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City of Alexandria, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | City of Alexandria detail |
|---|---|
| Court and clerk | Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office, Wills and Fiduciary Division. Virginia estates are opened with the Clerk of the Circuit Court, not with a separate court. |
| Courthouse address | 520 King Street, Room 307, Alexandria, VA 22314. |
| Mailing address | Clerk of the Circuit Court, 520 King Street, Room 307, Alexandria, VA 22314. |
| Probate contact | Probate appointments are requested by email at [email protected]. The clerk's published main number is (703) 746-4044. |
| Fax | No fax number is published by the clerk or the Virginia Judiciary page. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. Weather closures follow the City of Alexandria government, not the school system. |
| Appointment policy | All probate related matters are by appointment. The clerk asks you to email your contact information, the decedent's full name and last residence, whether there was a will, scans of the death certificate and will if available, and a brief description of assets or matters to resolve. |
| Remote option | The clerk's probate page states that appointments may be in person or by remote video. Raise that preference in the intake email. |
| Probate tax and local probate tax | Virginia probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with estates of $15,000 or less exempt (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). A city may add a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax (Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718, 58.1-3805), so ask the clerk what total to bring when the appointment is set. |
| Local forms | The clerk publishes no local probate packet or local probate form. Probate uses the statewide Virginia circuit court forms, plus the clerk's email intake process. |
| Electronic filing | The clerk publishes electronic filing routes for civil and criminal case filings, including an Alexandria eFile Portal for non-attorneys. The clerk's published probate route is the appointment process, not electronic submission. |
| Records access | No free public portal shows a City of Alexandria estate file. Recorded wills and fiduciary records may be read in person at Room 307 or through the clerk's COVERS subscription service. |
| Commissioner of accounts | The commissioner of accounts for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit is a separate office in the same courthouse at 520 King Street, Room 306, Alexandria, VA 22314, phone (703) 746-4031. |
| Website | https://www.alexandriava.gov/courts/clerk-of-the-circuit-court-wills-fiduciary |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you email the Alexandria clerk, make a first pass at the assets and debts. The clerk specifically asks for a brief description of assets or matters that need to be resolved in the decedent's name, and the clerk defines probate assets as assets solely in the decedent's name with no beneficiary designation and no payable-on-death or transfer-on-death clause. That asset list is the starting point for estate settlement.
Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts, insurance, investments and other assets before the clerk appointment. A clearer asset picture helps you decide whether the City of Alexandria appointment is needed, whether a statewide small-asset route may apply, and what questions to include in the probate intake email.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The City of Alexandria is an independent city and is not part of any county. The City of Alexandria alone constitutes the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Va. Code § 17.1-506), so probate for a city resident is handled at the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office at 520 King Street, Room 307, in Alexandria.
The clerk's West End branch at 4850 Mark Center Drive offers a published subset of clerk services on Tuesdays and Fridays, including certified copies of circuit court records. The probate appointment itself is arranged through the probate intake email.
Virginia venue is based on the decedent's known place of residence. A will is offered in the circuit court of the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443). If an Alexandria resident died in a nursing home, convalescent home or similar institution elsewhere, the statute rebuttably presumes the person's legal residence stayed where it was before entering the facility.
This page covers estates for decedents whose proper Virginia venue is the City of Alexandria, including Old Town, Del Ray, Rosemont, Arlandria, Landmark and the West End. A decedent who lived in Fairfax County, Arlington County or the City of Falls Church uses that jurisdiction's clerk, not the Alexandria counter.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the probate assets before emailing the clerk. The Alexandria clerk asks for a brief description of assets or matters to resolve, and its probate page defines probate assets as assets solely in the decedent's name with no beneficiary designation and no payable-on-death or transfer-on-death clause.
- Email [email protected] to request the appointment. Include your name, state of residence, email address and phone number, the decedent's full name and last residence address, whether the decedent had a will, scans of the death certificate and will if available, and the asset description.
- Wait for the clerk's instructions. The clerk states that all probate related matters are handled by appointment and that appointments may be in person or by remote video. Do not send filings by email, because the clerk states that it no longer accepts filings by email.
- Prepare the statewide Virginia circuit court forms the clerk asks for. Common forms include CC-1650, CC-1651, CC-1611, CC-1610 for a nonresident fiduciary, and CC-1625 after qualification. If the personal probate estate fits the statewide small-asset affidavit route, the current $75,000 amount took effect July 1, 2025, and the authority is Va. Code §§ 64.2-600 through 64.2-605.
- Attend the appointment at Room 307 or by remote video if the clerk allows it for your matter. In Virginia, you qualify, which means being appointed and sworn in, before the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The clerk or a deputy clerk may admit the will to probate and qualify the personal representative (Va. Code § 64.2-444).
