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San Juan County, WA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | The Superior Court in San Juan County. There is no separate probate court in Washington; the superior court is the general trial court and handles probate as a case type under RCW Title 11, and the county's own Superior Court page lists probate, trust, and guardianship matters among the cases it hears. San Juan County is not in a joint judicial district: RCW 2.08.065 provides one superior court judge for San Juan County and two for Island County. When the elected judge is not sitting, Island County Superior Court, as the court designated by Washington Supreme Court Order 25700-B-548, assigns a visiting judge, and the session is still held in the San Juan County courtroom at 350 Court Street with the San Juan County Clerk keeping the record (LCR 77(o)). The court has no standing court commissioner and appoints pro tem commissioners as needed (LCR 53.2(a)) |
| Filing office | The San Juan County Clerk, the Clerk of the Superior Court. This is the office that takes the petition, lodges the will, issues letters, and keeps the county's estate records |
| Courthouse | San Juan County Courthouse, 350 Court Street, second floor, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. The county's own directions start at the ferry landing in Friday Harbor: walk up Spring Street and turn right on First Street to the courthouse, or, if driving, follow First Street to Court Street and Second Street to the parking lot between the courthouse and the San Juan Community Theater |
| Mailing address | 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, the County Clerk's designation, which is where probate filings and clerk correspondence go. The number matters: the other offices in the same courthouse publish their own designations, and San Juan County District Court, which does not handle probate, uses a separate PO Box 127, so address probate mail to the Clerk at No. 7. There is no PO Box for the Clerk |
| Phone | (360) 378-2163, the San Juan County Clerk's line in Friday Harbor. Superior Court Administration, which sets special set hearing dates and handles remote hearing information, is published at (360) 378-2399 and (360) 370-7480. The Clerk's Office does not give out special set hearing dates (LCR 77(q)) |
| Fax | (360) 378-3967, the County Clerk's fax, matching the courts.wa.gov directory. Superior Court Administration publishes a different fax, (360) 370-7485. Documents may be filed by fax under GR 17 and LCR 78(h) with the statutory fax fee, but the Clerk's own fax filing instructions say documents that require a filing fee will not be accepted by fax, which rules out a new probate petition, and documents over 10 pages need the Clerk's prior approval |
| [email protected], the office mailbox the county publishes for the Clerk's Office. It doubles as the Clerk's e-filing email address for ex parte submissions, which cannot go through the e-filing system | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch, per the county's own Clerk page. Filing hours match, and anything received outside them, on paper or electronically, is treated as received at the beginning of the next business day. The public access terminal for viewing case files runs 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the same lunch closure, a half hour tighter than the counter |
| Filing fee | $290 to open a probate, set by statute and the same in every county: a $200 filing fee plus a $40 surcharge and a $50 surcharge (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)); fee waivers are available for filers who cannot afford the fee (GR 34). San Juan County's own fee schedule, revised May 6, 2026 and effective June 11, 2026, lists the probate filing fee at $290. Confirm the current schedule with the San Juan County Clerk |
| Local forms | No local probate forms, and no statewide probate form set either (verified July 2026 on the courts.wa.gov Court Forms index, which has no probate category). The Clerk publishes three local forms a probate filer may touch: a Fax Filings Cover Sheet, a Will Repository Cover Sheet for depositing a will during the testator's lifetime, and a Document Request form for copies of court records. WashingtonLawHelp publishes the plain-language self-help packets |
| E-filing | Yes, and mandatory for attorneys. Under LGR 30(a)(1) of the current local rules, attorneys shall e-file all documents through the Clerk's online e-filing application, which the county identifies as eFileWA, while unrepresented parties are not required to e-file but may. An attorney who cannot comply may ask for a waiver by court order for good cause (LGR 30(a)(4)). Original paper wills and codicils, including a will only filing and a new probate case that includes an original paper will, must be filed on paper (LGR 30(a)(2)), as must exhibits and certified records for appeal. Ex parte matters cannot be submitted through the e-filing system and are emailed to the Clerk instead. The county states there is no charge to use the system beyond statutory filing fees and a 2.89 percent transaction fee on card payments |
| Case search | San Juan County is covered by Odyssey Portal, the current public case search for Washington superior courts (https://odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov/odyportal). The statewide index at https://dw.courts.wa.gov/ also reaches superior court cases, but it carries its own notice that dockets and case status may be inaccurate and directs users to Odyssey Portal or the court of record. For documents, the Clerk offers San Juan County Superior Court Portal registration for non-confidential cases, an annual fee-based Odyssey Portal subscription for frequent users, a no-fee public access terminal at the Clerk's Office, and a Document Request form |
