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City of Roanoke, VA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | City of Roanoke probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | City of Roanoke Circuit Court, Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court |
| Courthouse address | Roanoke City Courthouse, 315 Church Avenue SW, third floor, Room 357, Roanoke, VA 24016 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 2610, Roanoke, VA 24010-2610 |
| Probate phone | Estates Division: (540) 853-6711. Probate deputy clerks: (540) 853-6712. Main clerk's office: (540) 853-6702. |
| Fax | (540) 853-1024 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. The clerk's counter closes at 4:00 p.m. |
| Appointment | Required for all probate matters. Call the Estates Division at (540) 853-6711. |
| Probate tax and fees | The Commonwealth's probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value under Va. Code § 58.1-1712, with the $15,000 threshold in that section as amended in 2003. The City of Roanoke has imposed a local probate tax under Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805, and the clerk publishes the local rate as 3.33 cents per $100 of estate value. Qualification and recording charges are set by Virginia statute. |
| Local forms | No local probate form, packet, checklist or cover sheet is published. Use the statewide Virginia circuit court forms. |
| Electronic filing status | Attorney electronic filing in this court is for civil actions only. Probate qualification is handled by required in-person appointment with the clerk. |
| Case access | No free public website shows a City of Roanoke estate file. Wills and probate records are searchable in person in the public records room on the third floor. The clerk also offers a paid secure remote access subscription to recorded documents. |
| Remote appearance | No current remote qualification option is published. Virginia circuit courts may allow telephone or video participation in a civil proceeding at the court's discretion under Va. Code § 17.1-513.2, but qualification before the clerk is normally an in-person appointment. |
| Website | https://www.roanokeva.gov/818/Probate and https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/roanoke_city/home |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you call the clerk, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, addresses, heirs and beneficiaries. The City of Roanoke clerk asks for estimated values of Virginia real estate and personal property, including tangible property and financial accounts, at the qualification appointment, so asset discovery is part of estate settlement before the courthouse visit.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property before deciding whether qualification is needed. That preparation also helps you estimate the probate tax, identify whether a will must be admitted, and know what to bring to Room 357 at the Roanoke City Courthouse.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The City of Roanoke is an independent city and is in no county. One clerk's counter serves the whole city: the Office of the Clerk of Circuit Court at the Roanoke City Courthouse, 315 Church Avenue SW, third floor, Room 357. No satellite probate location is published.
The City of Roanoke, Roanoke County and the City of Salem are three separate jurisdictions in the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit. Roanoke County's courthouse is in Salem, and the City of Salem has its own clerk in Salem. A City of Roanoke estate belongs at 315 Church Avenue SW, not at either Salem counter.
Virginia venue turns on the decedent's known place of 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 a person became a patient in a nursing home, convalescent home or similar institution, Virginia law rebuttably presumes the person's legal residence stayed where it was before that move (§ 64.2-443). That matters in the Roanoke Valley, because someone who lived in the City of Roanoke but died in a facility in Roanoke County or Salem may still be a City of Roanoke decedent.
The jurisdiction process
- Call the clerk's Estates Division at (540) 853-6711 to book the required probate appointment. The clerk says appointments are required for all probate matters.
- Gather the documents the clerk asks for: the original will if one exists, a certified copy of the death certificate, the decedent's full name, age, address, place and date of death, marital status, estimated values of Virginia real estate and personal property, and the names, ages, addresses and degrees of kinship of the heirs at law.
- Use the statewide circuit court forms rather than a local City of Roanoke packet. Common forms include CC-1650 for probate information, CC-1611 for the list of heirs, CC-1610 for a nonresident fiduciary's consent to service of process, CC-1625 for the certificate of qualification, CC-1670 for the inventory, and CC-1680 for the account.
- Appear at Room 357 on the third floor of the Roanoke City Courthouse. In Virginia, the clerk or a deputy clerk may admit the will to probate and qualify the personal representative, which is Virginia's word for being appointed and sworn in (Va. Code § 64.2-444).
- Pay the taxes and clerk charges collected at the appointment. The Commonwealth's probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value under Va. Code § 58.1-1712, with the $15,000 threshold in that section as amended in 2003. The City of Roanoke also imposes a local probate tax under Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805, published by the clerk as 3.33 cents per $100 of estate value.
- Receive certified authority from the clerk. The authority document is the certificate of qualification, and Virginia law gives a certificate of qualification the same effect as probate or letters of administration made out in due form (Va. Code § 64.2-506).
- Send notice of probate or qualification to the people entitled to notice within 30 days, then record the affidavit of notice with the clerk within four months (Va. Code § 64.2-508). In the City of Roanoke, that affidavit comes back to the clerk's office.
- Send the inventory to the commissioner of accounts, not to the clerk's counter. The commissioner of accounts supervises fiduciaries after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1200), and the inventory is due within four months after the order conferring authority (Va. Code § 64.2-1300).
