Probate in Sonoma County, California
When someone who lived in Sonoma County dies, probate is handled by the county probate court. This page points you to that court and summarizes the California rules that apply — the small-estate threshold, the key deadlines, and the instruments California uses. For your own dates and numbers, use the free calculators linked below.
Where to file
Probate is filed in the county where the person who died last lived. If that was Sonoma County, this is the court — local forms, e-filing rules, and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with the county probate court. If they last lived in a different county of the same state, the case belongs in that county’s court instead, and one appointment there covers property across the state. If they last lived in another state, the main case belongs there, and property in Sonoma County generally needs a second, smaller case of its own here (commonly called ancillary probate) — an attorney can confirm which applies.
Superior Court of California, County of SonomaDoes this estate need full probate?
California lets smaller estates skip full probate using the Small Estate Affidavit (Prob. Code §13100) — personal property; separate real-property petition for estates up to $208,850.
Check your estate Source — Cal. Prob. Code §13100 et seq. (inflation-adjusted, DOD on/after 2025-04-01)Key probate deadlines in California
- Lodge the will with the court
- 30 days after the date of death
- File the estate inventory
- 4 months after appointment as personal representative
- Creditor-claim period closes
- 4 months after appointment as personal representative
Good to know in California
- The court empowers the personal representative with Letters (DE-150).
- The estate closes with the Order for Final Distribution.
- California has no state estate or inheritance tax.
Other counties in California
If the person who died last lived in a different county in California, start with that county instead — see all California counties. A few others:
Listed alphabetically, not by distance. A check marks a county with a verified court link.
Talk it through, or find a local pro
Ask the guide a question about probate in Sonoma County, or browse vetted probate attorneys and real-estate advisors who work in California.
Selling an inherited home? Estimate the tax with the capital-gains calculator. Just getting started? Print the California after-a-death checklist. Want the background? Read about how probate actually works or the small-estate route.