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Arlington County, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Arlington County details |
|---|---|
| Court and office | Arlington County Circuit Court, Probate Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court |
| Address and mailing | 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 6300, Arlington, VA 22201 |
| Probate phone | (703) 228-4376 |
| Email and fax | [email protected]. Fax: (703) 228-5309. |
| Hours and appointments | Clerk's office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Probate is handled by appointment, Monday through Thursday. |
| How appointments are scheduled | Submit the application and documents first by email, fax, mail or drop off. The Probate Office prepares the documents, calculates the probate taxes and fees, and contacts you to schedule. |
| Remote qualification | Remote probate appointments are offered. The clerk verifies identification, watches signatures, administers the oath and explains next steps by video meeting. Remote payments are not accepted. |
| Costs at opening | The Commonwealth probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with no probate tax for estates of $15,000 or less (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). Arlington County also imposes a local probate tax equal to one third of the Commonwealth amount (Va. Code § 58.1-1718; Arlington County Code § 27-19). The Probate Office calculates the total from the estate value reported. |
| Local forms | Yes. Arlington publishes its own five-page Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative, revised April 2026. |
| Electronic filing | Opening an estate in Arlington County is not an electronic filing. The court's electronic filing service is limited to attorney use in civil and criminal cases and is not open to self-represented filers. |
| Record access | STARR indexes Arlington Circuit Court records from 1997 forward. Guest index searching is available, document images from 2000 forward require a Land Records subscription, and earlier records are handled through public kiosks and will books at the courthouse. |
| Website | https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/Courts/Circuit-Court/Probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you submit anything to the Arlington County Probate Office, make a working list of assets, debts, beneficiary designations, jointly owned property and any Arlington County or City of Falls Church real estate. The clerk's local application asks for the probate estate value, Virginia real estate, bond information, heirs and certificate requests before the office schedules the qualification appointment.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families search across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organize account information and separate probate assets from assets that may pass outside the estate. That makes the Arlington submit-first workflow easier, because the Probate Office calculates probate taxes, qualification fees and bond needs from the information you provide.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File for an Arlington County resident at the Arlington County Circuit Court Probate Office, 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 6300, Arlington, VA 22201. Virginia venue is the circuit court of the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence, with a nursing-home residence presumption that usually points back to where the person lived before entering the facility (Va. Code § 64.2-443).
The same elected Clerk of the Circuit Court also serves the City of Falls Church, an independent city that is not part of any county, in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (Va. Code § 17.1-506), but an Arlington County estate remains an Arlington County matter.
The Probate Office serves all of Arlington County, including neighborhoods such as Rosslyn, Ballston, Clarendon, Cherrydale, Shirlington, Pentagon City, Crystal City and Green Valley.
If Arlington County land is involved in an estate opened elsewhere, ask the Probate Office in writing to calculate the required recording charges before mailing or delivering a certified set, authenticated set or real estate affidavit package.
The jurisdiction process
- Complete Arlington's Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative. Gather the original will and codicils if any, a certified death certificate, a copy of the proposed personal representative's photo identification, and any needed statewide forms such as CC-1608 or CC-1610.
- If a surety bond will be required, obtain the bonding company's pre-approval before submitting the application. Arlington states that the Probate Office cannot begin the qualification process without proof of pre-approval when surety is required.
- Submit the application and documents to the Probate Office by email at [email protected], by fax at (703) 228-5309, by mail, or by hand delivery to Suite 6300. No appointment is needed just to drop off documents.
- The Probate Office prepares the qualification documents, calculates the probate taxes and fees, and contacts you to schedule the appointment. Payment is due at the appointment by check, cash or card, and card payments carry a 4 percent convenience fee.
- Attend the qualification appointment, either in person or remotely. In person appointments usually take 30 to 45 minutes. Remote appointments usually take about 15 minutes, require single-sided printed documents before the meeting, and still require a separate payment arrangement because remote payments are not accepted.