| Hearing dates | Probate matters are heard on the court's published calendars, not on a separate probate docket. Under LCR 77(r) the Tuesday 10:30 a.m. calendar is ex parte matters and civil law and motion, and any motion in a pending civil case, expressly including trust and estate matters, that will take 15 minutes or less may be set there by filing a notice of hearing with no permission needed from Superior Court Administration. Ex parte matters may also be presented in chambers on Wednesday and Thursday at 1:15 p.m. Anything expected to take more than 15 minutes is a special set hearing arranged through Superior Court Administration (LCR 8(g)), and Fridays are reserved for trials and in-custody matters. Confirm the current calendar before you rely on a time |
| Remote appearance | Broadly available. Under LCR 77(s)(1) parties and attorneys may appear remotely by telephone or video through the court's official remote hearing platform for any proceeding other than a civil jury trial, unless the court orders otherwise, and Superior Court Administration posts connection information on the court's website. The platform is Microsoft Teams. The courtroom stays physically open as well; the county's separate audio live stream was discontinued on April 1, 2026 |
| Website | https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/184/County-Clerk (the County Clerk's own page, with hours, contacts, the fee schedule, e-filing and ex parte instructions, and the court calendar) and https://www.courts.wa.gov/court_dir/orgs/287.html (the courts.wa.gov directory entry for San Juan County) |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything with the San Juan County Clerk, know exactly what is in the estate. Which Washington route fits depends on whether there is a will, on who is entitled to be appointed, and on the value and type of the assets, because a full probate with letters testamentary or letters of administration, an unsupervised administration under nonintervention powers (RCW 11.68.011), and a small estate affidavit that opens no court case (RCW 11.62.010) are different routes with different filings. Those routes and their thresholds are statewide and are explained on the Washington state page. Identify the estate first so you, and if needed your attorney, file the right papers once, because a correction that takes a second trip to Friday Harbor costs a ferry crossing rather than an afternoon.
Identify every bank and credit union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life insurance policy, vehicle, boat, and parcel of real property, along with every debt, before you file. How each asset is titled decides which route you need: the small estate affidavit reaches personal property only, while a house on San Juan, Orcas, or Lopez, waterfront acreage, or any other real property generally requires a probate in the superior court so that a personal representative has authority to sign a deed. Knowing the debts matters too, because nonintervention powers are granted only if the court finds the estate solvent (RCW 11.68.011). Sunset's asset discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The San Juan County Clerk, the Clerk of the Superior Court, is the single probate filing office for all of San Juan County, at one counter on the second floor of the San Juan County Courthouse at 350 Court Street in Friday Harbor. There is no second location and no branch counter. The office serves the whole archipelago: San Juan Island, including Friday Harbor, the county seat and its only incorporated town, and Roche Harbor and the west side; Orcas Island, including Eastsound, Deer Harbor, Olga, and Orcas Village; Lopez Island; Shaw Island; and the smaller islands, among them Waldron, Decatur, Blakely, Center, Stuart, and Obstruction. Estates from every island are filed here, electronically through eFileWA, in person at the counter, or by mail to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250.
San Juan County has its own superior court bench. RCW 2.08.065 provides one judge of the superior court for San Juan County and two for Island County, so this is not one of Washington's joint judicial districts; the two positions that once served San Juan and Island counties jointly were allocated to Island County under 2007 c 95 when the San Juan County judge took office. One narrow connection to Island County is current and worth knowing: when the elected judge is not sitting on a case, Island County Superior Court, as the court designated by Washington Supreme Court Order 25700-B-548, assigns a visiting judge from any Washington superior court, and unless the parties stipulate otherwise the session is held in the San Juan County courtroom at 350 Court Street with the San Juan County Clerk administering and recording it (LCR 77(o)). Hearings involving a visiting judge are all specially set through Superior Court Administration. Either way the case is a San Juan County case, filed with the San Juan County Clerk and kept in the San Juan County records.
Washington law lets the petitioner file a probate in the superior court of any county in the state (RCW 11.96A.050(4)), but in practice you file in the county where the decedent lived: an interested party can move venue there within four months of the notice of appointment, and if the probate is filed outside the county of residence the creditor notice must still be published in the county of residence (RCW 11.40.020(2)). So if the person who died lived in San Juan County, file with the San Juan County Clerk. One narrow exception is not optional: a petitioner who seeks appointment under RCW 11.28.120(3), the route for a person not otherwise entitled that opens only after 90 days, must file where the decedent resided, or, for a nonresident, in a county where estate property is. Once letters have been granted, the rest of the probate stays in that county (RCW 11.96A.050(5)).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the documents. Collect the original signed will if there is one, a certified copy of the death certificate, the proposed personal representative's contact information and identification, the names, ages, and addresses of the heirs, legatees, and devisees, and a list of the assets and debts with values. Washington's term for the person who settles the estate is personal representative: a will-named personal representative is often called an executor and a court-appointed one an administrator, but the statutory term is the same for both.
