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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, Circuit Court contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Jones 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.

Jones County Circuit Court Guide

Settled Estate records a $122+ court filing fee and a 4-month creditor claim period for the Jones County Circuit Court, read from 32 linked sources and last verified September 27, 2026.

Sixth Judicial Circuit of South Dakota · Circuit Court information · Updated September 2026

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Filing & Fees

Fee Schedule Signals

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Probate Filing Fees

Filing TypeFee
Petition for Probate
Standard probate filing fee
$122

Note: Opening an estate costs $122.00 in every county: UJS "Guide to Filing Fees and Court Costs - Civil Filings Only", effective July 1, 2026, row Probate / Estate: $75.00 filing fee + $40.00 court automation surcharge + $7.00 law library fee = $122.00. The legal basis is a three-statute stack: $75 "For the probate of an estate" (16-2-29(1)), the $40 unified judicial system court automation surcharge in each probate proceeding (16-2-39), and the $7 county lawbook and law library fee (14-6-1). The $7 is collected upon an order of the circuit's presiding judge filed with the county clerk of courts; the statewide schedule prints it for every probate, so $122 is the published figure. Special administration, termination (of a life estate) and guardianship rows each total $72.00; safekeeping or filing of a will is $2.00. Neither small-estate affidavit is filed with the court: the personal-property affidavit (29A-3-1201) is presented to the holder of the property, and the real-property affidavit (29A-3-1203) is recorded with the register of deeds (a recording fee, not a court fee). South Dakota has no probate tax. The same $122.00 applies in Jones County; there is no per-county probate fee.

Guardianship Fees

Guardian of Person
$
Guardian of Property
$
Person & Property
$

Required Documents

  • Certified Death Certificate

    $15.00 per certified copy (ARSD 44:09:06:02) from the Department of Health's Vital Records Office in Pierre or any South Dakota register of deeds, in person or by mail, or through VitalChek online or by phone. Not a court form.

  • Original Will

    Delivered to the court with the application, or on request to someone able to probate it (29A-2-516).

  • Application for Informal Probate and/or Informal Appointment

    Directed to the clerk of court in the county of domicile and verified by the applicant (29A-3-301); court costs $122.

  • Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration

    Issued on appointment; they prove the personal representative's authority.

  • Information to Heirs and Devisees

    Sent by ordinary mail within 14 days after appointment, with a copy of any probated will (29A-3-705).

  • Written Information to the Department of Social Services

    Within 14 days after appointment, with the decedent's Social Security number; not filed with the court, but its delivery is certified to the court (29A-3-705(c)).

  • Notice to Creditors

    Publishing once a week for three successive weeks starts the four-month bar; written notice to known creditors is required separately (29A-3-801).

  • Inventory and Appraisement

    Within six months after appointment or nine months after death, whichever is later; filing it with the court is optional (29A-3-706).

  • Small Estate Affidavit

    Presented to the bank or other holder, not filed with the court (29A-3-1201).

  • Affidavit for Succession to Real Property

    Recorded with the register of deeds with a certified death certificate (29A-3-1203).

E-Filing & Filing Methods

Case Search

Records portal

Check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.

Open the records portal
Filing Methods: in person

Timelines & Proceedings

Deadlines & Creditor Claims

Key Deadlines

Will Deposit
Verify locally
Creditor Claims
4 months
Known Creditor Notice
60 days

Creditor Claims

Period Starts
first publication of the notice to creditors
Publication
A legal newspaper in Jones County (the county where the proceeding is pending), once a week for three successive weeks (SDCL 29A-3-801(a)). The specific qualifying newspaper was not confirmed in this pass; ask the clerk.
Statute
SDCL §§ 29A-3-801 and 29A-3-803

Related Proceedings

Property Recording

Source ↗

Sources for this page (32)

The facts above come from these official sources. Verify current details with the office before filing.