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Washington County, VT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Washington County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Washington Probate Division |
| Courthouse address | 65 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 |
| Mailing | Use 65 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. |
| Phone | 802-828-2091 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. Closed the fourth Wednesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training. |
| [email protected]. This is the unit mailbox for filings and questions; include the case number and the court in the subject line when there is already a case. | |
| Filing fee | $50.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less, $110.00 from $10,001 to $50,000, rising to $3,250.00 above $10,000,000, under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015. |
| County add-on forms | None. Washington County uses the statewide Vermont Judiciary probate forms. |
| E-filing | Vermont's courts, including the Probate Division, use a statewide e-filing system. The Judiciary is moving filers from Odyssey File & Serve to its new eFileVT platform, also called eFile & Serve. Attorneys and state agencies must e-file; a self-represented filer may e-file but is not required to, and may instead file in person, by mail or by email. |
| Case access | Vermont Judiciary Public Portal at portal.vtcourts.gov. Anonymous users can see Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries remotely; probate case information is available to the general public only at courthouse public access terminals. A party who registers and is granted elevated access can view their own probate case, its hearings and its filed materials online. The free Washington County Probate Division hearing calendar for the next 90 days is published at www.vtcourts.gov/court-calendars. |
| Remote appearance | Remote hearings by Zoom are used across the Vermont courts. Your hearing notice says whether your hearing is remote or in person; you can notify the court in writing to appear remotely instead, or ask permission in writing to appear in person, so that the court and the other party receive it at least three days before the hearing. |
| Website | www.vtcourts.gov/court-locations/washington-probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Montpelier, make a practical list of what the person owned, what debts may exist, and which institutions will need proof of your authority. Vermont issues two certificates of appointment with the letters of administration at no charge under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(b), and extra certificates cost $5.00 each under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(c), so knowing the institution list before you leave the register's office can save a return trip.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, insurance, benefits, and other assets before the inventory and estate settlement work begin. That is especially useful in Washington County because the filing office is in Montpelier and the register's office closes the fourth Wednesday morning of each month.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Washington County Probate Division at 65 State Street in Montpelier serves the whole county. Washington County includes the cities of Barre and Montpelier and the towns of Barre, Berlin, Cabot, Calais, Duxbury, East Montpelier, Fayston, Marshfield, Middlesex, Moretown, Northfield, Plainfield, Roxbury, Waitsfield, Warren, Waterbury, Woodbury, and Worcester.
For a Vermont resident, file in the county where the decedent lived at death under 4 V.S.A. § 311a(1). For a nonresident decedent who owned Vermont property, file where the property is situated under 4 V.S.A. § 311a(2). Probate and civil matters for Washington County use the Montpelier courthouse; the criminal and family divisions are at a separate Barre courthouse, so probate filings should go to Montpelier.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the statewide Vermont probate forms for the estate path. Most full estates start with form 700-00001, while a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 uses form 700-00001SM, Petition to Open Small Estate, 09/2023.
- File with the Washington County Probate Division at 65 State Street in Montpelier if the decedent lived in Washington County under 4 V.S.A. § 311a(1). You may file in person, use the courthouse drop box, mail the packet to the same address, email [email protected], or e-file if you choose or if you are required to e-file.
- Pay the graduated filing fee under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015. Checks and money orders are made out to Vermont Superior Court, cash is for in-person payment only, and the court may waive part of the filing fee under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(b) if it finds the applicant unable to pay.
- Plan around counter hours. The register's office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays, and is closed the fourth Wednesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training.
- Give notice and collect consents where possible. If everyone entitled to notice consents in writing, the will can be allowed without a hearing. A small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 can also move forward without further notice or hearing if the required notice is given and no objection is filed.
- If the court schedules a hearing, read the hearing notice for the date, place, and whether the hearing is remote or in person. The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Washington County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days.