- Pay the charges the clerk calculates at the appointment. Virginia probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with estates of $15,000 or less exempt (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). A city may add a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax (Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718, 58.1-3805), so ask the clerk in the intake email what total to bring.
- Receive the certificate of qualification. The certificate is the authority document used to collect estate assets and work with banks, transfer agents and other institutions (Va. Code § 64.2-506).
- Send the required notice regarding the estate and record the affidavit of notice with the clerk. Virginia requires notice to the persons entitled to it within 30 days after qualification or admission of the will, and the affidavit is recorded in the clerk's office within four months (Va. Code § 64.2-508).
- Work with the commissioner of accounts in Room 306 after qualification. The inventory, CC-1670, goes to the commissioner of accounts within four months after the order conferring authority (Va. Code § 64.2-1300). The first account, CC-1680, goes to the commissioner of accounts within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
- Administer and close the estate. Pay valid debts, keep receipts, watch the clerk's posted courthouse notices for commissioner settlement notices, and use the commissioner of accounts process to settle the final account or statement in lieu when the estate settlement is ready to close.
Executor duties
| Local duty | City of Alexandria practice |
|---|---|
| Use the right room | The clerk is in Room 307. The commissioner of accounts is a separate office in Room 306. The inventory and accounts go to the commissioner of accounts, while the affidavit of notice regarding the estate is recorded with the clerk (Va. Code §§ 64.2-508, 64.2-1300, 64.2-1304). |
| Do not treat email as filing | The probate appointment starts by email, but the clerk states that filings are not accepted by email. Documents for the clerk are filed at the counter, by U.S. Mail or by commercial delivery to Room 307. |
| Ask the commissioner about delivery and fees | The appointing circuit court sets commissioner of accounts fees, and no local fee schedule was located on the clerk's page. Ask the commissioner's office in Room 306 how it wants inventory and account materials delivered and what fee schedule is in effect. |
| Watch posted notices | The clerk posts courthouse notices on its website under Virginia Code § 1-211.1. Those postings include notices of accounts before the commissioner for settlement and individual estate notices. |
| Order certified copies from the clerk | The clerk publishes copy charges of $0.50 per page and $2.00 per certification of a copy. Mailed copy requests go to Room 307 and should include payment and return postage when needed. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in the City of Alexandria
The Alexandria clerk publishes no local probate packet, checklist or local probate form. The local instruction is the intake email: send the information the clerk asks for, then follow the clerk's appointment instructions. The forms themselves are the statewide Virginia circuit court forms.
| Form | Use in the City of Alexandria |
|---|---|
| CC-1650, Probate information form | Information the clerk collects for the probate appointment. |
| CC-1651, Probate tax return | Used when the estate value makes a probate tax return necessary. Virginia probate tax is imposed under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. |
| CC-1610, Consent of nonresident fiduciary for service of process | Used when a personal representative who lives outside Virginia qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). |
| CC-1611, List of heirs | Filed with the clerk at qualification, or when a will is presented and nobody qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-509). |
| CC-1612, List of heirs / real estate affidavit | Recorded with the clerk for the intestate real-estate route (Va. Code § 64.2-510). |
| CC-1625, Certificate / letter of qualification | The authority document issued after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-506). |
| CC-1616 and CC-1617 | Notice regarding estate and affidavit of notice regarding estate, tied to the 30-day notice and four-month affidavit requirements (Va. Code § 64.2-508). |
| CC-1670, Inventory of decedent's estate | Submitted to the commissioner of accounts in Room 306 within four months after the order conferring authority (Va. Code § 64.2-1300). |
| CC-1680, Account for decedent's estate | Submitted to the commissioner of accounts. The first account is due within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304). |
| CC-1681, Statement in lieu of settlement of account | Used when the statutory conditions for closing by statement in lieu are met (Va. Code § 64.2-1314). |
| CC-1685, Small estate affidavit | Presented to the holder of a small asset, not filed with the clerk. The current $75,000 amount took effect July 1, 2025 (Va. Code §§ 64.2-600 through 64.2-605). |
Statewide forms: https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/home
Fees
| Charge or cost | What to know in the City of Alexandria |
|---|---|
| Virginia probate tax | Virginia probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with estates of $15,000 or less exempt (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). |
| Local probate tax | A city may add a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax (Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718, 58.1-3805). Ask the clerk's office what the total will be when you email for the probate appointment. |
| Qualification fee and recording fee | These are set by the statewide schedule in Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3) and (A)(2). The clerk calculates them at the appointment. |
| Copies and certifications | The clerk publishes copy charges of $0.50 per page and $2.00 per certification of a copy. |
| Mailed copy requests | The clerk asks for payment by cash, money order or certified check, sent to Room 307. Include a self-addressed envelope with postage if you need a certified entered order returned. |
| Secure remote access payments | The clerk states that online payments through the Virginia Judicial Online Payment System carry a 4% convenience fee. |