- Decide what you are asking the court for. With a will, the petition asks the court to admit the will to probate and issue letters testamentary, and the court may hear the proofs and enter an order establishing the will (RCW 11.20.020). With no will, the application asks for letters of administration in the priority order set by RCW 11.28.120(1), and since June 11, 2026 the application must also set out the details of the applicant's reasonable search for the heirs (RCW 11.28.110, as amended by 2026 c 204). Most Washington personal representatives also ask for nonintervention powers, which let a solvent estate be administered and closed without further court supervision (RCW 11.68.011). These statewide routes are covered on the Washington state page.
- Prepare the papers. Washington has no statewide probate form set, so the petition, the order, the oath, and the notices are drafted documents rather than fill-in forms, and San Juan County publishes no local probate forms of its own. If your matter will be presented on a motion calendar, LCR 7(b) asks that motions state the relief requested, the grounds, the issues, the evidence relied on, and the legal authority, and LCR 7(h) requires the proposed order to be a separate document from the motion. WashingtonLawHelp publishes the plain-language packets a self-represented filer can work from, including the small estate affidavit kit.
- File with the San Juan County Clerk. Attorneys must e-file through eFileWA, the Clerk's online e-filing application (LGR 30(a)(1)); an unrepresented filer may e-file or file on paper. Paper filings go to the counter on the second floor of the courthouse at 350 Court Street in Friday Harbor, open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed from noon to 1 p.m., or by mail to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Watch one probate-specific rule: an original paper will or codicil must be filed on paper, including a will only filing and a new probate case that includes an original paper will (LGR 30(a)(2)), so an e-filing attorney still delivers the original will to the Clerk. Anything received after 4:30 p.m. is treated as received the next business day, and a new petition cannot be faxed, because the Clerk does not accept fee-bearing documents by fax. Call (360) 378-2163 before you mail an original will.
- Pay the filing fee. Opening a probate costs $290, set by statute and the same in every Washington county: a $200 filing fee plus a $40 surcharge and a $50 surcharge (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)), and San Juan County's own fee schedule lists the same figure. A filer who cannot afford the fee can ask the court to waive it under GR 34. The Clerk takes cash, cashier's check, law firm check, money order, or personal check, and card payments run through Point and Pay for a processing fee; e-filed payments carry a 2.89 percent card transaction fee. The small estate affidavit route under RCW 11.62.010 is not filed with the Clerk at all, so it carries no court filing fee.
- Give the required notices. Within 20 days after appointment the personal representative or the estate's attorney must mail or personally serve written notice of the appointment and the pendency of the probate on each heir, legatee, and devisee, and on each known beneficiary or transferee of a nonprobate asset, and file proof of mailing with the San Juan County Clerk (RCW 11.28.237(1)). If you give notice to creditors, the notice is filed with the court and published once each week for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county where the estate is administered (RCW 11.40.020(1)); ask the Clerk which newspapers qualify for a San Juan County estate and confirm the schedule and cost with the paper before you count on a date, because first publication starts the four-month claim period (RCW 11.40.051). If the probate was filed in another county, the Clerk charges $20 to file the creditor notice here under RCW 11.40.020(2).
- Get a court date if your matter needs one. Many probate orders are presented ex parte rather than at a contested hearing. Ex parte matters are heard in the courtroom on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the start of the civil law and motion calendar, and may also be presented to the judge in chambers on Wednesday and Thursday at 1:15 p.m. (LCR 77(r)). To use the Tuesday calendar, email the motion, supporting declarations, and proposed order to the Clerk at [email protected], get an acknowledgment by reply, say in the email that you intend to present the matter on that calendar, and be present when ex parte matters are called; documents must be acknowledged by 9 a.m. that day. An ex parte request handled without an appearance carries a $30 fee and is addressed within two business days of receipt and payment. A contested motion of 15 minutes or less is noted on the Tuesday civil law and motion calendar, and anything longer is specially set through Superior Court Administration (LCR 8(g)); notices for the law and motion calendar are filed with the Clerk no later than 4:30 p.m. seven days before the hearing (LCR 5(e)). Courtesy copies for the judge go to Superior Court Administration when the documents are filed, by email up to 100 pages (LCR 8(h)).
