Washington City Probate Records
Probate court records for Washington City, Utah are filed at the Fifth Judicial District Court in Washington County. That court, located in St. George, handles all estate cases, will filings, guardianship petitions, and conservatorship proceedings for residents of Washington City. You can search these probate records through the Utah XChange system online or visit the courthouse in St. George in person. Washington City has a Justice Court, but that court only handles minor misdemeanor and traffic matters. All probate work for Washington City goes through the district court level.
Washington City Quick Facts
Washington City Probate Court Location
All probate filings for Washington City residents go to the Fifth Judicial District Court in St. George. The courthouse is at 206 West Tabernacle, Suite 100, St. George, UT 84770. The phone number is (435) 986-5700. This is the court that handles wills, estate administration, guardianship petitions, conservatorship cases, and all other probate matters arising in Washington County. There is a Washington County Justice Court at 87 North 200 East, St. George, reachable at (435) 634-5728, but that court's scope is limited to misdemeanors, traffic, and small claims. It does not handle any probate matters for Washington City or anywhere else in the county.
The Washington County Clerk is located at 197 East Tabernacle, Saint George, UT 84770. The clerk's office supports the court system and handles record requests. For probate specifically, the clerk at the Fifth District Court is the right contact. Washington County probate records go back to 1852, which covers the territorial period. Records from that era have largely been transferred out of active court files and are held at the Utah State Archives.
| Court | Fifth Judicial District Court |
|---|---|
| Address | 206 West Tabernacle, Suite 100 St. George, UT 84770 |
| Phone | (435) 986-5700 |
| Justice Court (not probate) | 87 North 200 East, St. George, UT 84770 (435) 634-5728 |
| Website | utcourts.gov |
Search Washington City Probate Records Online
The Utah Courts XChange system is the main way to search Fifth District Court records from home or office. XChange lets you look up cases by party name, case number, or filing year. You can see case status, party names, filing and hearing dates, and document images for Washington County probate cases. The system is run by the Utah court system itself, so the data reflects actual court filings rather than information processed through a third party.
To access XChange, create an account with a one-time $5.00 setup fee. Each search costs $0.35 and each document view costs $1.00. If you need to search multiple cases or pull a lot of documents, the $40.00 monthly flat-rate plan covers everything for that period. Register at utcourts.gov/xchange. For Washington City residents located at a distance from St. George, XChange is usually faster and more convenient than an in-person trip to the courthouse for a routine lookup.
If you only need to confirm a case exists or find a case number, MyCourtCase at mycourtcase.utah.gov offers free access to basic docket information for Fifth District Court cases. It does not show document images, but it is a useful first step before paying for XChange.
The screenshot below is from the Utah Courts district court page, which lists the Fifth Judicial District Court that serves Washington City and the rest of Washington County for all probate matters.
The Fifth District Court in St. George is the sole venue for Washington City probate court records, covering all estate, guardianship, and will proceedings for the county.
Copies of Washington City Probate Records
You can get plain copies of Washington City probate court records for $0.25 per page at the Fifth District Court clerk window. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page plus a $4.00 certification fee per document. So a 15-page probate order would be $3.75 as a plain copy or $11.50 certified. Banks, title companies, and out-of-state agencies typically require certified copies of letters testamentary or estate orders. Plain copies are fine for personal reference or for most routine uses.
In-person requests go to the Fifth District Court clerk at 206 West Tabernacle. Bring a photo ID and your case number if you have one. If you only know the name of the person who died or the name of the estate, the clerk can search by name. For mail requests, send a written request to the court with the case name, the type of documents needed, and payment for the estimated cost. Online payments can be made through utcourts.gov/epayments. Mail requests take additional processing time depending on court workload.
Note: For Washington County probate records from 1852 to 1934, contact the Utah State Archives before requesting copies from the courthouse, as early records from that period are held at the Archives rather than the active court files.
Types of Probate Cases in Washington County
Utah probate follows two main paths. Informal probate handles cases where a valid will exists, the heirs agree, and no disputes are present. No formal court hearing is needed. Formal probate applies when there is no will, when someone contests the will or the person named to manage the estate, or when the estate has complex legal questions. The filing fee is $375.00 to open either type of case at the Fifth District Court in St. George.
Washington City estates under $100,000 with no real property may qualify for a small estate affidavit under Utah law. If eligible, the estate can avoid formal probate entirely. The person signing the affidavit is legally responsible for what they claim. If the deceased owned a home or any land in Washington City or elsewhere in Utah, that real property must go through court. Real estate title cannot transfer by affidavit alone, regardless of total estate value.
Guardianship and conservatorship cases for Washington City residents also go to the Fifth District Court. These come up when a minor or vulnerable adult needs court-appointed help managing their personal affairs or finances. Like estate proceedings, they are searchable through XChange.
Utah Probate Law and Washington City Cases
Washington City probate cases follow Utah Title 75, the Utah Uniform Probate Code. Two provisions appear most often when searching or filing records in Washington County. Utah Code Section 75-2-104 sets the 120-hour survival rule. An heir must outlive the deceased by at least 120 hours to inherit under a will or under default succession law. This rule matters most when two people die close together in the same incident. It controls which estate gets what and shapes the court records tied to those cases.
Utah Code Section 75-3-107 gives a three-year window to open formal probate after a death. After that period, the court will not accept a new formal probate petition. Some Washington City estates were never filed at all, either because assets qualified for a small estate affidavit or because no one started the process in time. If you search for a case and find nothing, that may be the reason rather than an error in the records.
Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) gives the public the right to access most probate court records. Washington City probate filings are generally open. A judge can seal individual records under narrow circumstances, but standard estate and guardianship proceedings are not sealed.
Historical Washington County Probate Records
Washington County has one of the older probate record histories in southern Utah. Records go back to 1852 from the territorial period, well before Utah statehood. Many of these early Washington County probate records, covering 1852 through 1934, have been catalogued by the FamilySearch Utah Probate Records collection. FamilySearch offers free access and is a practical starting point for genealogy research or for tracing estates from the 1800s.
The screenshot below is from the Utah State Archives, which holds historical Washington County probate records no longer active at the Fifth District Court in St. George.
The Utah State Archives at 4505 South 5600 West, West Valley City, holds Washington County probate records from the territorial period. Visit archives.utah.gov to check the collection and plan a research request before traveling to the facility.
Court Forms and Filing Help for Washington City
Utah probate forms are free at utcourts.gov/forms. Forms are organized by proceeding type, so you can find what you need for informal probate, formal probate, small estate affidavits, guardianship, or conservatorship without digging through unrelated documents. Download the current version before filing since outdated forms are rejected. The Fifth District Court has a self-help center in St. George where court staff can point you to the right forms and explain the steps for Washington City probate cases. They provide procedural guidance but cannot give legal advice about your specific situation.
If you need an attorney for a Washington City probate matter, the Utah State Bar at utahbar.org offers a lawyer referral service. You can request a referral to an attorney in Washington County who handles estate and probate cases. This is the most direct way to find local legal help if the estate is complex or contested.
Nearby City in Washington County
St. George is the county seat and the largest qualifying city in Washington County, also served by the Fifth Judicial District Court for all probate matters.