| Records fee waiver | The clerk publishes a records fee waiver up to $25 per request, or per requests on a single matter. |
| West End branch payments | The branch accepts credit card, check or money order and takes no cash. |
| Commissioner of accounts fees | The appointing circuit court sets commissioner of accounts fees. Ask the commissioner's office in Room 306 for the schedule in effect. |
Local nuance
City of Alexandria-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Probate appointments start with an email | All probate related matters are by appointment, and the clerk asks you to start by emailing [email protected] with your information, the decedent's information, scans of the death certificate and will if available, and a brief asset description. |
| In person or by remote video | The clerk states that appointments may be in person or by remote video. Raise the preference in the intake email. |
| The commissioner is one room away | The commissioner of accounts is a separate office from the clerk, but in the City of Alexandria it is in the same courthouse at 520 King Street, Room 306, one room from the clerk in Room 307. |
| One city, one circuit | The City of Alexandria alone constitutes the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit (Va. Code § 17.1-506), so one courthouse and one clerk's office serve the jurisdiction. |
| The clerk defines probate assets | The clerk's probate page defines probate assets as assets solely in the decedent's name, without beneficiary designations or payable-on-death or transfer-on-death clauses at the financial institution. Use that definition when writing the intake email. |
| No filings by email | The clerk requests appointments by email but states that it no longer accepts filings by email. Use the counter, U.S. Mail or commercial delivery for clerk filings. |
| Courthouse notices are posted online | The clerk posts notices that would otherwise be posted at the courthouse to its website under Virginia Code § 1-211.1, including commissioner of accounts settlement notices. |
| Wills and fiduciary records in COVERS | The clerk lists wills and fiduciaries in COVERS for 1870 through 1905 and August 11, 1971 to the present. COVERS requires a paid subscription after the first 30 days. |
| West End branch | The clerk has a branch at 4850 Mark Center Drive, Second Floor, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. Probate appointments are still arranged through the intake email. |
| Holiday and weather closures | The clerk is closed on Federal, State, City and Supreme Court holidays. Weather closures follow the City of Alexandria government, not the school system. |
| Motions day if a dispute reaches a judge | The court publishes motions day on the second and fourth Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Qualification before the clerk is not on that motions docket. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed locally |
|---|---|
| Probate appointments | The clerk's probate page states that all probate related matters are handled by appointment, requested by email, and that appointments may be in person or by remote video. |
| Electronic filing and email filings | The clerk accepts electronic filings through the Virginia Judiciary eFiling System and the Alexandria eFile Portal for published civil and criminal case filing routes, and states that filings are no longer accepted by email. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Email [email protected] with the clerk's requested information, including a scan of the death certificate and will if available and a brief description of assets. The clerk's probate-asset definition helps decide whether qualification is needed: a home held with survivorship language and accounts with named beneficiaries often sit outside the probate estate. If qualification is needed, the appointment may be in person at Room 307 or by remote video. Afterward, inventory and account work goes to the commissioner of accounts in Room 306. | Sunset helps identify which accounts and assets are in the decedent's name alone, prepares a probate packet, and helps the spouse decide what to ask in the intake email. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Venue stays with the City of Alexandria if the parent had a known place of residence in the city, even if death occurred in a facility elsewhere (Va. Code § 64.2-443). Raise the remote video option in the intake email before booking travel. A nonresident can serve, signs CC-1610, and should expect a surety discussion unless a Virginia resident qualifies at the same time or the clerk waives surety (Va. Code §§ 64.2-1426, 64.2-1411). If the personal probate estate fits the statewide small-asset affidavit route, the current $75,000 amount took effect July 1, 2025 (Va. Code §§ 64.2-600 through 64.2-605), and nobody may need to qualify, although a will still has to be presented for probate. | Sunset helps check whether the estate appears to fit a small-asset path, gathers institution details, and can connect the child with a Virginia attorney if surety, travel or title questions arise. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Start with the same intake email and say that a house must be sold, because the will's power of sale affects what the appointment needs. The clerk's Land Records Division records Alexandria property documents in the same office. Once qualification is complete, the commissioner of accounts in Room 306 supervises the inventory and accounts and settles the final account. A contested sale or title dispute is what would move the matter to a judge's docket. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize real estate and debt information for estate settlement, generate the probate packet, and connect the parent with a local attorney for sale, title or dispute issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office, Wills and Fiduciary Division | The clerk's own probate page explains the appointment process, the intake email, the information to include, and the clerk's definition of probate assets. | [email protected]. 520 King Street, Room 307, Alexandria, VA 22314. (703) 746-4044. https://www.alexandriava.gov/courts/clerk-of-the-circuit-court-wills-fiduciary |
| Clerk of Circuit Court, City of Alexandria | Hours, filing methods, copy charges, records access, West End branch information, and posted courthouse notices. | (703) 746-4044. https://www.alexandriava.gov/clerkofcourt |
