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Bland County, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bland County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Bland Circuit Court, Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Probate and qualification are handled by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. |
| Courthouse address | 612 Main Street, Suite 104, Bland, VA 24315 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 295, Bland, VA 24315-0295 |
| Phone | (276) 688-4562 |
| Fax | (276) 688-2438 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday. |
| Appointment rule | All probate-related matters are by appointment. Call at least 24 hours in advance. |
| Probate tax and clerk charges | The statewide probate tax is 10 cents per $100, or fraction of $100, for estates over $15,000, since 2003 (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). Statewide qualification and recording charges are set by Va. Code § 17.1-275. Ask the clerk whether any Bland County charge authorized by Va. Code § 58.1-1718 applies. |
| Local forms | No separate Bland County probate packet or checklist is provided on the clerk pages. Use the statewide Virginia Circuit Court fiduciary forms. |
| Electronic filing | Bland is not listed as a participating Virginia Judiciary eFiling System court. Plan on a clerk appointment for probate qualification. |
| Estate file access | No free public web portal shows Bland County estate files. OCIS does not cover probate records. |
| Remote appearance | Plan on an in-person appointment with the clerk. No current Bland County practice was identified for remote qualification. |
| Website | Bland Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary and Bland County Clerk of Circuit Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you call the Bland County clerk, build a practical inventory of what the person owned, what passed outside probate, what debts exist, and whether real estate must be sold. That asset picture determines whether you need full qualification, whether a will must be admitted without a personal representative, and what tax and recording questions the clerk will ask.
Sunset's estate settlement process can help organize that work before the appointment. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, helps assemble the probate packet, and gives families a clearer list of questions to bring to the Bland courthouse.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Bland County probate is handled at the Clerk of the Circuit Court's counter at 612 Main Street, Suite 104, in the town of Bland. Bland County has its own clerk and courthouse, so no shared-clerk arrangement applies.
Virginia venue is based on the decedent's residence: a will is offered for probate in the circuit court of the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443). If the decedent was a Bland County resident, start with the Bland County clerk and schedule the required appointment at least 24 hours ahead.
The jurisdiction process
- Call the Bland County Clerk of the Circuit Court at (276) 688-4562 and schedule a probate appointment at least 24 hours in advance.
- Gather the original will if there is one, a death certificate, names and addresses of heirs and beneficiaries, a list of assets and debts, and the statewide Virginia fiduciary forms that fit the estate.
- Appear at the clerk's counter in Bland for probate and qualification. In Virginia, the clerk may admit the will and qualify the personal representative, which is Virginia's word for being appointed and sworn in (Va. Code § 64.2-444).
- Pay the required probate tax and clerk charges. The statewide probate tax is 10 cents per $100, or fraction of $100, for estates over $15,000, since 2003 (Va. Code § 58.1-1712), and the clerk can tell you whether any local probate tax authorized by Va. Code § 58.1-1718 applies in Bland County.
- Receive the certificate of qualification, CC-1625, if the clerk qualifies you as personal representative. That certificate is the document banks and other institutions usually ask to see.
- Send the required notice regarding the estate within 30 days and record the affidavit of notice within four months, if notice is required (Va. Code § 64.2-508).
- Work with the commissioner of accounts after qualification. Bland County's commissioner of accounts is listed in the Virginia Judiciary directory and maintains an office in Wytheville. Send the inventory to the commissioner within four months after the order of qualification, and send the first account within 16 months under Va. Code § 64.2-1304.
- Handle creditor questions, asset transfers, sale issues, and distributions. Optional creditor notice may be used when appropriate (Va. Code § 64.2-508.1), and the commissioner of accounts supervises the fiduciary accounting until the estate settlement is ready to close.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bland County
Bland County does not publish a separate local probate packet, worksheet, or cover sheet on the clerk pages. Use the statewide Virginia Circuit Court fiduciary forms and call the clerk before your appointment to ask which forms the office wants completed before you arrive.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| CC-1650 | Probate Information Form for the clerk appointment. |
| CC-1651 | Probate Tax Return when the estate value requires it under Va. Code § 58.1-1714. |
| CC-1611 | List of Heirs, filed at qualification or when a will is presented and nobody qualifies. |
| CC-1610 | Consent of Nonresident Fiduciary for Service of Process, used when a nonresident qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). |
| CC-1625 | Certificate / Letter of Qualification, the authority document issued after qualification. |
| CC-1670 | Inventory of Decedent's Estate, sent to the commissioner of accounts. |
| CC-1680 | Account for Decedent's Estate, sent to the commissioner of accounts. |
| CC-1681 | Statement in Lieu of Settlement of Account for Decedent's Estate Pursuant to Va. Code § 64.2-1314, when the statewide requirements are met. |
Statewide fiduciary forms are available from the Virginia Judiciary at Circuit Court Fiduciary Forms.
