Brigham City Probate Records
Brigham City probate court records are filed at the First Judicial District Court in Box Elder County, which sits right in the city. The court handles all estate cases, will filings, guardianship petitions, and conservatorship proceedings for Brigham City residents. You can search these probate records online through the Utah XChange system or visit the courthouse in person during regular business hours. Box Elder County probate records go back to 1856, making this one of the older record bases in northern Utah. This page covers how to find and access Brigham City probate court records through each available channel.
Brigham City Quick Facts
Brigham City First District Court
The First Judicial District Court for Box Elder County is located at 43 North Main Street, P.O. Box 873, Brigham City, UT 84302. The court phone is (435) 734-4600. Business hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The Honorable Brandon Maynard presides over the First District Court in Box Elder County. This is the court that handles all probate matters for Brigham City and the rest of the county. There is also a court annex at 81 North Main Street, Suite 102, Brigham City, UT 84302, reachable at (435) 734-3329.
The Box Elder County Clerk is at 01 South Main Street, Room 10, Brigham City, UT 84302. Phone is (435) 734-3393. The clerk's office handles record requests and GRAMA submissions for the county. For public records requests, Box Elder County has an online FOIA portal at boxeldercounty.justfoia.com where you can submit and track requests. For probate court records specifically, contact the First District Court clerk directly since court records go through the court system rather than the county clerk.
| Court | First Judicial District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 43 North Main Street, P.O. Box 873 Brigham City, UT 84302 |
| Phone | (435) 734-4600 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Court Annex | 81 North Main Street, Suite 102 Brigham City, UT 84302 (435) 734-3329 |
| County Clerk | 01 South Main Street, Room 10 Brigham City, UT 84302 (435) 734-3393 |
Note: The Box Elder County Justice Court handles misdemeanors and minor civil matters and can be reached at (435) 734-3390. It does not handle probate, estate, or guardianship cases. Those go to the First District Court.
Search Brigham City Probate Records Online
The Utah Courts XChange system is the primary online tool for finding First District Court records tied to Brigham City estates and guardianships. XChange lets you search by party name, case number, or filing year and returns case status, party names, key dates, and document images for Box Elder County probate cases. The system is run by the Utah court system and reflects the actual court database, not a third-party aggregation of records. This is the most accurate source for current and recent Brigham City probate filings.
XChange requires a one-time $5.00 setup fee. Each search is $0.35 and each document view costs $1.00. For heavier use, the $40.00 monthly flat-rate plan covers all searches and document access. Sign up at utcourts.gov/xchange. For a free basic option, MyCourtCase shows party names and docket activity for First District Court cases without a fee. You cannot view documents, but you can check if a case was filed and find the case number before using XChange.
The screenshot below shows the Utah Courts district court page, which lists the First Judicial District Court that serves Brigham City and Box Elder County for all probate matters.
The First District Court in Brigham City is the correct venue for all Box Elder County probate records, including estate filings, guardianship cases, and will proceedings.
Copies of Brigham City Probate Records
Plain copies of Brigham City probate court records cost $0.25 per page at the First District Court clerk window. Certified copies run $0.50 per page plus a $4.00 certification fee per document. For example, a 20-page estate inventory is $5.00 as a plain copy or $14.00 certified. Certified copies are typically needed when dealing with financial institutions, title companies, or out-of-state courts that need proof of a court order or letters of administration.
To get copies in person, visit the clerk window at 43 North Main Street during the 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM window on weekdays. Bring a photo ID and your case number if you have one. If you do not have a case number, the clerk can search by name. Mail requests are also accepted. Send a written request to the First Judicial District Court with the case name, the documents you need, and a check for the estimated fee. The court will contact you if the amount differs. Online payments go through utcourts.gov/epayments. For GRAMA-based records requests outside the court system, the county's online portal at boxeldercounty.justfoia.com handles submissions and tracking.