- Appear in person or remotely. Under LCR 77(s)(1) parties and attorneys may appear by telephone or video through the court's official remote hearing platform, Microsoft Teams, for any proceeding other than a civil jury trial, unless the court orders otherwise, and Superior Court Administration posts the connection information on the court's website. That is the practical answer for an heir on Orcas or Lopez, or out of state, who would otherwise take a ferry to Friday Harbor for a ten-minute order.
- Receive the letters. On appointment the court issues letters testamentary where there is a will, or letters of administration where there is not, and the San Juan County Clerk issues certified copies. A certified copy of the letters is what banks, transfer agents, and title companies rely on, so order enough for the institutions the estate deals with: the Clerk's schedule charges $5 for a certificate of qualification or certified copy of letters (RCW 36.18.016(9)) and $5 for the first page of a certified copy plus $1 for each additional page (RCW 36.18.016(4)). If you are asking the Clerk to mail anything back, LCR 78(g) asks you to include a self addressed stamped envelope.
- Administer and close. Inventory the assets, pay valid claims in the order set by law, handle the four-month creditor period (RCW 11.40.051), file any Washington estate tax return that is required (chapter 83.100 RCW), distribute what remains, and close the estate. A personal representative with nonintervention powers closes by declaration of completion rather than by a court accounting (RCW 11.68), while a supervised estate returns to the court for approval. If a dispute arises, San Juan County has a local rule for it: proceedings under the Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act are noted at least 20 days after the petition is filed and served, on the civil law and motion calendar if the hearing will take 15 minutes or less and as a special set hearing if longer (LCR 96).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in San Juan County
San Juan County publishes no local probate forms, and Washington publishes no statewide probate form set either. That is worth stating plainly, because filers arrive expecting a packet. The courts.wa.gov Court Forms index has categories for family law, guardianships and conservatorships, criminal, behavioral health, juvenile, financial, protection orders, and access to the courts, among others, and no probate category (verified July 2026). Washington probate pleadings, the petition, the order admitting the will, the oath, the notice of appointment, and the declaration of completion, are drafted by the filer or the attorney. Superior Court Administration's forms page publishes only a judgment worksheet.
Three local Clerk forms do touch probate work. The Fax Filings Cover Sheet goes with any document filed by fax under GR 17 and LCR 78(h), though the Clerk's fax instructions say a document that requires a filing fee will not be accepted by fax. The Will Repository Cover Sheet is used to deposit a will or codicil with the Clerk during the testator's lifetime, and its withdrawal box includes converting the deposit to a probate, which is how a will already on deposit here becomes part of a case. The Document Request form is how you order copies of court records. The GR 34 fee waiver forms are on the courts.wa.gov forms pages if you cannot afford the $290 filing fee (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)). WashingtonLawHelp publishes the practical self-help packets, including the small estate affidavit kit for the no-court-case route under RCW 11.62.010, which the Clerk's own fee schedule points readers to as well. Ask the San Juan County Clerk at (360) 378-2163 what the office wants on intake before you file.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| San Juan County Clerk (sanjuancountywa.gov) | The county's own page: hours, contacts, the fee schedule, the fax filing and will repository cover sheets, e-filing and ex parte instructions, and the court calendar |
| San Juan County e-filing instructions (sanjuancountywa.gov) | How eFileWA works here: mandatory for attorneys, optional for unrepresented filers, filing hours, and the documents that cannot be e-filed, including original paper wills |
| Washington Courts court forms (courts.wa.gov) | The statewide case cover sheets and the GR 34 fee waiver forms. There is no probate category here, which is the point: Washington has no statewide probate forms |
| WashingtonLawHelp (washingtonlawhelp.org) | Plain-language Washington probate self-help, including the guide to managing a small estate yourself and the small estate affidavit packet (RCW 11.62.010) |
| San Juan County Superior Court local rules (courts.wa.gov) | The current local rules, effective September 1, 2025, including LGR 30 on e-filing, LCR 77(r) on the calendars, LCR 78 on the Clerk, and LCR 96 on trust and estate disputes |
Fees
The $290 to open a probate is statutory and identical in every Washington county (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)), and San Juan County adds nothing to it. What the county does publish is its own Clerk fee schedule, revised May 6, 2026 and effective June 11, 2026, and several of its lines show up in an ordinary island probate. Fees are non-refundable and, except for state and county filers, are paid in advance (RCW 36.18.060). Card payments run through Point and Pay for a processing fee, and payments made inside the e-filing system carry a 2.89 percent card transaction fee.
