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City of Petersburg, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | City of Petersburg information |
|---|---|
| Court | Petersburg Circuit Court, Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Virginia |
| Courthouse address | 7 Courthouse Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803 |
| Mailing | Mail probate appointment materials to the Probate Division at 7 Courthouse Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803. |
| Probate phone | (804) 431-5594 |
| General clerk phone | (804) 733-2367 |
| Fax | Probate application fax: (804) 732-5548. General clerk fax: (804) 490-7955. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. |
| Local intake rule | Return pages 1 and 2 of the Application for Probate Appointment before setting the appointment. The Probate Division says it will contact you within 3 to 5 business days after receipt. |
| Fee and tax | State probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of value for estates over $15,000 (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), so confirm the appointment total with the Petersburg clerk. |
| Local forms | Yes. Petersburg publishes a local Application for Probate Appointment. Statewide fiduciary forms are also used. |
| Attorney electronic filing | Petersburg participates in VJEFS for Virginia State Bar members and designated staff in civil matters. Opening an estate is handled through the clerk's probate appointment process, not through VJEFS. |
| Public case information | No free public portal shows City of Petersburg estate files. Will-book access is handled through the clerk. |
| Remote appearance | No Petersburg remote qualification option was found. Virginia circuit courts may allow remote participation in civil proceedings at the court's discretion (Va. Code § 17.1-513.2), but qualification is normally an appointment with the clerk. |
| Websites | Petersburg Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary Circuit Court, City of Petersburg |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you contact the Petersburg Probate Division, identify the decedent's solely owned assets, debts, real estate, beneficiary designations, payable-on-death accounts, and survivorship property. Petersburg's own appointment application asks for asset values, real estate details, the will page count, and the names, addresses, ages, and relationships of heirs at law.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts before the clerk appointment, which makes the City of Petersburg intake application easier to complete and keeps estate settlement from starting with missing information.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The City of Petersburg is an independent city, not part of any county, and it has its own Clerk of the Circuit Court. A City of Petersburg resident's will is offered for probate at the Petersburg Circuit Court clerk's counter at 7 Courthouse Avenue.
Virginia venue is based on the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443). If the decedent became a patient in a nursing home, convalescent home, or similar institution because of age or health, Virginia law presumes the legal residence stayed where it was before that move unless rebutted.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the information Petersburg asks for before scheduling. List the applicant's contact information, relationship to the decedent, felony-conviction answer, the decedent's identifying information, will information, solely owned assets, real estate, and heirs at law.
- Return pages 1 and 2 of the City of Petersburg Application for Probate Appointment before asking for an appointment. Send the application with a copy of the will and a copy of the death certificate by email to [email protected], by fax to (804) 732-5548, or by mail to the Probate Division at 7 Courthouse Avenue.
- Wait for the Probate Division to contact you. Petersburg's application says you will be contacted within 3 to 5 business days after the application is received. Bring the original will and original death certificate to the appointment.
- Meet with the Clerk of the Circuit Court or a deputy clerk to probate the will, if there is one, and to qualify, which is Virginia's word for being appointed and sworn in, as executor or administrator (Va. Code § 64.2-444). A nonresident personal representative signs CC-1610 and should expect surety questions unless a Virginia resident qualifies at the same time or the clerk waives surety under the small-asset rule effective July 1, 2025 (Va. Code §§ 64.2-1426, 64.2-1411).
- Pay taxes and fees at the appointment. The state probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of value for estates over $15,000 (Va. Code § 58.1-1712). A city may impose a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1718, so confirm the current total with the Petersburg clerk when you set your appointment.
- Receive the certificate of qualification, CC-1625, after the clerk qualifies you. This is the document banks, transfer agents, and other institutions use to recognize your authority as personal representative (Va. Code § 64.2-506).
- Send the required notice of probate or qualification within 30 days, then place the affidavit of notice in the Petersburg clerk's office within four months (Va. Code § 64.2-508). Keep copies with the estate settlement file.
- Work with the commissioner of accounts after qualification. The Petersburg commissioner of accounts is a private attorney appointed by the circuit court's judges, not the clerk, and supervises fiduciaries under Va. Code § 64.2-1200. Send the inventory to the commissioner within four months after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1300), and send the first account within 16 months of qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
- Administer and close the estate. Pay valid expenses and claims in the required order, keep receipts, use optional creditor procedures only if they fit the estate, and close through the commissioner of accounts by account or by a permitted statement in lieu when available.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in the City of Petersburg
The City of Petersburg has one local probate intake form: the Application for Probate Appointment. The local form is important because Petersburg requires pages 1 and 2 to be returned to the Probate Division before an appointment is scheduled.
| Form or resource | How it is used in the City of Petersburg |
|---|---|
| Application for Probate Appointment | Local Petersburg intake document. Return it by email, fax, or mail with a copy of the will and death certificate before the appointment is set. |
| Virginia Circuit Court fiduciary forms | Statewide forms used for probate, qualification, notice, list of heirs, inventory, accounts, statement in lieu, small estate affidavit, and creditor notice. |
| CC-1650, Probate Information Form | Statewide form used to organize information for the clerk appointment. |
| CC-1651, Probate Tax Return | Used when the estate is subject to the Virginia probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. |
| CC-1610, Consent of Nonresident Fiduciary for Service of Process | Used when a nonresident qualifies as personal representative under Va. Code § 64.2-1426. |
| CC-1611, List of Heirs | Used for the list of heirs required in Virginia. |
| CC-1670 and CC-1680 | Inventory and account forms submitted to the commissioner of accounts after qualification. |
| CC-1685, Small Estate Affidavit | Presented to the bank or other holder of a small asset, not filed at the Petersburg counter. The statewide small-asset ceiling is $75,000, effective July 1, 2025 (Va. Code §§ 64.2-600 through 64.2-605). |
Local nuance
City of Petersburg-specific considerations
Petersburg's local intake procedure is unusually concrete: the Probate Division requires the Application for Probate Appointment before an appointment is scheduled, and the application says the office will contact you within 3 to 5 business days after receipt. That makes the application the first practical step in a Petersburg estate settlement.
The same application says fees and taxes are due on the day of the appointment. For real estate located in the City of Petersburg, the clerk provides the assessment used for the probate tax calculation under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. Do not assume that this applies to real estate located outside the city.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Persona | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the Petersburg Application for Probate Appointment before scheduling. If the home is co-owned with survivorship, it may pass outside the probate estate, but solely owned accounts or personal property may still require qualification. If the real estate is in the City of Petersburg, the clerk provides the assessment for the probate tax calculation under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. | Sunset helps separate survivorship assets from assets that need clerk authority, builds the asset list for the application, and organizes the estate settlement plan before the appointment. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | You can send the Petersburg intake application by email, fax, or mail before arranging travel. A nonresident personal representative signs CC-1610 and should expect surety questions unless a Virginia resident qualifies at the same time or the clerk waives surety. If the estate fits the statewide small-asset affidavit route, qualification may not be needed for personal probate assets of $75,000 or less, effective July 1, 2025 (Va. Code §§ 64.2-600 through 64.2-605). | Sunset helps collect account information remotely, identify whether the small-asset affidavit might work, and prepare questions for the Petersburg Probate Division before you travel. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | List the Petersburg house in the real estate section of the local intake application. If the estate must sell the home through a personal representative, qualification at the clerk's appointment is usually the authority step, followed by supervision through the Petersburg commissioner of accounts. | Sunset helps gather mortgage, tax, utility, and account information, prepare the probate packet, and coordinate with a local attorney when a sale, creditor issue, or title question makes counsel useful. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Petersburg Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary | Clerk's office address, hours, phone, fax, circuit information, judges, and terms of court. | 7 Courthouse Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803. General phone: (804) 733-2367. |
| Circuit Court, City of Petersburg | City page for the Clerk of the Circuit Court, including estate matters and links to local estate resources. | Probate line: (804) 431-5594. |
| Circuit Court fiduciary forms, Virginia Judiciary | Statewide fiduciary forms for probate, qualification, notice, inventories, accounts, small estate affidavits, and creditor notices. | Online forms index. |
| Commissioners of Accounts directory, Virginia Judiciary | Finds the current commissioner of accounts for Petersburg, the office that supervises inventories and accounts after qualification. | Statewide searchable directory. |
| Central Virginia Legal Aid Society, Petersburg office | General civil legal aid for qualifying low-income residents. Ask the program directly before relying on it for an estate issue. | 229 North Sycamore Street, Petersburg, VA 23803. Phone: (804) 862-1100. Toll-free: (800) 868-1012. Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets
Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property before you complete the Petersburg intake application.
Generate the probate packet
Sunset organizes the information needed for the clerk appointment, including asset lists, family information, and the forms that fit the estate settlement path.
Find a local probate attorney
When the estate needs legal advice, Sunset can help connect the family with a local probate attorney who understands Virginia qualification, commissioner of accounts practice, and Petersburg filing mechanics.
Sunset is free for families
Families can use Sunset's core estate settlement tools at no cost while they organize accounts, prepare for the clerk appointment, and decide whether attorney help is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in the City of Petersburg?
Use the Clerk of the Circuit Court at Petersburg Circuit Court, 7 Courthouse Avenue, Petersburg, VA 23803. For a decedent who lived in the City of Petersburg, venue is the circuit court of that city (Va. Code § 64.2-443).
Do I need to submit anything before I can get a probate appointment in Petersburg?
Yes. Petersburg's Probate Division requires pages 1 and 2 of its Application for Probate Appointment before setting the appointment. Send the application with a copy of the will and death certificate by email, fax, or mail, then expect contact within 3 to 5 business days after receipt.
What phone number do I call for probate in the City of Petersburg?
Call the probate-specific line at (804) 431-5594. The general clerk's office number is (804) 733-2367.
Does the City of Petersburg have its own probate forms?
Yes. Petersburg publishes a local Application for Probate Appointment. After that local intake step, Virginia's statewide circuit court fiduciary forms are used for qualification, notices, lists of heirs, inventories, accounts, and related fiduciary filings.
Can I check a City of Petersburg estate file online?
No free public portal shows City of Petersburg estate files. The statewide case information system is not a probate or fiduciary file system. Ask the Petersburg clerk how to view the will book or other public clerk materials.
What will it cost to probate a will in the City of Petersburg?
Virginia charges a state probate tax of 10 cents per $100 of value for estates over $15,000 (Va. Code § 58.1-1712), plus statutory qualification and recording charges. A city may impose a local probate tax equal to one-third of the state tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1718, so confirm the current total with the Petersburg clerk when you set your appointment. Petersburg's application also says fees and taxes are due on the day of the appointment.
Do I have to come to Petersburg in person?
You can start by sending the appointment application by email, fax, or mail. Expect qualification itself to be an appointment with the clerk unless the Petersburg Probate Division tells you otherwise. Virginia's remote appearance statute applies to civil proceedings at the court's discretion (Va. Code § 17.1-513.2), but it does not create a statewide remote qualification process.
Where do I send the inventory and the accounts after I qualify?
After qualification, the commissioner of accounts supervises the estate. The inventory is due to the commissioner 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). The Judiciary's Commissioners of Accounts directory lists the current Petersburg commissioner and office contact information.
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.