- For a remote appearance issue, follow the hearing notice. If the hearing is in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court in writing; if it is remote and you want to appear in person, ask permission in writing. Either way, the court and the other party must receive it at least three days before the hearing.
- After appointment, use the letters of administration and the two certificates of appointment issued with them to contact banks, brokerages, insurers, employers, and agencies. Extra certificates cost $5.00 each under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(c).
- Administer the estate, complete the accounting or closing papers, and start the tax work early. Vermont will not let the estate close until the Department of Taxes issues a tax clearance, and the Probate Division will not issue the final decree of distribution until it has that clearance under 32 V.S.A. § 7454.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Washington County
The Washington County Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. There are no Washington County add-on forms and no county cover sheet: the same numbered 700-series forms are filed in all fourteen Vermont counties, and the Judiciary publishes them through its court forms page and its Estates, Wills, and Trusts page.
| Task | Forms commonly used |
|---|---|
| Open a full estate | 700-00001 Petition to Open Decedent's Estate, 700-00148 Notice of Appearance - Probate Division, 700-00002E List of Interested Persons for Estates, 700-00020 Estate Administration Bond, and 700-00008 Certificate of Service - Probate. |
| Open a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 | 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate, 09/2023, 700-0002E List of Interested Persons for Estates, 700-00030 Inventory Schedule, 700-00402 Affidavit of Paid & Outstanding Funeral Expenses and Debts for Small Estate, 700-00020PESM Small Estate Administration Bond, and 600-00264 Certificate of Service. |
| Nonresident fiduciary | 700-00026 Appointment of Resident Agent, used when a nonresident executor or administrator needs a Vermont resident agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904. |
| Creditors | PE 32 Notice to Creditors or 700-00033 Motion to Waive Notice to Creditors. |
| Sell estate real estate | 700-00035 Motion for License to Sell or Convey Real Estate and PE 43 Report on License to Sell, Convey, Mortgage or Lease Real Estate or Personal Property. |
| Close the estate | 700-00152 Fiduciary's Closing Report & Discharge, 700-00153 Receipt, or 700-00055 Report of Fiduciary of Small Estate. |
| Guide | 700-00302 Probating a Vermont Estate, 01/2026. |
If you e-file a fillable PDF, save it as a flat file first so the filing does not fail.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | File in Montpelier if the decedent lived in Washington County. A jointly held home may pass outside the estate, while the inventory and spouse notices sort out what belongs in the probate estate and what does not. | Sunset helps find accounts, policies, and benefits before the inventory is signed, so the surviving spouse can approach estate settlement with a clearer asset list. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | You can file by mail to 65 State Street, by email to [email protected], or by e-filing if you choose. A nonresident fiduciary needs an Appointment of Resident Agent and a Vermont resident agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904, and the small estate path is under 14 V.S.A. § 1901. | Sunset helps assemble the packet remotely and identify accounts before anyone decides whether a trip to Montpelier is necessary. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house sale means the estate will need the full estate process rather than the small estate path under 14 V.S.A. § 1901. A motion for license to sell real estate is filed in Montpelier, and that petition costs $100.00 under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26), in force since July 1, 2015. | Sunset helps locate and organize estate assets before the sale motion is filed, and can connect the family with a Vermont probate attorney for the real estate steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Access and Resource Center | Free court information for people without an attorney, including information about Vermont state court processes, help with Vermont state court forms, information about ways to get an attorney, and interpreter services. Staff do not provide legal advice. Case types include full estates and small estates under 14 V.S.A. § 1901. | 802-879-1185, [email protected]. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed court holidays. In-person support is by appointment at the Costello Courthouse, 32 Cherry Street, Burlington. |
| Vermont Judiciary Information Center | Use this statewide court information number when you do not know the case number or which court has the case. | 802-652-1900 |
| Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | Refers callers to Vermont attorneys for an initial consultation under the terms described by the Judiciary. | 800-639-7036 or the online referral form linked from the Judiciary's legal help page. |
| Vermont Association for Justice Lawyer Referral Service | Lets users search for an attorney by practice area and proximity to a ZIP code. The Judiciary notes that it does not set a consultation rate for this service. | Use the referral service linked from the Judiciary's legal help page. |
| VTLawHelp.org, Going Through Probate After Someone Died | Vermont probate self-help information for families handling estate settlement after a death. | vtlawhelp.org/going-through-probate |
| Vermont Department of Taxes | Handles the estate tax clearance application. The Probate Division needs tax clearance before the final decree of distribution under 32 V.S.A. § 7454, and the application is Form E-2A. | tax.vermont.gov |
When to hire an attorney
Vermont does not require a lawyer to open an estate, and any interested person may file the petition. Counsel is often worth the cost in Washington County when an estate has real estate to sell, a contested will or accounting, insolvency questions, tax clearance issues under 32 V.S.A. § 7454, or an out-of-state fiduciary who needs a resident agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904. Sunset connects the reader to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets
Sunset searches across institutions so families can identify accounts, insurance, benefits, and other assets before they file in Montpelier or complete the inventory.