| Item | Charge in San Juan County |
|---|---|
| Ex parte presentation without an appearance | $30 (RCW 36.18.016(12), LCR 78(i)). No fee is charged if you present the matter yourself on the Tuesday civil law and motion calendar, if the fee is waived under GR 34, or if the matter has been assigned to a visiting judge. An emailed ex parte request is addressed within two business days of receipt and confirmation of the fee |
| Certificate of qualification or certified copy of letters | $5 (RCW 36.18.016(9)); the county's schedule groups this with the letters it issues on appointment |
| Certified copy of a document | $5 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page (RCW 36.18.016(4)(a)) |
| Plain or emailed copies | $0.50 per page (RCW 36.18.016(4)(c)); a digitally recorded hearing is $25 per hearing link |
| Filing by fax | $5 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page (RCW 36.18.016(19)), with no charge for the cover sheet and fees due within one business day. The Clerk does not accept documents by fax that require a filing fee, so a new probate petition cannot be faxed, and anything over 10 pages needs prior approval |
| Creditor notice filed here when the probate is in another county | $20 (RCW 11.40.020(2), RCW 36.18.050), the local charge that matches the venue rule requiring publication in the county of residence |
| Depositing a will with the Clerk, or filing a will after death with no probate | $20 for a will repository deposit (RCW 36.18.016(27)) and $20 to file a will only after death where no probate is contemplated (RCW 36.18.012(7)) |
| Petition contesting a will, objecting to a nonjudicial resolution, or a TEDRA petition | $290 each (RCW 36.18.020(2)(g), (5), (6); RCW 11.96A.090), the same figure as opening the probate |
| Records research and other clerk services | $30 per hour to search records and issue a written report (RCW 36.18.016(11)), postage at actual cost plus $2, and $25 for a returned check. An annual Odyssey Portal document subscription for frequent users runs $100 for one to three users up to $600 for more than ten (15 user maximum) |
Budget separately for publishing the creditor notice, which is paid to the newspaper rather than to the court, and for certified copies of the letters, since each institution holding an account will want one. Confirm every figure with the San Juan County Clerk before you rely on it.
Timeline
- File the petition. Attorneys e-file through eFileWA; an unrepresented filer may e-file or file on paper at the counter or by mail, and an original paper will always goes in on paper (LGR 30(a)). Anything received after 4:30 p.m. is treated as received the next business day, so a filing that reaches the Clerk late on a Friday is a Monday filing.
- For an order that needs no argument, choose an ex parte route. To present it yourself, email the motion, declarations, and proposed order to the Clerk, get the acknowledging reply, have it acknowledged by 9 a.m., and appear when ex parte matters are called at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday; you must be present or the order will not be entered. To have it considered without an appearance, submit it the same way with the $30 fee and expect it to be addressed within two business days of receipt and payment. Ex parte matters may also be presented in chambers on Wednesday and Thursday at 1:15 p.m., and a matter to be heard on the record needs at least one hour's notice to the Clerk and Superior Court Administration (LCR 77(r)).
- For a contested motion of 15 minutes or less, note it on the Tuesday civil law and motion calendar. No permission from Superior Court Administration is needed (LCR 77(r)(4)), but the notice of hearing must be filed with the Clerk no later than 4:30 p.m. seven days before the hearing (LCR 5(e)), and the motion and supporting documents must be served no later than nine court days before the hearing, with responses served by 4 p.m. four court days before and replies by 4 p.m. two court days before (LCR 6(d)). In practical terms, plan on about two weeks from noting to hearing.
- For anything longer than 15 minutes, get a special set date first. Special set hearings are scheduled only through Superior Court Administration and cannot be noted unilaterally (LCR 8(g), LCR 77(r)). The court warns that obtaining a special set date may take several days, and hearings involving a visiting judge are all specially set, so ask early.
- Deliver courtesy copies when you file. A copy of the motion, briefs, declarations, and the proposed order goes to the judge at the same time the documents are filed: by email to Superior Court Administration if the day's submission is 100 pages or fewer, otherwise on paper to the Clerk's Office, the box outside Superior Court Administration, or the secure drop box at the courthouse. Proposed orders are emailed in Word. Courtesy copies are discarded ten days after the hearing date (LCR 8(h)).
- For a trust and estate dispute, count 20 days. A proceeding under the Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act is noted no earlier than 20 days after the petition is filed and served, then follows the same 15-minute line: the civil law and motion calendar for a short hearing, a special set hearing for a longer one, and a note for trial assignment for a trial (LCR 96, LCR 40).
- Watch the statutory clocks that do not move with the calendar: notice of appointment within 20 days after appointment (RCW 11.28.237(1)), creditor notice published once a week for three successive weeks (RCW 11.40.020(1)), and the four-month claim bar running from first publication (RCW 11.40.051).