- At the appointment, the clerk admits the will if there is one, qualifies the personal representative, administers the oath and issues the certificate of qualification under the clerk's authority (Va. Code §§ 64.2-444, 64.2-506). Arlington includes two certificates of qualification in the qualification fee, and additional certificates are $2.00 each.
- Send the required notice regarding estate to heirs and beneficiaries, then file the affidavit of notice with the clerk within the statewide deadline (Va. Code § 64.2-508). The notice affidavit is a clerk filing, not a commissioner filing.
- Send the inventory and every account to the Commissioner of Accounts for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church in Suite 6500, in duplicate, signed by every fiduciary who qualified, and one check payable to the Commissioner of Accounts. The inventory is due within four months after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1300). The first account is due within 16 months of qualification and covers the first 12 months (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
- Work with the Commissioner of Accounts until the estate settlement is ready to close. A statement in lieu cannot be filed sooner than six months after qualification, and a final account or statement in lieu cannot be approved while an estate claim remains outstanding.
- If a show cause order is needed, Arlington requires an approved accounting and proposed distribution schedule first. The proposed order is filed with the Probate Office and scheduled on the Friday docket at 9:30 a.m. at least four to six weeks out.
Executor duties
| Local duty | What to do in Arlington County |
|---|---|
| Keep the clerk and commissioner tasks separate | The affidavit of notice goes to the clerk. The inventory, accounts and any statement in lieu go to the Commissioner of Accounts in Suite 6500. |
| Use duplicate commissioner filings | Inventories and accounts must be signed by every fiduciary who qualified and sent to the commissioner in duplicate. Supporting vouchers do not need to be duplicated. |
| Use the right check | Commissioner filings use one check payable to the Commissioner of Accounts. The commissioner handles the recording charges connected with those filings. |
| Keep email current | The commissioner's office moved to an electronic records system in 2025 and communicates primarily by secure messaging, so keep a current email address on file. |
| Ask early for more time | The commissioner will liberally grant a single 30-day extension on a polite request. Requests beyond that period must be written, show good cause and are not generally approved. |
| Handle compensation carefully | The Commissioner of Accounts publishes fiduciary compensation guidelines under Va. Code § 64.2-1208. If compensation would depart upward from the guidelines or the will, use the commissioner's informed consent process before taking it. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Arlington County
Arlington County uses the statewide Virginia circuit court forms, but it also publishes a local application that controls the first step. Complete Arlington's Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative before the Probate Office schedules the appointment.
| Form or packet | Use in Arlington County |
|---|---|
| Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative | Arlington's five-page local application, revised April 2026. It combines decedent information, probate estate value, bond information, heir information, certificate requests and submission instructions. |
| CC-1601, CC-1602 and CC-1603 | Used when a will needs witness proof, holographic-will proof or proof of signatures before it can be admitted. |
| CC-1608 and CC-1610 | CC-1608 is a waiver of qualification. CC-1610 is the consent of nonresident fiduciary for service of process, used when a nonresident qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). |
| CC-1611 and CC-1612 | CC-1611 is the list of heirs. CC-1612 is the list of heirs / real estate affidavit used for an intestate real-estate route without qualification. |
| CC-1650 and CC-1651 | The statewide Probate Information Form and Probate Tax Return. Arlington asks for CC-1611, CC-1650 and CC-1651 on the route where a will is probated and nobody qualifies as personal representative. |
| CC-1616, CC-1617 and CC-1618 | Notice regarding estate, affidavit of notice and waiver of notice. In Arlington, the affidavit of notice is filed directly with the clerk. |
| CC-1625 | Certificate / Letter of Qualification, the authority document banks and other institutions ask to see after qualification. |
| CC-1670, CC-1680 and CC-1681 | Inventory, account and statement in lieu. In Arlington, these are sent to the Commissioner of Accounts in Suite 6500, not to the Probate Office. |
