Iowa Probate Court Finder
For detailed information about the probate court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code or select your county. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the probate court in your area.
Iowa Probate Courts
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Polk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Des Moines) FIPS: 19153 - pop.492,401 -
Linn County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cedar Rapids) FIPS: 19113 - pop.230,299 -
Scott County Probate Court
County Seat: (Davenport) FIPS: 19163 - pop.174,669 -
Johnson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Iowa City) FIPS: 19103 - pop.152,854 -
Black Hawk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waterloo) FIPS: 19013 - pop.131,144 -
Woodbury County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sioux City) FIPS: 19193 - pop.105,941 -
Dallas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Adel) FIPS: 19049 - pop.99,678 -
Dubuque County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dubuque) FIPS: 19061 - pop.99,266 -
Story County Probate Court
County Seat: (Nevada) FIPS: 19169 - pop.98,537 -
Pottawattamie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Council Bluffs) FIPS: 19155 - pop.93,667 -
Warren County Probate Court
County Seat: (Indianola) FIPS: 19181 - pop.52,403 -
Clinton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clinton) FIPS: 19045 - pop.46,460 -
Muscatine County Probate Court
County Seat: (Muscatine) FIPS: 19139 - pop.43,235 -
Cerro Gordo County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mason City) FIPS: 19033 - pop.43,127 -
Marshall County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marshalltown) FIPS: 19127 - pop.40,105 -
Des Moines County Probate Court
County Seat: (Burlington) FIPS: 19057 - pop.38,910 -
Jasper County Probate Court
County Seat: (Newton) FIPS: 19099 - pop.37,813 -
Webster County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fort Dodge) FIPS: 19187 - pop.36,999 -
Sioux County Probate Court
County Seat: (Orange City) FIPS: 19167 - pop.35,872 -
Wapello County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ottumwa) FIPS: 19179 - pop.35,437 -
Lee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fort Madison) FIPS: 19111 - pop.33,555 -
Marion County Probate Court
County Seat: (Knoxville) FIPS: 19125 - pop.33,414 -
Boone County Probate Court
County Seat: (Boone) FIPS: 19015 - pop.26,715 -
Plymouth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Le Mars) FIPS: 19149 - pop.25,698 -
Benton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Vinton) FIPS: 19011 - pop.25,575 -
Bremer County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waverly) FIPS: 19017 - pop.24,988 -
Washington County Probate Court
County Seat: (Washington) FIPS: 19183 - pop.22,565 -
Mahaska County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oskaloosa) FIPS: 19123 - pop.22,190 -
Buena Vista County Probate Court
County Seat: (Storm Lake) FIPS: 19021 - pop.20,823 -
Carroll County Probate Court
County Seat: (Carroll) FIPS: 19027 - pop.20,760 -
Jones County Probate Court
County Seat: (Anamosa) FIPS: 19105 - pop.20,646 -
Buchanan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Independence) FIPS: 19019 - pop.20,565 -
Henry County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Pleasant) FIPS: 19087 - pop.20,482 -
Winneshiek County Probate Court
County Seat: (Decorah) FIPS: 19191 - pop.20,070 -
Fayette County Probate Court
County Seat: (West Union) FIPS: 19065 - pop.19,509 -
Jackson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Maquoketa) FIPS: 19097 - pop.19,485 -
Poweshiek County Probate Court
County Seat: (Montezuma) FIPS: 19157 - pop.18,662 -
Cedar County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tipton) FIPS: 19031 - pop.18,505 -
Dickinson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Spirit Lake) FIPS: 19059 - pop.17,703 -
Delaware County Probate Court
County Seat: (Manchester) FIPS: 19055 - pop.17,488 -
Tama County Probate Court
County Seat: (Toledo) FIPS: 19171 - pop.17,135 -
Clayton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elkader) FIPS: 19043 - pop.17,043 -
Hardin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Eldora) FIPS: 19083 - pop.16,878 -
Iowa County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marengo) FIPS: 19095 - pop.16,662 -
Madison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Winterset) FIPS: 19121 - pop.16,548 -
Crawford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Denison) FIPS: 19047 - pop.16,525 -
Clay County Probate Court
County Seat: (Spencer) FIPS: 19041 - pop.16,384 -
Jefferson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fairfield) FIPS: 19101 - pop.15,663 -
Floyd County Probate Court
County Seat: (Charles City) FIPS: 19067 - pop.15,627 -
Page County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clarinda) FIPS: 19145 - pop.15,211 -
Hamilton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Webster City) FIPS: 19079 - pop.15,039 -
Kossuth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Algona) FIPS: 19109 - pop.14,828 -
Harrison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Logan) FIPS: 19085 - pop.14,582 -
Mills County Probate Court
County Seat: (Glenwood) FIPS: 19129 - pop.14,484 -
Butler County Probate Court
County Seat: (Allison) FIPS: 19023 - pop.14,334 -
OBrien County Probate Court
County Seat: (Primghar) FIPS: 19141 - pop.14,182 -
Allamakee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Waukon) FIPS: 19005 - pop.14,061 -
Cass County Probate Court
County Seat: (Atlantic) FIPS: 19029 - pop.13,127 -
Wright County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clarion) FIPS: 19197 - pop.12,943 -
Grundy County Probate Court
County Seat: (Grundy Center) FIPS: 19075 - pop.12,329 -
Appanoose County Probate Court
County Seat: (Centerville) FIPS: 19007 - pop.12,317 -
Union County Probate Court
County Seat: (Creston) FIPS: 19175 - pop.12,138 -
Chickasaw County Probate Court
County Seat: (New Hampton) FIPS: 19037 - pop.12,012 -
Lyon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rock Rapids) FIPS: 19119 - pop.11,934 -
Shelby County Probate Court
County Seat: (Harlan) FIPS: 19165 - pop.11,746 -