Recent updates
| Change | What happened |
|---|---|
| Clerk fee schedule revised, effective June 11, 2026 | The San Juan County Clerk's fee schedule was revised May 6, 2026 and took effect June 11, 2026. It lists the probate filing fee at $290 (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f)), the $30 ex parte presentation fee, the $20 charge to file a creditor notice here when the probate is in another county, and the will repository and copy fees on this page |
| Superior Court live stream discontinued April 1, 2026 | The county discontinued its Superior Court audio live stream on April 1, 2026 for budget reasons. The courtroom remains open in person, and remote viewing and appearance now run through the court's Microsoft Teams remote appearance link, which is not used for protection order hearings or jury trials |
| Local court rules effective September 1, 2025 | The current Local Court Rules of the Superior Court for San Juan County took effect September 1, 2025, with the electronic filing and service rule (LGR 30) amended as of that date. LGR 30(a) keeps e-filing mandatory for attorneys and optional for unrepresented parties, and requires original paper wills and codicils, including new probate cases that include one, to be filed on paper |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in San Juan County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the island home was community property covered by a community property agreement (RCW 26.16.120), or was held with a right of survivorship, it can pass to the surviving spouse without a probate. If assets stood in the decedent's sole name and there is a will, the spouse petitions the Superior Court in San Juan County to admit the will and issue letters testamentary; with no will, the surviving spouse has first priority for letters of administration (RCW 11.28.120(1)). Either way the spouse can ask for nonintervention powers so a solvent estate is administered without further court supervision (RCW 11.68.011). A self-represented spouse may file on paper at the counter in Friday Harbor or e-file, and an order that needs no argument can be presented ex parte on the Tuesday 10:30 a.m. calendar. | Asset discovery to confirm how the home and the accounts are titled and what actually has to go through the court. Packet generation for the filing with the San Juan County Clerk. A vetted attorney referral if a dispute arises. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | Where the estate is personal property only, the probate estate less liens and encumbrances does not exceed $100,000, and 40 days have passed since death, a claiming successor can often collect the property with a small estate affidavit instead of a court case (RCW 11.62.010); San Juan County's own fee schedule notes that route is not filed with the Clerk. If a probate is needed, a filer living out of state can e-file or mail the petition to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, include a self addressed stamped envelope for conformed and certified copies (LCR 78(g)), and appear by Teams under LCR 77(s), so the case can be opened and moved without a flight and a ferry. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies and to locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the affidavit or the probate petition, prepared so an out-of-state filer can proceed remotely. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Because the estate holds real property that has to be sold, the affidavit route does not reach it and the estate goes through probate: with no will the parent petitions for letters of administration in the priority order of RCW 11.28.120(1) and now must also describe the search for the heirs (RCW 11.28.110); with a will the parent probates it and receives letters testamentary. With nonintervention powers the personal representative can sell the island house and distribute the proceeds without returning to court for approval (RCW 11.68.011). If the sale or the heirs turn contested, a trust and estate dispute is noted at least 20 days after filing and service, on the Tuesday civil law and motion calendar for a short hearing or as a special set hearing through Superior Court Administration for a longer one (LCR 96). | Asset discovery for the child's accounts, property, and debts. Packet generation for the probate petition and the notices. Attorney referral if the sale or a dispute among heirs turns contested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| San Juan County Clerk (sanjuancountywa.gov), (360) 378-2163 | The filing office for probate: hours, the counter on the second floor at 350 Court Street in Friday Harbor, the mailing designation No. 7, the fee schedule, and the e-filing and ex parte instructions. Clerk staff can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice |
| San Juan County Superior Court Administration (sanjuancountywa.gov), (360) 370-7480 | Special set hearing dates, the published court schedule and docket, and the Microsoft Teams remote appearance information. The office is not open for walk-in assistance, so call or email |
| San Juan County court records (sanjuancountywa.gov) | How to see and buy copies of a case file: the Document Request form, per-page copy fees, the no-fee public access terminal at the Clerk's Office, and portal registration for documents in non-confidential cases |
| San Juan County Superior Court local rules (courts.wa.gov) | The current local rules, effective September 1, 2025: e-filing (LGR 30), remote appearance and the calendars (LCR 77), the Clerk (LCR 78), and trust and estate disputes (LCR 96) |
| Washington Courts court directory (courts.wa.gov) | The government directory of superior court and county clerk addresses, phones, and faxes, including the separate Superior Court and County Clerk listings for San Juan County |
| WashingtonLawHelp (washingtonlawhelp.org) | Washington's main plain-language legal self-help publisher, with probate and small estate guides and the small estate affidavit packet (RCW 11.62.010) |
| Odyssey Portal (odysseyportal.courts.wa.gov) | The public case search for Washington superior courts, including San Juan County. Probate cases appear as superior court civil cases; document coverage varies |