Local nuance
Bland County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Probate appointments | Bland County requires an appointment for all probate-related matters. Call (276) 688-4562 at least 24 hours before you want to meet with the clerk. |
| Commissioner of accounts | After qualification, the inventory and accounts go to the commissioner of accounts, not to the clerk. The Virginia Judiciary directory lists Bland County's commissioner with an office in Wytheville. |
| Electronic recording | The clerk accepts deed e-recording through Simplifile and CSC, but that is a land-records channel. It is not a probate qualification channel. |
| Local tax question | The statewide probate tax is governed by Va. Code § 58.1-1712. Because counties may impose a local probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1718, ask the Bland clerk for the total when you schedule the appointment. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Bland County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Call the Bland clerk at least 24 hours before the appointment. Bring the will if there is one, asset information, and questions about how the home is titled. Virginia real estate can matter for the probate tax calculation even when day-to-day administration focuses on personal property (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues, and documents before the clerk appointment so the surviving spouse can make a cleaner estate settlement plan. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Bland is not a VJEFS participant, and no Bland County remote qualification practice is stated. A nonresident fiduciary can qualify, but must sign CC-1610 and should expect a surety question unless a Virginia resident qualifies too or the clerk waives surety under Va. Code §§ 64.2-1426 and 64.2-1411. Build the 24-hour appointment rule into any travel plan. | Sunset helps sort which assets may need qualification, prepares the form list, and can help the child decide whether a local attorney should handle the courthouse appointment. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If a home must be sold through the estate, schedule the Bland clerk appointment, qualify if appropriate, then coordinate with the commissioner of accounts in Wytheville for the inventory and accounting deadlines. The first account is due within 16 months under Va. Code § 64.2-1304. | Sunset helps organize asset information, sale-related documents, creditor questions, and attorney referrals for a more orderly estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Bland Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary | Clerk address, mailing address, phone, fax, hours, circuit information, judges, and term dates. | Bland Circuit Court |
| Bland County Clerk of Circuit Court | Local clerk information, including the rule that all probate-related matters require an appointment scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. | Clerk of Circuit Court |
| Virginia Circuit Court fiduciary forms | Statewide probate and fiduciary forms for qualification, notices, inventories, accounts, and related filings. | Fiduciary forms |
| Commissioners of Accounts directory | Directory for the commissioner of accounts who supervises inventories and accounts after qualification. | Commissioners of Accounts |
When to hire an attorney
Consider working with a Virginia probate attorney if the will may be disputed, the estate includes real estate that must be sold, a nonresident fiduciary needs bond guidance, creditors are pressing claims, or the family needs help with commissioner of accounts filings. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets, real estate leads, debts, and documents before the Bland County clerk appointment.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information into an organized packet for the clerk, including the forms and document checklist that fit the family's situation in Virginia.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Bland County estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Virginia probate attorney who can advise on qualification, real estate, creditor issues, and commissioner of accounts work.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families start estate settlement, understand the next steps, and avoid missing assets without charging families to use the platform.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Bland County?
File at the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office at 612 Main Street, Suite 104, in the town of Bland. Virginia venue is the circuit court of the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443).
Do I need an appointment to probate a will in Bland County?
Yes. Bland County requires appointments for all probate-related matters. Call (276) 688-4562 at least 24 hours in advance.
Do I have to go before a judge to be appointed in Bland County?
No. In Virginia, the clerk may admit the will and qualify the personal representative at the clerk's office (Va. Code § 64.2-444). A judge becomes involved only in contested or judge-side matters, such as an appeal from the clerk's order or a will contest under Va. Code §§ 64.2-445, 64.2-446, and 64.2-448.
Does the Bland County clerk's office have its own probate forms?
Bland County does not provide a separate local probate packet on the clerk pages. Use the statewide Virginia Circuit Court fiduciary forms, including CC-1650, CC-1651, CC-1611, CC-1625, CC-1670, and CC-1680 as needed.
Can I file Bland County probate papers online?
Plan on a clerk appointment. Bland is not listed as a participating Virginia Judiciary eFiling System court, and VJEFS is an attorney system for most civil filings, not a self-service probate qualification route.
Can I view a Bland County estate file through a free web portal?
No free public web portal shows Bland County estate files. OCIS is not a probate record system. For will-book access or copies, call the Bland clerk's office.
What will it cost to probate a will in Bland County?
The statewide probate tax is 10 cents per $100, or fraction of $100, for estates over $15,000, since 2003 (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). Qualification and recording charges are statewide under Va. Code § 17.1-275. Bland County's clerk pages do not state whether the county has imposed the local probate tax authorized by Va. Code § 58.1-1718, so ask the clerk for the total when you schedule.
Where do I send the inventory and accounts after I qualify?
Send them to the commissioner of accounts, not to the clerk. Bland County's commissioner of accounts is listed in the Virginia Judiciary directory and has an office in Wytheville. The first account is due within 16 months under Va. Code § 64.2-1304.
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.