| Commissioner of Accounts local forms | The commissioner publishes an Arlington Estate Tax Certificate for final accounting, a Notice of Intent to File a Statement in Lieu of Account, a Claim Against Estate form and an informed consent form for certain fiduciary compensation situations. |
Fees
| Cost item | Arlington County rule |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth probate tax | The Commonwealth probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, and estates of $15,000 or less pay no probate tax (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). The Probate Office calculates it from the estate value you report. |
| Local probate tax | Arlington County has levied the optional local probate tax at one third of the Commonwealth amount since 1991, so an Arlington County estate pays both (Va. Code § 58.1-1718; Arlington County Code § 27-19). |
| List of heirs or real estate affidavit without qualification | For a list of heirs under Va. Code § 64.2-509 or an intestate real estate affidavit under § 64.2-510 where no will was probated and no administration was granted, Arlington County charges the local $25 fee adopted April 9, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, in addition to the state $25 fee in lieu (Va. Code §§ 58.1-1717.1, 58.1-1718, 58.1-3805; Arlington County Code § 27-27). |
| Qualification fee and recording fee | The qualification fee is set by estate value under Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3), and the recording fee is set by page count under Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(2). Arlington's Probate Office calculates both after reviewing the application. |
| Certificates of qualification | Arlington's April 2026 application states that two certificates are included in the qualification fee and that additional certificates are $2.00 each. |
| Commissioner of Accounts filings | The commissioner's fee schedule applies to filings made after January 1, 2023. A decedent's estate inventory starts at $153 for the $0 to $50,000 band, a first or first and final account starts at $293 for the $0 to $50,000 band, a statement in lieu is $268, and a debts and demands hearing is $375. These charges are paid to the Commissioner of Accounts, not to the clerk. |
| What the personal representative may be paid | The Commissioner of Accounts publishes fiduciary compensation guidelines under the reasonable compensation standard in Va. Code § 64.2-1208: absent unusual circumstances it typically allows 5 percent of income receipts other than capital gains for each accounting period, plus a percentage of the inventory value of the probate assets that starts at 5 percent of the first $400,000 and steps down for larger estates. These are the commissioner's own guidelines, not a statewide percentage, and the commissioner decides what is reasonable. |
| Card payments and remote appointments | Arlington accepts check, cash and card payments at the Probate Office. Card payments carry a 4 percent convenience fee. The Probate Office states that remote payments are not accepted, so ask how to deliver payment when a remote appointment is scheduled. |
Timeline
- Submit the completed Arlington probate application, the original will and codicils if any, a certified death certificate and a copy of photo identification before asking for a qualification appointment.
- If surety is required, get pre-approval from a bonding company before the application goes in. The Probate Office says it cannot begin qualification without that proof.
- Wait for the Probate Office to prepare the qualification documents, calculate probate taxes and fees, and contact you to schedule.
- Attend an appointment Monday through Thursday. Plan on about 30 to 45 minutes in person or about 15 minutes remotely.
- For a remote appointment, print the prepared documents single-sided before the meeting. Arrange payment separately because remote payments are not accepted.
- Receive the certificate of qualification at the end of the appointment if the clerk qualifies you.
- Send notice regarding estate and file the affidavit of notice with the clerk under Va. Code § 64.2-508.
- Send the inventory to the Commissioner of Accounts within four months after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1300).
- Send the first account to the Commissioner of Accounts within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304), unless a proper statement in lieu is available after the required waiting period.
- If a show cause order is needed, schedule it on Arlington's Friday 9:30 a.m. docket at least four to six weeks out after the approved accounting and proposed distribution schedule are ready.
