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Columbia County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Columbia County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Circuit Court for Columbia County. Estate filings go through the Columbia County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | 400 DeWitt Street, Portage, WI 53901 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 587, Portage, WI 53901 |
| Phone | (608) 742-9636 |
| Fax | (608) 742-9601 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call before going in person if timing is tight. |
| Estate fee | Through October 31, 2026, $20 if the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500. The percentage rate is unchanged (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3). |
| Local forms and guidance | Use the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. Columbia County also posts guideline documents for formal administration, informal administration, special administration, summary settlement and summary assignment. |
| Electronic filing | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing. Self-represented filers may opt in or file by traditional methods. The electronic filing fee is $35 per party per case as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Register in Probate when a hearing is scheduled. A Columbia County probate remote-appearance instruction is not posted on the local probate pages. |
| Website | https://www.co.columbia.wi.us/columbiacounty/regprobate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Wisconsin probate path, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiaries, real estate, account titles and any payable-on-death or survivorship designations. In Columbia County, that early inventory helps you decide whether the matter belongs in informal administration, formal administration, summary settlement, summary assignment, transfer by affidavit or a real-estate title procedure.
Sunset's estate settlement process can help by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing what you find into the information a Columbia County probate filing usually needs.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Circuit Court for Columbia County serves estates for decedents domiciled anywhere in Columbia County. Wisconsin places a decedent's estate administration in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death; if the decedent had no Wisconsin domicile, the case may be filed in a Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, and the first court to act has exclusive jurisdiction under that subsection (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
For Columbia County, the courthouse community is Portage, and the filing counter is the Columbia County Register in Probate at 400 DeWitt Street, with mail sent to P.O. Box 587, Portage, WI 53901.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the Wisconsin path before filing. Use Columbia County's probate guidance and the statewide PR forms to decide whether the estate is an informal administration, formal administration, special administration, summary settlement, summary assignment, transfer by affidavit or a real-estate title matter.
- Prepare the starting papers. Informal administration generally begins with the statewide Application for Informal Administration, while formal administration uses the statewide Petition for Formal Administration. If the person died with a will, the original will must be filed with the proper court within the Wisconsin time rule for wills (Wis. Stat. § 856.05).
- File with the Columbia County Register in Probate. Bring or mail the papers to 400 DeWitt Street, Portage, WI 53901, or P.O. Box 587, Portage, WI 53901. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing; self-represented filers may opt in or use traditional filing methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)).
- Plan for the estate fee at the inventory stage. Through October 31, 2026, the statewide estate fee is $20 at $10,000 or less in property subject to administration after encumbrances, liens or charges, and 0.2 percent above that amount. Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes those figures to $36 and $18,500, with the 0.2 percent rate unchanged. The fee is paid when the inventory or other value document is filed, not when the case opens (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3).
- Follow the notice and claims order. In a formal administration, the court sets the claim deadline; in an informal administration, the probate registrar sets it. The deadline must be a date not less than three nor more than four months from the date of that order, and notice is published as required by Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. § 859.01, § 859.07).
- Attend any required hearing. Informal administration often proceeds administratively before the probate registrar, while formal administration and some summary matters require court action. If Columbia County schedules a hearing and travel is difficult, ask the Register in Probate how appearance options are handled for that hearing.
- Receive authority to act. When the personal representative is appointed and qualified, the authority document is Domiciliary Letters, form PR-1810, for both informal and formal administration (Wis. Stat. § 856.21).
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory within the Wisconsin deadline, pay or resolve claims and expenses, handle any required tax or agency notices, distribute property and close under the correct track. Columbia County's Register in Probate states that estates filed in Columbia County must be closed within 14 months of the initial documents unless the court allows more time.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Columbia County
Use Wisconsin's statewide PR probate forms for Columbia County filings. The statewide probate form index includes forms for informal administration, formal administration, special administration, transfer by affidavit, summary settlement, summary assignment, inventory, claims, Domiciliary Letters and closing documents.
Columbia County adds local guidance pages for formal administration, informal administration, special administration, summary settlement and summary assignment, and links readers to the Wisconsin Court System forms pages. Treat those local guideline documents as filing guidance layered on top of the statewide PR forms, not as a replacement for the statewide forms.
Timeline
- Columbia County's Register in Probate states that Wisconsin estates should be settled as soon as reasonably possible and without unnecessary delay, and that estates filed in Columbia County must be closed within 14 months of the date the initial documents are filed.
- Use that 14-month Columbia County benchmark alongside the statewide deadlines that control specific steps, including the inventory deadline and the claims deadline set by order.
