Back to Wisconsin
Buffalo County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Buffalo County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Circuit Court for Buffalo County. Estate filings go through the Buffalo County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | Buffalo County Courthouse, 407 2nd Street S, Alma, WI 54610 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 68, Alma, WI 54610 |
| Register in Probate phone | (608) 685-6202 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Appointments are recommended. |
| Estate fee | Through October 31, 2026, the statewide estate fee is $20 where the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount, payable when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, § 814.66(1)(a)3). 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises those figures to $36 and $18,500 effective November 1, 2026; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. |
| Local forms | No Buffalo County-specific probate forms are published. Use Wisconsin's statewide PR-series probate forms. |
| E-filing status | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court e-filing. Self-represented parties may choose e-filing or traditional paper filing under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). The separate e-filing fee is $35 per party per case under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Remote appearance | Call the Register in Probate before relying on remote appearance. Buffalo County does not list a probate remote appearance procedure on its Register in Probate contact page. |
| Website | https://www.buffalocountywi.gov/192/register-in-probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Wisconsin probate path, make a practical inventory of what the person owned, what passed outside probate, and what debts or liens may affect the property. In Buffalo County, that first pass matters because the estate fee is based on property subject to administration after encumbrances, liens or charges, and it is assessed when the inventory is filed, not when the first papers are opened.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts and benefits before the Alma filing. A clearer asset list makes estate settlement easier, helps identify whether real estate needs court action, and gives the Buffalo County Register in Probate a more complete first packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The courthouse for Buffalo County probate matters is the Buffalo County Courthouse in Alma, and the filing office is the Buffalo County Register in Probate. Buffalo and Pepin counties share one statutory circuit under Wis. Stat. § 753.06(7)(am), but Buffalo County keeps its own courthouse and Register in Probate office.
File in Buffalo County when the decedent was domiciled in Buffalo County at death. If the decedent had no Wisconsin domicile, Wisconsin jurisdiction is in any Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, and the first Wisconsin court to exercise jurisdiction has exclusive jurisdiction under Wis. Stat. § 856.01.
Buffalo County includes Alma, Buffalo City, Fountain City, Cochrane, Nelson and the county's towns. A Buffalo County estate is filed in Alma even though the circuit is shared with Pepin County.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the Wisconsin path before filing. Decide whether the estate is headed for informal administration, formal administration, transfer by affidavit, summary settlement, summary assignment or another Wisconsin route. If there is a will, whoever has it has a 30-day duty to file it with the proper court after learning of the death and of the obligation to file under Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1).
- Gather the correct statewide forms. Buffalo County does not publish its own probate packet. Use the Wisconsin PR-series forms, such as PR-1801 for informal administration or PR-1901 for formal administration, and call the Buffalo County Register in Probate at (608) 685-6202 if you are not sure which first filing the office expects.
- File with the Buffalo County Register in Probate. Bring filings to the Buffalo County Courthouse, 407 2nd Street S, Alma, WI 54610, or mail them to P.O. Box 68, Alma, WI 54610. The county's court page says e-mail is not accepted as court correspondence, so do not rely on e-mail for a first filing.
- Handle e-filing correctly. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court e-filing. A self-represented filer may opt in to e-filing or file and receive paper documents by traditional methods under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). The e-filing fee is $35 per party per case under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7).
- Plan for the estate fee at the inventory stage. Through October 31, 2026, Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2 charges $20 where property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 at $18,500 or less effective November 1, 2026, with the 0.2 percent rate unchanged. The fee is paid when the inventory or other valuation document is filed under Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)3.
- Give required notices. In an administration, the court or probate registrar sets the claim filing deadline by order at a date not less than three nor more than four months from the date of the order under Wis. Stat. § 859.01. Notice of that deadline is published under Wis. Stat. § 859.07(1) and § 879.05(4), and some public benefit or agency claims require separate certified or registered mail notice.
- Ask how any hearing will be scheduled. Buffalo County does not publish a probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window. If a hearing is needed, ask the Register in Probate how notice, scheduling and any remote appearance request should be handled before you assume you can appear from elsewhere.
- Receive authority, administer and close. When a personal representative is appointed and qualified, authority is evidenced by Domiciliary Letters, form PR-1810, for both informal and formal administration. After appointment, the personal representative administers assets, addresses claims and taxes, files the inventory, and closes through the correct Wisconsin closing process for the chosen track.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Buffalo County
Buffalo County does not publish county-specific probate forms on its Information and Forms page. Use Wisconsin's statewide probate forms in Category 26, and send Buffalo County filings to the Buffalo County Register in Probate in Alma.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| PR-1801 | Application for Informal Administration |
| PR-1806 | Proof of Heirship for informal and formal administration |
| PR-1810 | Domiciliary Letters for informal and formal administration |
| PR-1811 | Inventory for informal and formal administration |
| PR-1816 | Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate for informal administration |
| PR-1831 | Transfer by Affidavit under Wis. Stat. § 867.03 |
| PR-1901 | Petition for Formal Administration |
The Wisconsin Court System's probate form index is at https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All.
