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Pulaski County, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Pulaski County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Pulaski Circuit Court, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | 45 Third Street NW, Suite 101, Pulaski, VA 24301 |
| Mailing | The clerk's public pages give the courthouse address only. |
| Phone | (540) 980-7825. No separate probate line is published. |
| Fax | (540) 980-7835 |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Deed recording has a separate 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. window. |
| Probate appointment | Call (540) 980-7825 before going in. Pulaski County does not publish a separate probate appointment rule. |
| Opening cost | The Commonwealth probate tax is 10 cents per $100 under Va. Code § 58.1-1712 for estates over the $15,000 exemption, figures from the 2003 statute, plus statutory qualification and recording charges. Ask the clerk whether Pulaski County adds the optional local probate tax authorized by Va. Code § 58.1-1718. |
| Local forms | No Pulaski-specific probate packet, checklist or cover sheet is published. Use the Virginia circuit court fiduciary forms. |
| Online filing | Pulaski participates in VJEFS for attorney civil submissions. Qualification as personal representative is not handled through VJEFS. |
| Case access | No free public portal shows Pulaski County estate files. The county links SRA and OCRA services for land records or authorized court users, not a free public estate-file search. |
| Remote appearance | No Pulaski County remote qualification rule is published. Qualification is normally handled with the clerk, so call before making travel plans. |
| Website | Pulaski Circuit Court and Pulaski County court information |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you call the Pulaski clerk, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiaries and likely heirs. The clerk will need different information depending on whether there is a will, whether someone needs to qualify as personal representative, and whether the estate settlement can proceed without full qualification.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help identify accounts before you decide what to take to 45 Third Street NW. That is especially useful in Pulaski County because the clerk does not publish a local probate packet that walks families through what to gather before the first call.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Pulaski County estates are handled at the Pulaski Circuit Court clerk's office in the town of Pulaski. 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 Pulaski County resident, start at the clerk's counter at 45 Third Street NW, Suite 101.
Pulaski County is part of the Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuit (Va. Code § 17.1-506), but it has its own Clerk of the Circuit Court and its own courthouse. After qualification, the commissioner of accounts for Pulaski supervises inventories and accounts from private law offices in the town of Pulaski, not from the clerk's counter.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the will, death certificate, names and addresses of heirs and beneficiaries, asset information, debt information and the Virginia fiduciary forms you expect to need. If there is no local Pulaski checklist, use the statewide circuit court fiduciary forms.
- Call the Pulaski Circuit Court clerk at (540) 980-7825 before you go to 45 Third Street NW, Suite 101. Ask what the clerk wants brought for a will probate or qualification appointment and whether any appointment time is needed.
- Offer the will, if there is one, and qualify as personal representative if someone needs authority to act. In Virginia, the clerk may admit wills and qualify executors, administrators and curators (Va. Code § 64.2-444).
- Pay the probate tax and clerk charges due at opening. The Commonwealth probate tax is imposed under Va. Code § 58.1-1712, and a county may add a local probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1718, so ask the Pulaski clerk for the total before you bring payment.
- Send the required notice of probate or qualification to the people entitled to notice within 30 days, then record the affidavit of notice within four months as required by Va. Code § 64.2-508.
- Do not expect a hearing just to open an ordinary estate. A circuit court judge becomes involved only if a contest, appeal or other court proceeding is filed. If a separate civil proceeding arises, remote participation is discretionary under Va. Code § 17.1-513.2.
- Get certified copies of the certificate of qualification, CC-1625, if institutions need proof of your authority. The certificate is the usual document a Virginia personal representative presents to banks and other holders.