Local nuance
Arlington County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Submit first, schedule second | Arlington does not start with a walk-in qualification appointment. The Probate Office asks for the application and documents first, then prepares the papers, calculates charges and schedules you. |
| Remote qualification is published | Remote probate appointments are a regular Arlington option. This is a clerk appointment, not a court hearing, and remote payment is not accepted. |
| The commissioner is in the same building | The Commissioner of Accounts is in Suite 6500 of the Arlington County Courthouse, while the Probate Office is in Suite 6300. They are close by, but they are separate offices. |
| Arlington imposes local probate charges | Arlington County levies the local probate tax under Arlington County Code § 27-19 and the local fee for certain list-of-heirs or real-estate-affidavit recordings under Arlington County Code § 27-27. |
| Bond pre-approval can control timing | If a surety bond is needed, the Probate Office requires proof of pre-approval before it begins the qualification process. |
| STARR is an index, not a complete public image system | STARR can be searched as a guest for index information from 1997 forward. Images from 2000 forward require a Land Records subscription, and earlier records are handled at the courthouse. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Arlington County's local $25 fee on recording a list of heirs or intestate real estate affidavit without qualification took effect after adoption on April 9, 2025 (Arlington County Code § 27-27). |
| April 2026 | The clerk reissued the local Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative, the five-page form that starts the Arlington probate workflow. |
| July 1, 2026 | Portable electronic devices are allowed in the Arlington County Courthouse under a court order governing their use. |
| July 2026 | The clerk's probate page lists CC-1686 and CC-1687, the Commonwealth forms for the optional notice to creditors under Va. Code § 64.2-508.1. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Arlington County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | If the home passes by survivorship, it is not controlled by probate. If there are solely held accounts or other probate assets, the spouse submits Arlington's application, original will if any, death certificate and identification first, then waits for the Probate Office to schedule the appointment. After qualification, the notice affidavit goes to the clerk, while the inventory and account go to the Commissioner of Accounts. | Sunset helps separate jointly owned assets and beneficiary assets from probate assets, build the estate settlement checklist and prepare the information Arlington uses to calculate taxes, fees and bond. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If the statewide small-estate route works, the affidavit is presented to the institution holding the asset rather than filed at the courthouse. If qualification is needed, Arlington allows the application to be sent by email or fax and offers a remote appointment. The original will still must reach Suite 6300 before scheduling, and remote payment is not accepted. A nonresident fiduciary uses CC-1610 for service of process (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). | Sunset helps assemble the asset list and probate packet from out of state, so the child can ask the Probate Office about one remote appointment instead of making multiple trips. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If a sale is needed, qualification is often required. Arlington's application asks for Virginia real estate at the tax assessed value for the year of death, and the commissioner fee base can be affected when the personal representative has power of sale. If the child died intestate and the only issue is real estate, Arlington also publishes the CC-1612 list of heirs / real estate affidavit route, with the state fee and Arlington's local fee under Arlington County Code § 27-27. | Sunset helps document the assets, organize the estate settlement tasks and connect the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale, heir questions and any bond or commissioner issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact and web address |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington County Circuit Court Probate Office | Takes the probate application, prepares the qualification documents, calculates probate taxes and fees, schedules in-person or remote appointments, issues certificates of qualification and stores original wills for safekeeping. | Suite 6300, 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, VA 22201. (703) 228-4376. [email protected]. Fax (703) 228-5309. https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/Courts/Circuit-Court/Probate |
| Commissioner of Accounts for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church | Receives and audits inventories, accounts and statements in lieu, reviews bond amounts, handles creditor claim hearings and publishes due dates, filing fees and fiduciary compensation guidelines. | Suite 6500, 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, VA 22201. 703-228-7150. [email protected]. https://arlingtoncommissionerofaccounts.com/ |
| Walter T. McCarthy Law Library, Arlington County Public Law Library | Provides public access to legal materials and computers with legal research tools inside the courthouse. Staff cannot give legal advice or tell you what to file. | Suite 1700, 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington, VA. 703-228-7005. [email protected]. https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments/Courts/McCarthy-Law-Library |
| A Guide to the Administration of Decedents' Estates in Virginia | Plain-language estate administration guide published by the Wills, Trusts and Estates Section of the Virginia Bar Association and linked from the Arlington clerk's probate page. | https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/courts/documents/vba-2025-guide-to-estate-administration-9.15.25.pdf |
