. If a matter becomes contested, the county court may transfer it to the County Court at Law of Moore County (Estates Code Section 32.004), a step that can change which judge and which procedures apply. County Clerk staff can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects families to a vetted Texas probate attorney serving Moore County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Moore County real property, and unclaimed property, so you know what the estate holds during estate settlement and whether it qualifies for Moore County's small estate affidavit route.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the paperwork for your route, including Moore County's own required Small Estate Affidavit form where it applies, ready to file with the Moore County Clerk or e-file through eFileTexas.gov.
Find a local probate attorney. When a matter is contested or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Texas probate attorney serving Moore County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Moore County?
With the Moore County Clerk, Room 107 of the Moore County Courthouse, 715 S. Dumas Ave., Dumas, TX 79029. The case is heard concurrently by the County Court at Law of Moore County and the Moore County Court, the constitutional county court (Estates Code Section 32.002(b); Government Code Section 25.0003(d)). File in Moore County if the decedent lived here and had a domicile or fixed place of residence in Texas (Estates Code Section 33.001(a)(1)).
Is e-filing required for probate in Moore County?
For attorneys, yes. The Moore County Clerk's own notice states: "Moore County Clerk's Office is MANDATORY e-filing for all Civil/Probate cases, except for those not represented by an attorney, beginning January 1, 2016." Filing is through eFileTexas.gov. An unrepresented party may e-file but is not required to.
Does Moore County require its own small estate affidavit form?
Yes. Administrative Order 2024-1, signed by County Judge Rowdy Rhoades, states that the court "will not approve any Small Estate Affidavit filed after August 30, 2024 unless it uses the approved form posted on the Court's website," and that all distributees must sign it and it must be posted with the County Clerk. Using an outside or generic small estate affidavit form risks rejection.
How much does it cost to file probate in Moore County?
Moore County's own dated fee schedule prices opening a probate, muniment of title, administration, or heirship case at $470.00 total: the $360.00 statutory base (Local Government Code Sections 135.102(a)(1) and 133.151(a)(1)), plus $8.00 for issuance of citation, $100.00 for the sheriff's posting fee, and $2.00 for the judge's signature. A later contested or adverse action is $120.00. A timely inventory carries no fee; a late inventory (after the 90th day following qualification) costs $27.00 (Local Government Code Section 118.056(d)). A filer who cannot afford the cost files a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145).
Are there local probate forms in Moore County?
Yes, one: Moore County requires its own Small Estate Affidavit form under Administrative Order 2024-1. For every other route, Texas has no comprehensive statewide set of probate procedure forms, so the application, order, oath, and inventory are drafted documents.
How do I look up a Moore County probate case online?
Moore County publishes no online probate case search on its own site. Documents e-filed in the case may be reachable through the statewide re:SearchTX portal, which requires free registration, charges for documents, and states it provides an unofficial copy with the clerk of the court as the official custodian. Coverage is set county by county, so confirm with the Moore County Clerk.
What happens if someone contests a will in Moore County?
Because Moore County has a county court at law with probate jurisdiction, the mechanism is Estates Code Section 32.004: the judge of the county court may, on the judge's own motion, or shall, on the motion of any party, transfer the contested matter to the County Court at Law of Moore County, and may transfer the entire proceeding there as well.
Do I have to travel to Dumas to settle an estate in Moore County?
Attorneys must e-file through eFileTexas.gov, and an unrepresented party may e-file too. Two things still require a physical connection to Dumas: the original will must reach the County Clerk within three business days of an e-filed application (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21(f)(12)), and Moore County publishes no remote appearance policy for probate matters, so plan on a trip to the courthouse for any hearing.
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.