What Probate Covers in Washington County
Probate in Washington County covers wills, decedent estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships. The same division also handles civil commitment and mental-health matters under Minnesota law.
These records are filed with Washington County District Court, not with the county vital-record office.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate papers use a small set of terms over and over. Knowing them makes the file much easier to read.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the will.
- Intestate
- Dying without a will.
- Guardianship
- A court-supervised arrangement for personal care or decision-making.
- Conservatorship
- A court-supervised arrangement for finances or estate property.
How to Search Washington County Probate Records
Search MCRO by case number or party name, then filter to Probate or Mental Health when possible. Public docket lines and many public filings are searchable online, but the courthouse terminals remain the better fallback for full public access.
Some probate-adjacent matters, such as juvenile traffic references and jail-booking data, are governed by separate Minnesota statutes that explain where the public line stops.
- Open MCRO Case Search.
- Enter the decedent, petitioner, or subject name.
- Choose Probate or Mental Health when you know the case type.
Probate Courts in Washington County
Probate matters are handled by the Probate Division of Washington County District Court, not by a separate standalone probate court.
Probate Division of District Court
14949 62nd Street North
Stillwater, MN 55082
(651) 413-8030
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Probate Filing Fees
Washington County publishes probate-related filing fees in the district-court fee table. The amounts below are the common probate entry points.
Jail and detention records are a different data class, but the same state statutes often come up when people are trying to sort out estate, custody, and commitment files.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Original probate application | $325 |
| Letters testamentary | Included in filing |
| Certified copy per page | $14 |
| Guardianship application | $325 |
What Washington County Probate Records Show
Probate records can show wills, petitions, inventories, notices to creditors, accountings, orders, and final distribution paperwork. If the file involves guardianship or conservatorship, you may also see supporting reports and court supervision orders.
Restricted Probate Records
Some probate records are limited because they involve minors, medical issues, civil commitment, or sealed estate materials. Mental-health public documents are especially limited for remote viewing.
Free court-reference tools can help confirm what docket line or filing type you are looking at before you request the official copy.