Generate the probate packet
Sunset organizes the information needed for the Vermont probate forms, including the Washington County filing address, the statewide form set, and the estate settlement details families need before contacting the register's office.
Find a local probate attorney
When a Washington County estate involves a home sale, a dispute, a nonresident fiduciary, or tax clearance questions under 32 V.S.A. § 7454, Sunset can help connect the family with a vetted Vermont probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families
Families can use Sunset to understand the asset picture, prepare for probate, and decide what help they need without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Washington County, Vermont?
File with the Washington County Probate Division at 65 State Street in Montpelier if the decedent lived in Washington County at death under 4 V.S.A. § 311a(1). For a nonresident decedent with Vermont property, venue may be where the property is situated under 4 V.S.A. § 311a(2).
What are the counter hours at the Washington County Probate Division?
The office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. It is closed the fourth Wednesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training.
Is the Washington County Probate Division in Montpelier or Barre?
Probate is in Montpelier at 65 State Street. The Washington Criminal Division and Washington Family Division use a separate Barre courthouse, so probate filings and probate questions should go to the Montpelier court.
Can I file by mail or email instead of driving to Montpelier?
Yes. You may mail the packet to 65 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, email [email protected], or use e-filing if you choose or if you are required to e-file. When emailing about an existing case, include the case number and the court in the subject line.
Can I look up a Washington County probate case online?
The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal at portal.vtcourts.gov allows anonymous remote users to see Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries. Probate case information is available to the general public only at courthouse public access terminals. A party who registers and receives elevated access can view their own probate case, hearings, and filed materials online.
When does the Washington County Probate Division hold hearings?
The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Washington County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Washington County were scheduled on Wednesdays and Fridays, in the Washington Civil/Probate Courtroom 2 in Montpelier. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Do I have to appear in person, or can I appear remotely?
Your hearing notice says whether the hearing is remote by Zoom or in person. If the hearing is in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court in writing; if it is remote and you want to appear in person, ask permission in writing. The court and the other party must receive the notice or request at least three days before the hearing.
Are there Washington County probate forms?
Washington County uses the statewide Vermont Judiciary probate forms. There are no Washington County add-on forms or county cover sheet. For example, a full estate usually starts with 700-00001, while a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 uses 700-00001SM, Petition to Open Small Estate, 09/2023.
What does it cost to open an estate in Washington County?
The filing fee is the same in every Vermont county and is set by 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015. It is $50.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less, $110.00 from $10,001 to $50,000, and rises to $3,250.00 above $10,000,000.
I live out of state and my parent lived in Washington County. Do I have to travel to Vermont?
Not necessarily. A self-represented filer may file by mail, by email, or by e-filing instead of coming to Montpelier. If you will serve as a nonresident executor or administrator, Vermont requires a resident agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904, and the court decides whether to appoint a fiduciary who is not domiciled in Vermont.
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.