Local nuance
Columbia County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Columbia County |
|---|---|
| Fourteen-month close-out benchmark | The Columbia County Register in Probate states that estates filed in Columbia County must be closed within 14 months of the initial filing. Build the estate settlement calendar around that benchmark from the start. |
| County guideline documents | The local probate site posts guidance for formal administration, informal administration, special administration, summary settlement and summary assignment. Use those alongside the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. |
| Mailing address | Probate mail goes to the Columbia County Register in Probate, P.O. Box 587, Portage, WI 53901. The in-person courthouse address is 400 DeWitt Street. |
Recent updates
A statewide Wisconsin estate fee change takes effect November 1, 2026 under 2025 Wis. Act 179. Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Columbia County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking title. If the home is survivorship marital property or otherwise passes outside administration, a Wisconsin real-estate confirmation or recording step may be enough. If other probate assets remain, file the estate with the Columbia County Register in Probate. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds and beneficiary designations so the spouse can separate assets that pass outside probate from assets that need estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the property subject to administration in Wisconsin does not exceed $50,000 in gross value, transfer by affidavit may be available under Wis. Stat. § 867.03. If a court order is needed, review Columbia County's summary settlement and summary assignment guidance before filing. | Sunset helps collect balances, locate accounts and prepare a clearer asset list before the child calls or files with the Register in Probate from outside Wisconsin. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is in the decedent's name, expect a Columbia County court filing or a Wisconsin title-clearing procedure before sale. Formal administration may be needed if there is disagreement, court supervision is required or the home sale needs a personal representative with Domiciliary Letters. | Sunset helps organize the home, mortgage, liens, accounts and creditor information, then connects the family with a local probate attorney when the sale requires legal help. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Columbia County Register in Probate https://www.co.columbia.wi.us/columbiacounty/regprobate/ | Local contact information, probate guidance, forms links and records request information for Columbia County. |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/docs/probateguide.pdf | Statewide self-help guide for Wisconsin informal administration, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association and hosted by the Wisconsin Court System. |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/probate.htm | Statewide probate self-help hub with links to forms and probate resources. |
| Circuit court probate forms https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All | Statewide Wisconsin PR form set for probate filings. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ | Statewide circuit court case search for looking up Wisconsin case information. Do not rely on it for document access. |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin https://legalaction.org/ | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible Wisconsin residents, statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. |
| Wisconsin State Law Library, Columbia County legal resources https://wilawlibrary.gov/topics/county.php?c=Columbia&a=a&l=l&f=f&r=r | County legal resources index maintained by the Wisconsin State Law Library. |
When to hire an attorney
In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). Informal administration runs administratively before the probate registrar rather than as a court proceeding, and the Wisconsin 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. If a Columbia County estate is contested, needs formal administration, involves a home sale, has creditor disputes or needs court hearings, counsel usually makes sense. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts, balances and assets that may belong in the Columbia County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information you provide into a clearer probate packet, including asset details, family information and the documents a local attorney or the Register in Probate may ask to review.
Find a local probate attorney. When Columbia County formal administration, a home sale, a dispute or a court appearance calls for legal help, Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset. If an attorney is needed, Sunset helps make that connection at no cost to the family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Columbia County?
File with the Columbia County Register in Probate. The in-person address is 400 DeWitt Street, Portage, WI 53901, and the mailing address is P.O. Box 587, Portage, WI 53901.
What is the Columbia County Register in Probate phone number?
Call the Columbia County Register in Probate at (608) 742-9636. The fax number is (608) 742-9601.
Can I file a Columbia County probate case electronically?
Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing. A self-represented filer may opt in voluntarily or use traditional filing methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)). The electronic filing fee is $35 per party per case as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
How much is the estate fee in Columbia County?
The estate fee is statewide. Through October 31, 2026, it is $20 if the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500. The 0.2 percent rate does not change, and the fee is paid when the inventory or value document is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3).
Does Columbia County have local probate forms?
Use the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. Columbia County also posts local guideline documents for formal administration, informal administration, special administration, summary settlement and summary assignment.
How long does Columbia County expect probate to take?
The Columbia County Register in Probate states that estates filed in Columbia County must be closed within 14 months of the date the initial documents are filed. That benchmark does not replace the separate statewide deadlines for inventory, claims and closing steps.
Can I look up a Columbia County probate case online?
Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, are searchable through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Use it for case lookup, not as a promise that every estate document can be viewed there.
Do I have to travel to Portage for a Columbia County probate matter?
Not always. Some filings may be mailed, attorneys use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing and self-represented filers may choose electronic filing. If a hearing is scheduled, ask the Register in Probate how that hearing will be handled before making travel plans.
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.