- Administer the estate, pay valid expenses and claims, and account to the commissioner of accounts. The first account for a personal representative is due within 16 months from qualification and covers the first 12 months (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
- Close through the commissioner of accounts when the estate is ready. Many Virginia estates close through an account or a statement in lieu where the statute permits it, and estate settlement is complete only after the final accounting path is accepted and distributions are finished.
Executor duties
| Local duty | What it means in the City of Roanoke |
|---|---|
| Use the right office after qualification | The inventory and accounts go to the commissioner of accounts for the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit, whose office is separate from the clerk's counter. The commissioner of accounts supervises fiduciaries under Va. Code § 64.2-1200. |
| Return the notice affidavit to the clerk | The affidavit proving notice of probate or qualification comes back to the City of Roanoke clerk within four months under Va. Code § 64.2-508. This is different from the inventory, which goes to the commissioner of accounts under Va. Code § 64.2-1300. |
| Track the accounting deadline | The first account is due to the commissioner of accounts within 16 months from qualification and covers the first 12 months (Va. Code § 64.2-1304). |
| Get certified copies locally | Certified copies of the certificate of qualification come from the City of Roanoke clerk. Copies are fifty cents per page, and certification is two dollars per document. |
| Search recorded wills in person | Wills probated in this office are searchable in the public records room on the third floor of the Roanoke City Courthouse, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. |
| Compensation | Personal representative compensation is reviewed in the accounting process by the commissioner of accounts. Do not assume a percentage until the commissioner has reviewed the estate. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in the City of Roanoke
The City of Roanoke clerk publishes no local probate form, packet, checklist or probate cover sheet. The clerk publishes probate instructions, taxes and fees, and estate administration questions, but probate forms here are the statewide Virginia circuit court forms.
| Form | Use in a City of Roanoke estate |
|---|---|
| CC-1650 | Probate Information Form, used to prepare for the clerk's appointment. |
| CC-1651 | Probate Tax Return, used when Va. Code § 58.1-1714 requires the probate tax return for an estate above the $15,000 threshold in Va. Code § 58.1-1712, as amended in 2003. |
| CC-1611 | List of Heirs, filed at qualification or when a will is presented and nobody qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-509). |
| CC-1610 | Consent of Nonresident Fiduciary for Service of Process, used when a nonresident qualifies (Va. Code § 64.2-1426). |
| CC-1616 and CC-1617 | Notice Regarding Estate and Affidavit of Notice Regarding Estate, used for the required notice and proof under Va. Code § 64.2-508. |
| CC-1625 | Certificate / Letter of Qualification, the authority document the clerk issues after qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-506). |
| CC-1670 | Inventory of Decedent's Estate, due to the commissioner of accounts within four months after authority is conferred (Va. Code § 64.2-1300). |
| CC-1680 | Account for Decedent's Estate, used for the personal representative's account due within 16 months from qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304). |
| CC-1681 | Statement in Lieu of Settlement of Account for Decedent's Estate, used only where Virginia law permits that closing route. |
| CC-1685, CC-1686 and CC-1687 | Statewide forms for the small estate affidavit and the optional creditor notice process created or revised in July 2026. The small estate affidavit is presented to the holder of a small asset, not filed with the clerk. |
Statewide forms index: https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/home. Virginia Judiciary self-help probate forms: https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/page/37/probate-forms.