| Washington Courts case search (dw.courts.wa.gov) | The statewide pointer index across municipal, district, superior, and appellate courts. Useful for finding a case number, but its own notice warns that case status may be inaccurate |
| Northwest Justice Project CLEAR, 1-888-201-1014, nwjustice.org | Free civil legal aid intake for low-income Washington residents, Monday to Friday mornings; callers 60 and over can use CLEAR Sr at 1-888-387-7111. CLEAR targets basic-needs civil problems, so ask whether an estate matter qualifies |
| Washington State Bar Association, find legal help (wsba.org) | Lawyer referral and public resources for finding a Washington probate attorney who covers San Juan County |
| Washington State Law Library (courts.wa.gov), (360) 357-2136 | Legal reference help by phone and email for anyone in the state, useful because San Juan County lists no law library of its own. The county's Courthouse Facilitator program serves family law cases, not probate |
When to hire an attorney
Many San Juan County estates are uncontested, and a personal representative granted nonintervention powers administers and closes a solvent estate without further court supervision (RCW 11.68.011), which is why plenty of island families get through probate with limited legal help. Consider counsel when a will is contested or a dispute among heirs is likely, when the estate is insolvent or a creditor is pressing a claim, when island real estate, a vacation property held for a family, a business, or property in another state has to be valued or divided, when the estate is large enough to owe Washington estate tax under chapter 83.100 RCW, or when no one entitled to appointment has come forward and the petition has to be made under RCW 11.28.120(3). Two local features cut both ways: mandatory e-filing applies to attorneys and not to you, so a self-represented filer is free to file on paper, but an attorney already registered in eFileWA and familiar with the Tuesday calendar can present an order without anyone crossing the water. The San Juan County Clerk can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice, and the county's Courthouse Facilitator program serves family law cases rather than probate. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Washington probate attorney serving San Juan County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, San Juan County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Washington estate settlement route fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the paperwork for your route, whether a probate with letters testamentary or letters of administration, a request for nonintervention powers, or a small estate affidavit, ready to file with the San Juan County Clerk at the counter in Friday Harbor, by mail, or through eFileWA.
Find a local probate attorney. When a matter is contested or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Washington probate attorney serving San Juan County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in San Juan County?
With the San Juan County Clerk, the Clerk of the Superior Court, at the counter on the second floor of the San Juan County Courthouse, 350 Court Street in Friday Harbor, by mail to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, or electronically through eFileWA. Washington has no separate probate court: the Superior Court in San Juan County handles probate as a case type under RCW Title 11, and the County Clerk is the filing office. Washington law lets a petitioner file in any county (RCW 11.96A.050(4)), but file where the decedent lived, because venue can be moved there within four months of the notice of appointment and the creditor notice must be published in the county of residence anyway (RCW 11.40.020(2)).
Do I have to e-file a probate in San Juan County?
Only if you are an attorney. Under LGR 30(a)(1) of the county's local rules, attorneys shall e-file all documents through the Clerk's online e-filing application, which the county identifies as eFileWA, while unrepresented parties are not required to e-file but may. An attorney who cannot comply may ask the court for a waiver for good cause and must then mark paper filings as exempt (LGR 30(a)(4)). One exception matters in every probate: original paper wills and codicils, including a will only filing and a new probate case that includes an original paper will, must be filed on paper (LGR 30(a)(2)). The county says the system itself is free to use, apart from statutory filing fees and a 2.89 percent card transaction fee, and that filings received after 4:30 p.m. are processed the next court day.
Can I file a San Juan County probate by mail?
Yes. Send the papers to the San Juan County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, with payment for the $290 filing fee (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)). Include a self addressed stamped envelope if you want conformed or certified copies mailed back, which the Clerk asks for under LCR 78(g). Watch the address line: the courthouse uses several designations for its different offices, and the county's district court, which does not handle probate, uses a separate PO Box, so probate mail goes to the Clerk at No. 7. What you cannot do is fax the petition: the Clerk does not accept documents by fax that require a filing fee. Call (360) 378-2163 before mailing an original will.
When does the court hear probate matters in San Juan County?
On the regular calendars rather than a separate probate docket. Under LCR 77(r) the Tuesday 10:30 a.m. session is ex parte matters followed by civil law and motion, and any motion in a pending civil case, expressly including trust and estate matters, that will take 15 minutes or less can be set there by filing a notice of hearing, with no permission needed from Superior Court Administration. Ex parte matters can also be presented in chambers on Wednesday and Thursday at 1:15 p.m. Anything expected to run longer than 15 minutes is a special set hearing arranged only through Superior Court Administration at (360) 370-7480 (LCR 8(g)), and Fridays are reserved for trials and in-custody matters. The Clerk's Office does not give out special set dates. Calendars change, so confirm the current schedule on the county's court calendar page before you rely on a time.