| Commissioners of Accounts directory, Supreme Court of Virginia | Statewide directory for finding commissioners of accounts by jurisdiction or last name, useful because more than one commissioner is appointed for this circuit. | https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/resources/coa/home |
| Virginia Judiciary circuit court forms | Statewide CC form index for probate, qualification, notices, inventories, accounts, statements in lieu and creditor notice forms. | https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/home |
| Legal Services of Northern Virginia | General civil legal aid for eligible Northern Virginia residents. Its practice areas do not list decedent estate administration, so contact it only for general civil legal-aid screening. | Arlington office, 2200 Wilson Blvd, Suite 210, Arlington, VA 22201. 703.778.6800. https://lsnv.org/office/arlington/ |
When to hire an attorney
An attorney is not required to administer an Arlington County estate, and the clerk says the same, but local procedure has several points where counsel can prevent expensive mistakes: a surety bond that must be pre-approved before the application goes in, a nonresident fiduciary using CC-1610, a home sale, a disputed creditor claim before the commissioner, a show cause order on the Friday docket, an exception to a commissioner's report, or compensation that departs from the commissioner's guidelines. Sunset connects families with a vetted Virginia probate attorney when legal advice is the right next step.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property for estate settlement. In Arlington County, that asset list helps you decide what belongs on the probate application and what may pass outside probate.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for Arlington's local application, the statewide CC forms, notice tasks and commissioner filings. The goal is a clean packet before the Probate Office calculates taxes, fees and bond.
Find a local probate attorney. When a real estate sale, surety bond, creditor claim, nonresident fiduciary issue or contested family question needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect you with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools at no cost. Sunset earns from optional partner services, never from adding complexity to the Arlington County process.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for an Arlington County resident?
Use the Arlington County Circuit Court Probate Office at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 6300, Arlington, VA 22201. Virginia venue is based on the decedent's known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443). The same clerk also serves the City of Falls Church, but an Arlington County resident's estate is an Arlington County matter.
Do I need an appointment for Arlington County probate?
Yes. Probate is handled by appointment, Monday through Thursday. Arlington's local rule is submit first, schedule second: send the application and documents to the Probate Office, then the office prepares the papers, calculates the charges and contacts you to schedule.
Can I qualify as executor in Arlington County without coming to the courthouse?
Arlington publishes remote probate appointments. The clerk verifies your identification, watches you sign, administers the oath and explains next steps by video meeting. The original will must still physically reach Suite 6300 before scheduling, and the Probate Office states that remote payments are not accepted.
What does Arlington County charge to open an estate?
The Commonwealth probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value, with no probate tax for estates of $15,000 or less (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). Arlington County also levies the local probate tax at one third of the Commonwealth amount (Va. Code § 58.1-1718; Arlington County Code § 27-19). The qualification fee and recording fee are set by state statute, and the Probate Office calculates the total.
Does Arlington County have its own probate forms?
Yes. Arlington publishes a five-page Application for Probate and Qualification of Personal Representative, revised April 2026. It is used with the statewide CC forms, including CC-1611, CC-1616, CC-1617, CC-1625, CC-1670, CC-1680 and CC-1681.
Where do the inventory and accounts go after I qualify in Arlington County?
Send them to the Commissioner of Accounts for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church in Suite 6500, not to the Probate Office. Inventories and accounts are sent in duplicate with one check payable to the Commissioner of Accounts. The inventory is due within four months after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1300), and the first account is due within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
How do I check an Arlington County will or fiduciary record?
The clerk publishes STARR, an index for Arlington Circuit Court records from 1997 forward. It can be searched as a guest for index information. Images from 2000 forward require a Land Records subscription, and records from 1800 through 1996 are handled through public kiosks in the Land Records Division and will books pulled by the probate clerk.
I live out of state. Can I still serve as personal representative in Arlington County?
Yes. A nonresident may qualify in Virginia after filing written consent to service of process, usually CC-1610 (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). Arlington's application asks for a Virginia resident agent when none of the qualifying individuals lives in Virginia and a bond is required. Ask the Probate Office how to handle payment and original documents before scheduling a remote appointment.
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.