Fees
| Item | City of Roanoke rule |
|---|---|
| State probate tax | The Commonwealth's probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. The $15,000 threshold in that section is the 2003 statutory figure. |
| Local probate tax | The City of Roanoke has imposed the local probate tax authorized by Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805. The clerk publishes the local rate as 3.33 cents per $100 of estate value, which is one third of the Commonwealth's 10 cents per $100 under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. The clerk collects the state and local probate tax at the appointment. |
| Payment methods | The clerk accepts cash, check, or Visa or MasterCard. Card service fees have been in force since July 1, 2012: two dollars on charges of fifty dollars and under, and four percent on charges over fifty dollars. |
| Copies and certification | Copies are fifty cents per page, and certification is two dollars per document. |
| Qualification and recording charges | The qualification fee and recording fee are set by Virginia statute, not by the City of Roanoke. Ask the clerk for the current total when booking the required appointment, because the clerk also collects the probate tax. |
| Commissioner of accounts fees | The commissioner of accounts may charge fees for reviewing inventories and accounts. The appointing circuit court sets the schedule, and no City of Roanoke commissioner fee schedule is published on the clerk's probate pages. Ask the commissioner's office or the clerk for the schedule in effect. |
Local nuance
City of Roanoke-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Appointments are required | The clerk says appointments are required for all probate matters. Call the Estates Division at (540) 853-6711. |
| The counter closes at 4:00 p.m. | The clerk's hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. Plan around the early closing time. |
| The city and county are different | The City of Roanoke is not Roanoke County. Roanoke County's courthouse is in Salem, and the City of Salem also has its own clerk. A City of Roanoke estate is opened at 315 Church Avenue SW. |
| Local probate tax is imposed | The clerk publishes a City of Roanoke local probate tax of 3.33 cents per $100 of estate value under the local authority in Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805, collected with the Commonwealth probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1712. |
| No local probate packet | The clerk publishes probate instructions and questions, but no local probate form, packet, checklist or probate cover sheet. Use the statewide circuit court forms. |
| Public records room | Wills probated by this clerk are searchable in person in the public records room on the third floor of the Roanoke City Courthouse. The room is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. |
| Paid remote document subscription | The clerk offers a paid secure remote access subscription to recorded documents, currently six hundred dollars a year with a notarized application. The clerk's published coverage includes wills and fiduciary records indexed and imaged from August 1, 2000, with older wills on a second system. |
| Attorney remote access | Remote case-file access through the clerk's officers-of-the-court subscription is for attorneys and approved users, not the public or a self-represented personal representative. |
| Courthouse security | The judges of the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit entered a June 2026 standing order setting courthouse security and conduct rules for the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County and City of Salem courthouses. Ask about phones and devices when booking. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| June 29, 2026 | The judges of the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit entered a standing order setting one set of rules for security screening, use of portable electronic devices, food and drink, and dress and conduct at the City of Roanoke, Roanoke County and City of Salem courthouses. The order supersedes the April 28, 2025 standing order. Photography, recording and live streaming require advance court permission. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Call the clerk's Estates Division at (540) 853-6711 and book the required appointment in Room 357. Bring the original will if any, a certified death certificate, estimated asset values and heir information. If the home passes by survivorship, the main probate question is usually the personal property that remains. If qualification is needed, the clerk can qualify the spouse at the appointment, collect the Commonwealth probate tax under Va. Code § 58.1-1712 and the City of Roanoke local probate tax under Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805, and issue the certificate of qualification. | Sunset helps identify accounts, insurance and other assets before the appointment, generates the probate packet, and helps decide whether a local attorney should review the survivorship and title issues. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the parent had a known place of residence in the City of Roanoke, venue stays with this clerk (Va. Code § 64.2-443), even if death occurred in a facility in Roanoke County or Salem. A nonresident can serve, but should expect to sign the nonresident consent to service of process under Va. Code § 64.2-1426 and to discuss bond and surety at the counter. Because appointments are required and the clerk closes at 4:00 p.m., plan travel around the booking. Do not drive to Salem for a City of Roanoke estate. | Sunset helps check whether a route that avoids qualification may work, organizes the assets and family information, and connects an out-of-state child with a Virginia probate attorney if travel, surety or creditor issues make the appointment more complicated. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Call before acting, because selling a City of Roanoke house through the estate can require qualification, a power of sale analysis, land-record recording and commissioner of accounts oversight. The clerk is also the recorder for the city, and recorded wills can be searched in the public records room. The inventory and later accounting go to the commissioner of accounts, and the first account is due within 16 months from qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304). | Sunset helps build the asset picture, prepare the packet, track estate settlement tasks, and connect the parent with a vetted Virginia probate attorney for title, sale and accounting questions. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| City of Roanoke Circuit Court Clerk's Office, probate section | The clerk's own probate pages explain required appointments, taxes and fees, the steps to have a will admitted, and estate administration questions. Deputy clerks give procedural instructions, not legal advice. | Estates Division (540) 853-6711. Probate deputy clerks (540) 853-6712. Main office (540) 853-6702. Roanoke City Courthouse, 315 Church Avenue SW, third floor, Room 357, Roanoke, VA 24016. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. https://www.roanokeva.gov/818/Probate |