Cherokee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cherokee) FIPS: 19035 - pop.11,658 -
Louisa County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wapello) FIPS: 19115 - pop.10,837 -
Hancock County Probate Court
County Seat: (Garner) FIPS: 19081 - pop.10,795 -
Winnebago County Probate Court
County Seat: (Forest City) FIPS: 19189 - pop.10,679 -
Guthrie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Guthrie Center) FIPS: 19077 - pop.10,623 -
Mitchell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Osage) FIPS: 19131 - pop.10,565 -
Montgomery County Probate Court
County Seat: (Red Oak) FIPS: 19137 - pop.10,330 -
Keokuk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sigourney) FIPS: 19107 - pop.10,033 -
Franklin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hampton) FIPS: 19069 - pop.10,019 -
Calhoun County Probate Court
County Seat: (Rockwell City) FIPS: 19025 - pop.9,927 -
Sac County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sac City) FIPS: 19161 - pop.9,814 -
Clarke County Probate Court
County Seat: (Osceola) FIPS: 19039 - pop.9,748 -
Humboldt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dakota City) FIPS: 19091 - pop.9,597 -
Howard County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cresco) FIPS: 19089 - pop.9,469 -
Emmet County Probate Court
County Seat: (Estherville) FIPS: 19063 - pop.9,388 -
Davis County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bloomfield) FIPS: 19051 - pop.9,110 -
Palo Alto County Probate Court
County Seat: (Emmetsburg) FIPS: 19147 - pop.8,996 -
Greene County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jefferson) FIPS: 19073 - pop.8,771 -
Monona County Probate Court
County Seat: (Onawa) FIPS: 19133 - pop.8,751 -
Lucas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Chariton) FIPS: 19117 - pop.8,634 -
Decatur County Probate Court
County Seat: (Leon) FIPS: 19053 - pop.7,645 -
Monroe County Probate Court
County Seat: (Albia) FIPS: 19135 - pop.7,577 -
Adair County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greenfield) FIPS: 19001 - pop.7,496 -
Worth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Northwood) FIPS: 19195 - pop.7,443 -
Van Buren County Probate Court
County Seat: (Keosauqua) FIPS: 19177 - pop.7,203 -
Pocahontas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pocahontas) FIPS: 19151 - pop.7,078 -
Ida County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ida Grove) FIPS: 19093 - pop.7,005 -
Fremont County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sidney) FIPS: 19071 - pop.6,605 -
Wayne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Corydon) FIPS: 19185 - pop.6,497 -
Osceola County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sibley) FIPS: 19143 - pop.6,192 -
Taylor County Probate Court
County Seat: (Bedford) FIPS: 19173 - pop.5,896 -
Audubon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Audubon) FIPS: 19009 - pop.5,674 -
Ringgold County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mount Ayr) FIPS: 19159 - pop.4,663 -
Adams County Probate Court
County Seat: (Corning) FIPS: 19003 - pop.3,704
How Iowa Probate Courts Work
What Is Probate?
Probate refers to the legal process through which a deceased person's will is validated by a court. This process ensures that the deceased's assets are distributed according to their wishes as stated in the will, after any debts and taxes are paid.
What Are Probate Courts?
Probate courts, which are specialized judicial bodies, oversee these proceedings.
They also handle matters related to:
- estate administration,
- guardianships, and conservatorships
- when a will is not present
- or in cases of dispute.
It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements of probate courts can vary significantly from one county to another across the United States. This variation is due to differences in state laws and local court rules. As a result, engaging with a probate court in one jurisdiction might be quite different from doing so in another.
Also, every state has simplified procedures for dealing with small estates... and most estates end up being "small," and most estates do not require the full probate process, especially if the deceased person owned property in one or more of the ways described below.
Types of Property That Does NOT Pass Through Probate Court
Many types of property are designed to bypass the probate process, allowing for a more streamlined transfer of assets upon someone's death. These include:
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Jointly Owned Property: Assets owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety automatically pass to the surviving owner without the need for probate. This is common with real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles owned jointly by two or more individuals.
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Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Accounts: Financial accounts and securities that are designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) can be transferred directly to the named beneficiary upon the account holder's death. This designation allows these assets to skip probate.
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Retirement Accounts and Life Insurance Policies: Funds from retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and the proceeds from life insurance policies, when a beneficiary is named outside of the will, do not go through probate. These assets go directly to the beneficiaries named in the policies or account documents.
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Living Trusts: Property held in a living trust is another major category that avoids probate. The trust owns the assets, and upon the death of the individual who created the trust (the grantor), the property is transferred according to the terms of the trust, without the need for probate intervention.
These mechanisms are designed to simplify the transfer of assets, reduce the time and cost associated with probate, and ensure privacy since probate is a public process. Understanding which assets fall into these categories can be crucial for estate planning and ensuring a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries.