Probate Court Records in Clearfield, Utah
Clearfield probate court records are filed and kept at the Second District Court in Farmington, which handles all estate matters for Davis County. When a Clearfield resident dies and their estate goes through probate, the case opens at the Farmington courthouse on West State Street. Those files include petitions to open the estate, wills, asset inventories, creditor notices, and court orders issued throughout the process. You can search Clearfield probate cases through the Utah Courts XChange system online, visit the court in person in Farmington, or contact the clerk to request copies of documents from a specific case file.
Clearfield Quick Facts
Second District Court: Clearfield Probate Filings
All Clearfield estate cases go to the Second Judicial District Court. The courthouse address is 800 West State Street, Farmington, UT 84025, with a mailing address of PO Box 769. The court phone is (801) 447-3800. Clerk office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Clearfield sits in the northern portion of Davis County, and probate filings from Clearfield residents are handled at the same Farmington courthouse that serves all of Davis County.
The Second District Court handles formal probate, informal probate, will contests, guardianships, and conservatorships for every city in Davis County. When a Clearfield resident dies with a will, the person named as personal representative files the opening petition at this court. When no will was left, a surviving spouse, adult child, or other interested party files to be appointed administrator. The case stays open at the Second District Court through every step until the court issues a final closing order. All public filings in the case are available to anyone who requests them at the courthouse or through the online search system.
| Court | Second Judicial District Court |
|---|---|
| Courthouse Address | 800 West State Street, PO Box 769, Farmington, UT 84025 |
| Phone | (801) 447-3800 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Davis County Courthouse | 28 East State Street, Farmington, UT 84025 |
| City of Clearfield | 55 South State Street, Clearfield, UT 84015 |
The Davis County Courthouse at 28 East State Street in Farmington is a separate building from the district court and handles county government functions. The Clerk of the District Court is the office that holds active probate case files. For older closed records, some materials have passed to the Utah State Archives.
The Clearfield public records directory identifies the Davis County District Court as the primary resource for Clearfield probate and civil court records and lists contact information and GRAMA procedures for accessing those files.
Search Clearfield Probate Records Online
The main online tool for searching Clearfield probate court records is Utah Courts XChange. XChange covers case indexes for all Utah district courts, including the Second District in Farmington. You can search by the name of the deceased, a case number, or the name of the personal representative. Results show case status, party names, and any scheduled hearings. Viewing actual court documents from a Clearfield probate file requires paying a fee per document.
XChange fees are $5.00 to create an account, $0.35 per search, and $1.00 per document viewed. A $40.00 monthly flat-rate subscription is available if you search often. Most active cases from recent years are in the digital index. Some older Clearfield probate records may not be searchable through XChange and require a visit to the court or the state archives.
Named parties in a Clearfield probate case can view their own documents at no cost through MyCourtCase. For older Davis County records, the Utah State Archives at 346 South Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City holds historical closed estate files going back to 1853. The Davis County probate records resource explains how to access Second District Court filings, what copy fees apply, and how in-person inspection works at the Farmington courthouse.
If you visit the courthouse in person, the clerk can pull case files for review at the counter during business hours. Plain copy fees are $0.25 per page. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page plus a $4.00 certification fee per document. GRAMA requests submitted in writing must get a response within 5 to 10 business days.
What Is in a Clearfield Probate File
A Clearfield probate case file grows throughout the estate process. It starts with the petition to open probate and adds documents at each stage. Most files hold the original will if one was left, the death certificate, a full inventory of assets and their estimated values, notices to known creditors, claims creditors filed against the estate, court orders issued along the way, and the final decree of distribution closing the estate. These documents are what the court and the personal representative use to settle what the deceased owned and make sure it gets to the right people.
Guardianship and conservatorship cases are also part of the probate division at the Second District Court. These cover situations where a Clearfield resident cannot manage their own affairs because of age, illness, or disability. Files for minor children may have restricted public access and are not available in the same open way that estate records are. All standard estate records for deceased Clearfield residents are public documents and can be reviewed by anyone.
Note: Some older Davis County probate records are on microfilm at the Utah State Archives rather than in the digital court system.
Filing Probate for Clearfield Estates
When a Clearfield resident dies, the estate must be filed with the Second District Court within three years. This rule comes from Utah Code Title 75, which governs all probate in Utah. The initial filing fee to open a probate case is $375. Skipping the three-year deadline causes serious problems. It can make it nearly impossible to settle the estate through normal court means.
Utah offers two probate paths. Informal probate is the quicker, simpler option. It works well when a clear will exists and no one is contesting it. Formal probate involves hearings before a judge. You need it when heirs disagree, when no will was left, or when the estate has unusual complications. In either case, the personal representative must file a complete asset inventory within three months of being appointed. Known creditors must receive notice, and they get a set amount of time to file claims before distribution begins.
Clearfield estates worth less than $100,000 may qualify for the simplified small estate affidavit process. Under this process, heirs collect assets without opening a full probate case at all. The heir signs a notarized affidavit stating they are entitled to the property. Forms are free at utcourts.gov/forms. Utah's 120-hour survival rule under Utah Code Title 75 also applies. An heir must outlive the deceased by at least 120 hours to inherit. This rule affects how the court handles distributions when family members die close to the same time.
Historical Clearfield and Davis County Probate Records
Davis County probate records go back to 1853 and court records to 1852, making them some of the earliest in Utah. For Clearfield families researching genealogy, these old estate files can hold a lot of specific detail. They list heirs by name, describe property, and often identify family relationships in ways that vital records do not. Older inventories name land parcels, household goods, livestock, and sometimes debts, which can help researchers understand how Clearfield families lived generations ago.
The FamilySearch Utah Probate Records guide covers what historical records exist and how to find them. Many older Davis County files have been microfilmed and are searchable through FamilySearch or available at the Utah State Archives. The Archives at 346 South Rio Grande Street in Salt Lake City holds physical files for closed cases. Staff can confirm whether a specific old Clearfield estate file is available and how to request it. The Davis County Courthouse at 28 East State Street in Farmington also holds some county-level records that may complement the court files.
The Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City holds historical Davis County probate records including older Clearfield estate files that have passed out of active court storage, and Archives staff can help researchers find and request specific historical documents.
Legal Help and GRAMA Access for Clearfield Residents
Simple Clearfield estates can often go through probate without an attorney. When assets are complex, heirs disagree, or a will is challenged, getting legal help early is worth it. The Utah State Bar has a referral service where you can find probate attorneys who serve Davis County and Clearfield clients. Utah Legal Services may be able to help qualifying Clearfield residents with limited income get free or low-cost help with estate filings.
Access to Clearfield probate records is governed by the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act, known as GRAMA, at Utah Code Title 63G, Chapter 2. Most probate case records are public. Guardianship files involving minors may be restricted. If a record you need is not available through normal search channels, you can file a formal GRAMA request with the court clerk. Under GRAMA, the court must respond within 5 to 10 business days in most situations. For questions about health-related records, the Davis County Health Department is located at 22 South State Street, Clearfield, UT 84015, and can be reached at (801) 525-5000. The Health Department holds birth certificates from 1926 forward for Davis County.
Nearby Davis County Cities
These cities are also in Davis County and use the same Second District Court in Farmington for probate filings.