| Probate taxes and fees, City of Roanoke clerk | The clerk's page lists what is collected at the probate appointment, including the City of Roanoke local probate tax. Ask about the current total when booking. | https://www.roanokeva.gov/824/Probate-Taxes-Fees |
| City of Roanoke Circuit Court, Virginia Judiciary page | The Judiciary page lists counter hours, phone and fax numbers, address, judges, terms of court and court information for the City of Roanoke Circuit Court. | https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/roanoke_city/home |
| Commissioners of Accounts directory | The statewide Judiciary directory identifies the commissioner of accounts who supervises the inventory and accounts after qualification. Search by the City of Roanoke. | https://www.vacourts.gov/courts/circuit/resources/coa/home |
| Circuit court forms, Virginia Judiciary | The statewide circuit court form set used for City of Roanoke probate steps, including probate information, list of heirs, inventory and account forms. | https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/home |
| Virginia Judiciary self-help probate forms | A plain-language index to Virginia probate forms and what each one is for. | https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/page/37/probate-forms |
| Public records room, City of Roanoke Circuit Court | Wills probated in this office can be searched free and in person on the third floor of the courthouse. Copies are fifty cents a page and certification is two dollars per document. | Roanoke City Courthouse, third floor. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. https://www.roanokeva.gov/840/Public-Records-Room |
| Blue Ridge Legal Services, Roanoke office | Free civil legal help for qualifying low-income residents. Its own page names the City of Roanoke in its service area. Its listed case types do not include decedent estate administration, so ask at intake before assuming it can help with an estate. | 132 Campbell Avenue SW, Suite 300, Roanoke, VA 24011. (540) 344-2080. Toll-free for clients (866) 534-5243. Apply by phone between 9:00 and 11:45 a.m. or between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or apply online. https://brls.org/roanoke-office/ |
When to hire an attorney
You can handle many City of Roanoke probate appointments without a lawyer, but counsel makes sense when a house must be sold, a will lacks a self-proving clause, a handwritten will must be proved, a nonresident personal representative is asked for surety, creditor issues need a formal path, the commissioner of accounts directs a disputed claim into circuit court, or family members disagree about the will or the person seeking qualification. The clerk's staff can give procedural information but cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects families with a vetted Virginia probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, retirement plans, life insurance, investments and other property before the City of Roanoke probate appointment. Better asset information makes estate settlement faster and helps you estimate the probate tax before you call the clerk.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps turn the family and asset information into the forms and checklists you need for the clerk's required appointment, including the statewide Virginia circuit court forms used in the City of Roanoke.
Find a local probate attorney. When a sale, creditor issue, nonresident fiduciary question or accounting problem needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Virginia probate attorney who understands the City of Roanoke clerk and the commissioner of accounts process.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are free for families. The goal is to help you find the assets, understand the local courthouse steps and move from appointment to final distribution with less uncertainty.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in the City of Roanoke?
File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Roanoke City Courthouse, 315 Church Avenue SW, third floor, Room 357, Roanoke, VA 24016. Call the Estates Division at (540) 853-6711 before going, because appointments are required for all probate matters.
Do I need an appointment to probate a will in the City of Roanoke?
Yes. The clerk says appointments are required for probate and for all probate matters. Book by calling the Estates Division at (540) 853-6711 during clerk's office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What should I bring to my City of Roanoke probate appointment?
Bring the original will if one exists, a certified copy of the death certificate, the decedent's full name, age, address, place and date of death, marital status, estimated values of Virginia real estate and personal property, and the names, ages, addresses and degrees of kinship of the heirs at law.
How long does a City of Roanoke probate appointment take?
The clerk says the appointment usually takes less than one hour. The time depends on the number of people seeking qualification, cooperation among them, familiarity with the estate, whether surety is required on the bond, and whether witnesses are needed to prove the will.
Does the City of Roanoke charge a local probate tax?
Yes. The Commonwealth's probate tax is 10 cents per $100 of estate value under Va. Code § 58.1-1712, with the $15,000 threshold in that section as amended in 2003. The City of Roanoke also imposes a local probate tax under Va. Code §§ 58.1-1718 and 58.1-3805, and the clerk publishes the local rate as 3.33 cents per $100 of estate value.
Is this a City of Roanoke estate or a Roanoke County estate?
Use the decedent's known place of residence (Va. Code § 64.2-443). If the decedent lived inside the city limits of Roanoke, the estate belongs with the City of Roanoke clerk at 315 Church Avenue SW. Roanoke County is a separate jurisdiction with a separate clerk, and its courthouse is in Salem.
Are there local probate forms in the City of Roanoke?
No local probate form, packet, checklist or probate cover sheet is published by the clerk. Use the statewide Virginia circuit court forms at https://www.vacourts.gov/forms/circuit/home.
Can I see a City of Roanoke estate file on a free public website?
No free public website shows a Virginia estate file. Wills probated in the City of Roanoke clerk's office are searchable in person in the public records room on the third floor of the Roanoke City Courthouse. The clerk also offers a paid secure remote access subscription to recorded documents, but that is not a free public case portal.
Where do I send the inventory and annual accounts?
Send the inventory and accounts to the commissioner of accounts for the Twenty-third Judicial Circuit, not to the clerk's probate counter. The commissioner of accounts supervises fiduciaries under Va. Code § 64.2-1200. The inventory is due within four months after authority is conferred (Va. Code § 64.2-1300), and the first account is due within 16 months from qualification (Va. Code § 64.2-1304).
Do I have to travel to Roanoke if I live out of state?
Often, yes, if qualification is needed, because the City of Roanoke clerk publishes probate as an in-person appointment process. A nonresident can serve as personal representative but must file written consent to service of process under Va. Code § 64.2-1426. Call the Estates Division at (540) 853-6711 before making travel plans.
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