Types of Brigham City Probate Cases
Utah uses two probate paths. Informal probate is for cases where a valid will exists, the heirs are in agreement, and no one is contesting anything. No court hearing is required. Formal probate applies when there is no will, when someone challenges the will or the personal representative, or when the estate has legal disputes or complications. Either path starts with a $375.00 filing fee at the First District Court in Brigham City.
Some Brigham City estates can skip formal probate entirely. If the estate is worth less than $100,000 and includes no real property, Utah law allows heirs to use a simplified small estate affidavit instead of going through court. The person who signs the affidavit takes on legal responsibility for its accuracy. If the deceased owned a home, a lot, or any other real estate in Brigham City or elsewhere in Utah, that property must go through formal probate regardless of total estate size. Real estate cannot transfer by affidavit.
Guardianship and conservatorship cases for Brigham City residents also go to the First District Court. These come up when a minor needs a court-appointed guardian or when an adult can no longer handle their own finances or personal decisions. Like estate cases, they are searchable through XChange and show up in the court database under Box Elder County.
Utah Probate Law and Brigham City Cases
All Brigham City probate cases follow Utah Title 75, the Utah Uniform Probate Code. Two sections come up most often. Utah Code Section 75-2-104 is the 120-hour rule. To inherit under a will or through default succession, a person must survive the deceased by at least 120 hours. This matters when two people die in the same event and determines which estate passes assets to which. Utah Code Section 75-3-107 sets a three-year limit to file formal probate after a death. After that window closes, the court will not accept a new formal petition. Some Brigham City estates were never filed, either because assets qualified for a small estate affidavit or because no one initiated the process in time.
Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) gives the public the right to see most court records. Box Elder County probate filings, including those tied to Brigham City, are generally open to anyone who asks. The court can seal specific records under narrow legal conditions, but that is not the standard outcome for routine estate and guardianship proceedings.
Historical Brigham City Probate Records
Box Elder County probate records go back to 1856, covering the early territorial period in Utah. The collection includes probate minutes from 1856 to 1878, probate case files from 1885 to 1916, and full probate records running from 1856 through 1966. Estate files from 1870 to 1917 and naturalization records from 1868 to 1957 are also part of the Box Elder County historical record base. Land records and deed indexes cover 1857 to 1942. Much of this material has been catalogued and is accessible for research purposes.
FamilySearch has indexed many of these older Box Elder County records. The FamilySearch Utah Probate Records page offers free access and is a practical starting point for genealogical research or for finding estate records from the 1800s and early 1900s. The Box Elder County Genealogical Society and the Brigham City Library are also local resources for historical record research tied to the area.
The screenshot below is from the Utah State Archives website, which holds historical Box Elder County probate records that are no longer active at the First District Court in Brigham City.
The Utah State Archives at 4505 South 5600 West, West Valley City, holds Box Elder County probate records from the territorial period through the mid-1900s. Contact them at archives.utah.gov before visiting to confirm which records are available and how to request access.
Brigham City Probate Forms and Filing Help
Utah probate forms are free to download at utcourts.gov/forms. Forms are grouped by proceeding type, so you can find what you need for informal probate, formal probate, small estate affidavits, guardianship, or conservatorship without hunting through a long list. Always use the current version. The court rejects outdated forms. The First District Court in Brigham City has a self-help center where staff can explain which forms to use and walk through the general filing steps. They provide procedural help but do not give legal advice about how to manage an estate or resolve disputes.
For legal help with a Brigham City probate case, the Utah State Bar at utahbar.org offers a lawyer referral service. You can request a referral to an attorney handling Box Elder County probate matters. The referral service is a quick way to get connected with local legal help, especially if the estate is contested or the assets are complicated. If the estate is small and straightforward, the court's self-help resources may be enough to get through the process without an attorney.
Nearby Qualifying City
Brigham City is the only qualifying city in Box Elder County. Logan, in neighboring Cache County, is also served by the First Judicial District and handles probate the same way.