DeKalb County Probate Court: a family guide

Where the court is, what it charges and how to file there.

This is our family guide to the court. It is not the court's own website. For the court itself, go to the court's own page. Anything the court does not post says “Ask the clerk.”

At a glance

The court at a glance

Address
556 North McDonough Street, Judicial Tower, Room B190 (basement), Decatur, GA 30030
Phone
404-371-3022
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 3:00, by appointment for wills and estates
Walk in or appointment
By appointment
E-file
Yes, through eFileGA (Odyssey)
Judge
Bedelia C. Hargrove, Chief Probate Court Judge
Newspaper for legal notices
The Champion (Decatur)

Checked against the court's website on October 17, 2026.

Fees

What it costs to file

Petition to probate a will in solemn form: $209
Petition to probate a will in common form: Ask the clerk
Petition for letters of administration: $209
No Administration Necessary: $234
Year's support: $354
Certified copy of letters: $10 for each letter

These come from DeKalb's fee schedule, revised July 1, 2025. It has no separate line for common form. These totals leave out publication. Letters of administration add $60 for it if the court needs it. No Administration Necessary and year's support add $25 for each piece of land, and one is included. A card adds 2.75%. The court does not take bills over $20.

Checked against the court's website on October 17, 2026.

Step by step

Six steps to start an estate in DeKalb County

Gather the death certificate and the will, if there is one. Write down each family member's address.
Look over the forms on the court's site and in our forms guide before you book anything.
Send the petition through eFileGA or by mail. DeKalb was the first Georgia probate court to take e-filing, in 2020.
Book a time on the appointment calendar for the part that needs you in person.
Pay the filing fee. The court takes no bills over $20, and a card adds 2.75%.
Take the oath and sign the originals at your visit. The court then tells you if a notice must run in The Champion.

These steps give the general path. They do not say which petition fits your family.

Take the 6-question quiz Which forms do I need?How probate works

Free and low-cost

Local help

The court's page links to a probate information clinic, but that link did not open when we checked. Ask the clerk if a clinic is running.

Local tips

Good to know in DeKalb County

Book a visit on the court's appointment calendar. The court asks you to e-file or mail first when you can.
Bring the original petition and a photo ID to your visit.
Some papers cannot go through e-file. These include original oaths and bonds, and wills left for safekeeping.
The hours on the court's page may be old. They read like pandemic wording. Call before you drive.

Where these facts come from6 sources

We read these pages on October 17, 2026. Courts change hours and fees, so call before you go.