Last verified 2026-07-20; facts checked against the primary sources below

How probate works in Kings County

Last verified: July 20, 2026

The short answer: Kings County probate is filed at the Hanford courthouse, 1640 Kings County Drive. The main number is (559) 582-1010 and public hours are 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Probate e-filing is mandatory for represented parties; self-represented filers are exempt. Wills, codicils, and bonds are not accepted electronically and must follow the clerk's paper procedure.

Kings no longer guarantees an official court reporter for probate. If a verbatim record matters, arrange a qualified reporter in advance rather than assuming one will be present.

Kings County probate at a glance

How and where do you file?

The Hanford courthouse handles the probate case. Attorneys submit initial and later filings through an approved electronic filing service provider. A self-represented party may e-file voluntarily or use the clerk's paper channel.

Provider charges are added to the court filing fee. Kings has also announced a market adjustment to its e-filing fee, so compare the provider's current checkout total rather than treating the $435 petition fee as the entire electronic transaction cost.

What happens to the original will?

Kings expressly excludes wills and codicils from e-filing, along with bonds. Preserve the original and ask the Probate Department for its paper-lodging method and case-reference requirements. Probate Code section 8200 generally requires the custodian to deliver the original within 30 days after learning of the death.

Do not upload a scan under an approximate document name to bypass the exclusion. The electronic petition and the physical will must be matched correctly by the clerk.

How are hearing issues and tentative rulings handled?

Kings publishes a tentative-ruling procedure for civil law-and-motion matters under Local Rule 313, generally by 4:00 p.m. the court day before the hearing. The current public materials do not state that every routine probate petition uses that procedure or publish a separate probate-examiner note portal.

Accordingly, do not assume that a probate matter will receive an online tentative. Use the courtroom calendar and filed notice, monitor the register of actions, and call the Probate Department through (559) 582-1010 about corrections or required attendance.

The current public pages also do not publish a single standing weekly decedent-estate calendar time. The date and department assigned in the individual case control.

Can you appear remotely?

Kings does not provide a dedicated probate remote-registration workflow on the current public probate and online-service pages. California's statewide remote-appearance rules may permit a notice or request in an eligible matter, but availability remains hearing-specific. File RA-010 within the statewide deadline when applicable and obtain department instructions before relying on remote attendance.

This is a verified information gap, not evidence that remote appearance is categorically unavailable.

Are local forms or special charges required?

The court publishes questionnaires for guardianship and conservatorship investigations, but no generally mandatory Kings-specific opening form for a decedent's estate was identified. Do not add those investigation forms to a standard DE-111 estate petition unless the proceeding actually involves a guardianship or conservatorship.

The verified local transaction differences are provider/e-filing charges and the absence of a guaranteed court reporter. A privately retained reporter will create a separate cost.

Kings County's practical checklist

• File with the Hanford courthouse and use mandatory e-filing if represented.
• Deliver wills, codicils, and bonds through the Probate Department's paper channel.
• Confirm the assigned hearing date and department from the accepted notice.
• Do not assume the civil tentative-ruling procedure covers the probate petition.
• Confirm remote eligibility directly because no dedicated probate workflow is published.
• Arrange a reporter if a verbatim record is important; the court does not guarantee one.

The Estate Desk handles estate administration for California families. Court logistics change; verify filing, calendar, and appearance details with Kings County Superior Court before acting.