- Administer the estate under the commissioner of accounts. Return the inventory to the commissioner within four months after the order conferring authority (Va. Code § 64.2-1300), and submit the first account within 16 months as required by Va. Code § 64.2-1304, unless a proper statement in lieu or other statewide exception applies.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pulaski County
Pulaski County does not publish its own probate forms, packet, checklist or cover sheet. Use the Virginia Judiciary's statewide circuit court fiduciary forms and call the clerk at (540) 980-7825 if you are not sure which forms to bring.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| CC-1650 | Probate Information Form for the clerk appointment. |
| CC-1651 | Probate Tax Return when required by Va. Code § 58.1-1714. |
| CC-1611 | List of Heirs, filed at qualification or when a will is presented if nobody qualifies. |
| CC-1610 | Consent of Nonresident Fiduciary for Service of Process, used by an out-of-state personal representative. |
| CC-1625 | Certificate / Letter of Qualification, the authority document issued by the clerk. |
| CC-1670 | Inventory of Decedent's Estate, returned to the commissioner of accounts after qualification. |
| CC-1680 | Account for Decedent's Estate, submitted to the commissioner of accounts. |
| CC-1685 | Small Estate Affidavit. This is presented to the bank or other holder of the asset, not filed at the Pulaski clerk's counter. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by calling the Pulaski clerk at (540) 980-7825 and asking what to bring to the clerk's counter at 45 Third Street NW, Suite 101. If a will must be recorded or someone must qualify, that happens with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. How the home is titled is a title question, so do not assume the estate needs to sell or transfer it until the deed is reviewed. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, identify accounts, and prepare the estate settlement packet so the first call to the clerk is more focused. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call before traveling. A nonresident can serve, but must sign CC-1610 and should expect surety questions unless a Virginia resident qualifies at the same time or the clerk waives surety under Va. Code §§ 64.2-1426 and 64.2-1411. If the statewide small-asset affidavit route fits, CC-1685 goes to the bank or other holder, not to the Pulaski counter. | Sunset helps decide whether full qualification appears necessary, gathers institution information, and connects you with a local probate attorney when travel or surety questions make the path harder. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the estate must sell a Pulaski County home through a personal representative, qualification happens at the clerk's counter. After that, the commissioner of accounts in Pulaski supervises the inventory due in four months and the first account due in 16 months under Va. Code §§ 64.2-1300 and 64.2-1304. | Sunset helps build the asset inventory, prepare the probate packet, and coordinate attorney help for sale authority, creditor questions and final estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pulaski Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary | Clerk's office address, phone, fax, hours, circuit information and court links. | Pulaski Circuit Court |
| Pulaski County court information | County-published court overview, including Circuit Court information and links to SRA and OCRA resources. | Pulaski County courts |
| Virginia circuit court fiduciary forms | Statewide probate and fiduciary forms used in Pulaski County. | Fiduciary forms |
| Commissioners of Accounts directory | Search tool for the current commissioner of accounts serving Pulaski County. | Commissioners of Accounts |
| Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society | General civil legal aid for low-income residents. Its listed practice areas include consumer, family, domestic violence, employment, housing and public benefits matters, not estate administration. Intake is 1-888-201-2772. | Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society |
When to hire an attorney
A Pulaski County probate attorney makes sense when the will may be contested, heirs disagree, a house must be sold through the estate, a nonresident fiduciary needs bond guidance, or creditor issues could expose the personal representative. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney when local counsel would make the estate settlement safer or faster.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property that may affect the Pulaski County probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized estate settlement packet, including the details commonly needed for the Pulaski clerk and the Virginia fiduciary forms.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Pulaski County estate involves a home sale, a dispute, a nonresident personal representative, or complex creditor questions, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Virginia probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize tasks, documents and next steps without paying Sunset, while still getting help deciding when attorney support is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Pulaski County?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at Pulaski Circuit Court, 45 Third Street NW, Suite 101, Pulaski, VA 24301. Virginia venue is based on the county or city where the decedent had a known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443).
Do I have to go before a judge to be appointed in Pulaski County?
Usually no. In Virginia, the Clerk of the Circuit Court may admit a will and qualify the personal representative, which is Virginia's word for appointing and swearing in the executor or administrator (Va. Code § 64.2-444). A judge becomes involved if there is a contest, appeal or other court proceeding.
Does the Pulaski County clerk have its own probate forms?
No Pulaski-specific probate packet, checklist or cover sheet is published. Use the Virginia circuit court fiduciary forms, including CC-1650, CC-1611, CC-1625, CC-1670 and CC-1680 as needed.
Can I start a Pulaski County estate through VJEFS?
No. Pulaski participates in VJEFS for attorney civil submissions, but qualification as personal representative is a clerk process. Call the Pulaski clerk at (540) 980-7825 before you go.
Is there an online Pulaski County estate-file search?
No free public portal shows Pulaski County estate files. The county's SRA and OCRA links are land-records or authorized-user services, and the statewide Online Case Information System does not include Virginia probate files.
What will it cost to probate a will in Pulaski County?
The Commonwealth probate tax is 10 cents per $100 under Va. Code § 58.1-1712 for estates over the $15,000 exemption, figures from the 2003 statute, plus statutory qualification and recording charges. A county may add a local probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1718, so ask the Pulaski clerk whether that local charge applies and what payment method to bring.
Do I have to come to Pulaski in person?
The Pulaski clerk does not publish a mail or video qualification option. Before you travel, call (540) 980-7825 and ask what the clerk requires for your situation.
Where do I send the inventory and accounts after I qualify?
Send them to the commissioner of accounts, not to the clerk. The Judiciary's commissioner roster lists Pulaski commissioners with offices in the town of Pulaski. 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 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.