Use This County Probate Reference Before You File
This page is built for the detailed county-level checks that generic probate guides usually miss: local filing fees, Clerk of the District Court contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Clinton County.
Local Fee Schedule
Review county-specific probate filing charges before you estimate total case cost.
Court Rules and Orders
Check the local rules, judge procedures, and administrative orders that can change how a case moves.
Clerk and Filing Logistics
Confirm where to file, whether e-filing is allowed, and how hearings or notices are handled locally.
Clinton County Clerk of the District Court Guide
Iowa Judicial District 7 · Clerk of the District Court information · Updated July 2026
Viewing the professional reference · Switch to the family guide
Filing & Fees
Fee Schedule Signals
Source ↗Probate Filing Fees
Specific fee amounts are not available for this county. Iowa probate court costs are set by statute and are uniform in every county (Iowa Code 633.31). The clerk of the district court collects court costs equal to two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory (Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a)); the same rate applies to regular chapter 633 estates and to chapter 635 small estates. Court costs are not charged on nonprobate assets such as joint tenancy property, transfer on death and payable on death accounts, beneficiary-designated life insurance and retirement accounts, or real estate outside Iowa. Iowa Code 633.31 sets no separate flat fee to open a decedent's estate, so the value-based 0.2% is the main court cost and no single formal-administration dollar figure is stored. Flat statutory clerk charges include $15 to probate a will without administration (633.31(2)(b)), $20 to take and approve a bond (633.31(2)(d)), $10 to enter a rule or order (633.31(2)(e)), $10 for a certificate and seal (633.31(2)(f)), and $20 to certify a change of title (633.31(2)(i)). Iowa imposes no probate tax, and the Iowa inheritance tax is repealed for deaths on or after January 1, 2025. The 0.2% probate-asset basis reflects the current Iowa Code as amended by 2021 Iowa Acts ch. 160. Verify current amounts with the clerk of the district court.
Iowa probate court costs are set by statute and are uniform in every county (Iowa Code 633.31). The clerk of the district court collects court costs equal to two-tenths of one percent (0.2%) of the value of the probate assets listed in the report and inventory (Iowa Code 633.31(3)(a)); the same rate applies to regular chapter 633 estates and to chapter 635 small estates. Court costs are not charged on nonprobate assets such as joint tenancy property, transfer on death and payable on death accounts, beneficiary-designated life insurance and retirement accounts, or real estate outside Iowa. Iowa Code 633.31 sets no separate flat fee to open a decedent's estate, so the value-based 0.2% is the main court cost and no single formal-administration dollar figure is stored. Flat statutory clerk charges include $15 to probate a will without administration (633.31(2)(b)), $20 to take and approve a bond (633.31(2)(d)), $10 to enter a rule or order (633.31(2)(e)), $10 for a certificate and seal (633.31(2)(f)), and $20 to certify a change of title (633.31(2)(i)). Iowa imposes no probate tax, and the Iowa inheritance tax is repealed for deaths on or after January 1, 2025. The 0.2% probate-asset basis reflects the current Iowa Code as amended by 2021 Iowa Acts ch. 160. Verify current amounts with the clerk of the district court.
Required Documents
- Small Estate Affidavit
Affidavit under Iowa Code 633.356 to collect personal property when the probate assets consist only of personal property worth $100,000 or less (threshold per 2026 Iowa Acts, ch. 1048, effective July 1, 2026), at least 40 days have passed since death, and no administration is pending. The statute prescribes the required affidavit contents.
- Closing Statement (small estates) or Final Report
Chapter 635 small estates close by a sworn closing statement served on all interested parties (Iowa Code 635.8); regular chapter 633 estates close by final report. Final settlement is due within three years after the second publication of the notice to creditors unless the court orders otherwise (Iowa Code 633.473).
E-Filing & Filing Methods
Source ↗Records portal
Check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.
Timelines & Proceedings
Deadlines & Creditor Claims
Key Deadlines
- Will Deposit
- Verify locally
- Creditor Claims
- 4 months
Creditor Claims
- Period Starts
- second publication of the notice to creditors
- Statute
- Iowa Code 633.410
Related Proceedings
Property Recording
Source ↗Sources (9)
- https://www.iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-7/district/7/county/clinton
- https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/Efile/
- https://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/ESAWebApp/
- https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/court-forms
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/633.31.pdf
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/633.356.pdf
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/635.1.pdf
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/633.285.pdf
- https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/633.410.pdf