Local nuance
Buffalo County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Buffalo County estate |
|---|---|
| Shared circuit with Pepin County | Buffalo and Pepin counties share a statutory circuit, but Buffalo County estate filings go to the Buffalo County Register in Probate in Alma. Do not route a Buffalo County filing to Pepin County because of the shared circuit. |
| Separate probate counter and clerk office | The Buffalo County Clerk of Circuit Court is a separate office at the same courthouse. For probate and estate settlement filings, call the Buffalo County Register in Probate at (608) 685-6202. |
| Appointments recommended | The county directory states that appointments are recommended. Call before going to the courthouse, especially if you plan to bring an original will or need help identifying the right PR form. |
| No local probate rules located | Buffalo County does not publish local probate rules of general application on the county court pages. The statewide statutes, statewide PR forms and instructions from the Register in Probate control the filing path. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Legal Action of Wisconsin and Judicare Legal Aid merged into one organization, Legal Action of Wisconsin, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start with the Buffalo County Register in Probate in Alma and identify whether the home is marital property, survivorship marital property, or property that still needs an estate filing. If a court filing is needed, use the statewide PR forms and the P.O. Box 68 mailing address. | Sunset finds accounts and assets across more than 2,300 institutions, helps the spouse see what belongs in the estate settlement, and assembles the packet for the Alma counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | A self-represented filer may use traditional paper filing by mail rather than e-filing under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). Call (608) 685-6202 before mailing an original will or first packet, because Buffalo County does not accept e-mail as court correspondence. | Sunset helps identify accounts from wherever the child lives, prepares the probate packet for Buffalo County, and can connect the family with a Wisconsin probate attorney if the matter stops being simple. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale often makes formal administration more likely, and the court system's self-help guide says formal administration requires an attorney's assistance. The original will, if any, is filed with the proper court under Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1), and Buffalo County filings go to the Register in Probate in Alma. | Sunset organizes the asset picture, prepares the estate settlement packet, and connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale and closing steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Buffalo County Register in Probate | Local filing office contact information, mailing address, hours and office description. |
| Buffalo County Clerk of Courts | Separate Clerk of Circuit Court contact page, including the county's e-filing note and court correspondence caution. |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin | The Wisconsin Court System's 89-page self-help guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association. |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate | State probate self-help page with links to the guide, probate forms and county Register in Probate directory. |
| Circuit court probate forms | The statewide PR-series probate forms used in Buffalo County. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access | Statewide public circuit court case search for Wisconsin cases, including probate case types. |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Wisconsin residents, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. |
When to hire an attorney
In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney under Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2). Informal administration runs administratively before the probate registrar under Wis. Stat. ch. 865, and the court system's self-help guide says informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance while formal administration requires an attorney's assistance. Summary settlement and summary assignment also carry their own express right to appear in person under Wis. Stat. § 867.01(5) and § 867.02(5). If a Buffalo County estate involves a home sale, a dispute, a demand for formal proceedings, unclear heirs, or a court hearing, counsel is usually the safer path, and Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can see what the decedent owned before choosing a Wisconsin probate path. That asset picture is the foundation for estate settlement in Buffalo County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet using the statewide Wisconsin PR forms that Buffalo County accepts, with the local Register in Probate address and mailing details built in.
Find a local probate attorney. When formal administration, a home sale, a dispute, or a hearing makes legal help important, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Wisconsin probate attorney familiar with estate settlement work.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to find assets, prepare for the Buffalo County filing, and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Buffalo County?
File with the Buffalo County Register in Probate at the Buffalo County Courthouse, 407 2nd Street S, Alma, WI 54610. The mailing address is P.O. Box 68, Alma, WI 54610. Call (608) 685-6202 before mailing an original will.
Buffalo County shares a circuit with Pepin County. Do I have to go to Durand?
No. Buffalo County keeps its own courthouse and Register in Probate office. A Buffalo County estate is filed in Alma with the Buffalo County Register in Probate.
When is the Buffalo County Register in Probate open?
The published courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The county directory says appointments are recommended.
Can I mail a probate filing to Buffalo County?
Yes, mail filings to the Buffalo County Register in Probate, P.O. Box 68, Alma, WI 54610. Because the office does not publish whether it accepts an original will by mail in every situation, call (608) 685-6202 before mailing the original.
What does it cost to open an estate in Buffalo County?
The estate fee is statewide. Through October 31, 2026, Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2 sets $20 where property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the figures to $36 and $18,500 effective November 1, 2026, with the 0.2 percent rate unchanged. The fee is payable when the inventory is filed under Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)3. If the case is e-filed, the separate e-filing fee is $35 per party per case under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7).
Does Buffalo County have its own probate forms?
Buffalo County does not publish county-specific probate forms. Use the Wisconsin Court System's statewide PR-series probate forms, Category 26.
Can I look up a Buffalo County estate case online?
Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, are searched through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. A probate case may carry a PR or IN case-type code.
Can I appear remotely in a Buffalo County probate matter?
Call the Buffalo County Register in Probate before relying on remote appearance. Buffalo County does not list a probate remote appearance procedure on its Register in Probate contact page, and no local probate hearing day is published there.
Do I need a lawyer for a Buffalo County estate?
The court system's self-help guide says formal administration requires an attorney's assistance, while informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance. In any Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney under Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2), so get legal help if the estate is formal, contested, headed to a hearing, or involves a sale that needs court authority.
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.