How do I get an order signed if I do not want to attend a hearing?
Use the county's ex parte process. Email the motion, any supporting declarations, and the proposed order to the Clerk at [email protected] and wait for the acknowledging reply. If you will appear, say so in the email, have it acknowledged by 9 a.m., and be in the courtroom when ex parte matters are called at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday; if you are not there when your matter is called, the order will not be entered. If you would rather not appear at all, submit the same package and pay the $30 ex parte fee, and the court will address the request within two business days of receipt and confirmation of payment (RCW 36.18.016(12), LCR 78(i)). No ex parte fee applies if you present the matter yourself on the calendar, if the fee is waived under GR 34, or if the matter is assigned to a visiting judge. Ex parte matters cannot be submitted through the e-filing system.
Can I appear by phone or video in a San Juan County probate?
Yes, and the local rule is broad. Under LCR 77(s)(1) parties and attorneys may appear remotely by telephone or video through the court's official remote hearing platform for any proceeding other than a civil jury trial, unless the court orders otherwise, and a party who objects to someone else appearing remotely has to move for that in writing before the hearing. Superior Court Administration schedules the remote sessions and posts the connection information on the court's website; the platform is Microsoft Teams, and the courtroom stays open in person too. The county's separate audio live stream was discontinued on April 1, 2026, so remote viewing now runs through the same appearance link, which is not used for protection order hearings or jury trials. For current links or help, call Superior Court Administration at (360) 370-7480 or the Clerk at (360) 378-2163.
How do I look up a San Juan County probate case and get copies?
Search Odyssey Portal, the public case search for Washington superior courts, which covers San Juan County. The statewide index at dw.courts.wa.gov will also find a case, but its own notice warns that dockets and case status may be inaccurate and points users to Odyssey Portal or the court of record. For documents, the Clerk offers San Juan County Superior Court Portal registration for non-confidential cases, an annual fee-based Odyssey Portal subscription for frequent users, and a no-fee public access terminal at the Clerk's Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a noon to 1 p.m. closure. To buy copies, send the Clerk's Document Request form with the case number and the documents you want; plain and emailed copies are $0.50 per page and certified copies are $5 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page.
Are there local San Juan County probate forms?
No. San Juan County publishes no local probate forms, and Washington has no statewide probate form set either: the courts.wa.gov forms index has no probate category (verified July 2026). The petition, the order, the oath, and the notices are drafted documents, and the county's Superior Court Administration forms page publishes only a judgment worksheet. Three Clerk forms can still come up: the Fax Filings Cover Sheet, the Will Repository Cover Sheet for depositing a will during the testator's lifetime, and the Document Request form for copies. The GR 34 fee waiver forms are on the courts.wa.gov pages, and WashingtonLawHelp publishes the plain-language packets, including the small estate affidavit kit for the route that opens no court case (RCW 11.62.010).
How much does it cost to file probate in San Juan County?
$290 to open the probate, set by statute and the same in every Washington county: a $200 filing fee plus a $40 surcharge and a $50 surcharge (RCW 36.18.020(2)(f), (5)(c), (6)). The county's own Clerk fee schedule, effective June 11, 2026, lists the same figure, and there is no San Juan County add-on to it. A filer who cannot afford the fee can ask the court to waive it under GR 34. Budget for the county's other published charges where they apply: $30 for an ex parte presentation you do not attend, $5 for a certificate of qualification or certified copy of letters (RCW 36.18.016(9)), $5 for the first page of a certified copy plus $1 per additional page, $0.50 per page for plain or emailed copies, $20 to file a creditor notice here when the probate is in another county, and the newspaper's own charge for publishing the creditor notice.
Do I have to travel to Friday Harbor to settle an estate in San Juan County?
Often not. The petition and later filings can be e-filed or mailed to the County Clerk at 350 Court Street, No. 7, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, certified copies can be mailed back with a self addressed stamped envelope, hearings can be attended by telephone or video through the court's Microsoft Teams platform for anything other than a civil jury trial (LCR 77(s)), and an order that needs no argument can be handled by email with the $30 ex parte fee. A personal representative granted nonintervention powers then administers and closes a solvent estate without returning to court at all (RCW 11.68.011). When you do come in person, the county's own directions run from the ferry landing in Friday Harbor: walk up Spring Street and turn right on First Street to the courthouse, or drive to the lot between the courthouse and the San Juan Community Theater. Only the original will has to arrive physically, so plan that trip or that envelope.
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.