| Commissioner of Accounts, City of Alexandria | Receives and settles inventories and accounts after qualification. It is a separate office from the clerk, in the same courthouse. | 520 King Street, Room 306, Alexandria, VA 22314. (703) 746-4031. https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/resources/coa/home |
| Alexandria Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary page | Judiciary listing for the court, including hours, address, phone, terms of court and motions day. | https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/alexandria/home |
| Virginia circuit court forms | Statewide form set used for probate in the City of Alexandria because the clerk publishes no local probate form packet. | https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/home |
| Virginia Judiciary self-help probate forms | Plain-language index to probate forms and their uses. | https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/page/37/probate-forms |
| Alexandria Health Department, vital records | Issues death certificates. The clerk does not issue them, and the probate intake email asks for a scan of one. | (703) 746-4991. Virginia Office of Vital Records: (804) 662-6200. |
| Legal Services of Northern Virginia, Alexandria office | General civil legal aid for qualifying low-income, elderly and disabled residents. Its published practice areas do not list decedent estate administration, so ask at intake. | 100 N. Pitt Street, Suite 307, Alexandria, VA 22314. Intake: (703) 778-6800. https://lsnv.org/contact-us/alexandria-office/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider counsel when an Alexandria house must be sold or title must be cleared through the estate, when a will is challenged, when creditors are disputed and the commissioner of accounts directs a claim into circuit court, when a nonresident personal representative is asked for surety, or when securities, federal retirement benefits or Old Town real estate make the accounting substantial. Virginia does not require every personal representative to have counsel, but the clerk's staff cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects the family to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, investments and other assets. That is especially useful in the City of Alexandria because the clerk asks for a brief description of assets in the first probate intake email.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into an organized probate packet using the statewide Virginia forms and the local City of Alexandria appointment path.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate includes Alexandria real estate, a nonresident personal representative, creditor disputes or a contested will, Sunset can connect the family with a local attorney who handles Virginia estate settlement.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next steps and prepare for the clerk appointment without paying Sunset for access.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in the City of Alexandria?
Start with the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office at 520 King Street, Room 307, Alexandria, VA 22314. Probate appointments are requested by emailing [email protected].
How do I get a probate appointment with the Alexandria Circuit Court Clerk's Office?
Email [email protected]. Include your name, state of residence, email address and phone number, the decedent's full name and last residence address, whether there was a will, scans of the death certificate and will if available, and a brief description of the assets or matters that need to be resolved.
Can I probate a will in the City of Alexandria by video?
The clerk's probate page states that appointments may be in person or by remote video. Raise that request in the intake email. Do not assume a particular video platform or that every matter will be handled remotely.
What do I need to include in the probate intake email?
The clerk asks for your contact information, the decedent's full name and last residence address, whether there was a will, scans of the death certificate and will if you have them, and a brief description of assets or matters that need to be resolved under the decedent's name.
Does the City of Alexandria charge a local probate tax?
Virginia probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with estates of $15,000 or less exempt (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). A city may add a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax (Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718, 58.1-3805), so ask the clerk's office what total to bring when the appointment is set.
Are there local probate forms in the City of Alexandria?
The clerk publishes no local probate packet, checklist or local probate form. Probate uses the statewide Virginia circuit court forms, and the local step is the clerk's email intake process.
Can I send probate documents through the Alexandria electronic filing systems?
The clerk publishes electronic filing routes for civil and criminal case filings, including the Alexandria eFile Portal for non-attorneys. The clerk's published route for probate is the appointment process, and the clerk states that filings are no longer accepted by email.
Can I view a City of Alexandria estate file through a free public portal?
No free public portal shows a City of Alexandria estate file. Recorded wills and fiduciary records may be read in person at Room 307 or through the clerk's paid COVERS subscription service. The Virginia Judiciary's free online case information covers criminal and traffic cases and civil cases in select circuit courts, and does not include estate or fiduciary records.
Where do I send the inventory and accounts after I qualify in the City of Alexandria?
Send the inventory and accounts to the commissioner of accounts, a separate office in the same courthouse at 520 King Street, Room 306. The inventory is due within four months after the order conferring authority (Va. Code § 64.2-1300), and the first account is due within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
Do I have to travel to Alexandria if I live out of state?
Maybe not. The clerk states that probate appointments may be in person or by remote video, so raise that request in the intake email before booking travel. A nonresident personal representative can serve but must sign the consent to service of process and may need to address surety (Va. Code §§ 64.2-1426, 64.2-1411).
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.