What Riverside County Probate Records Cover
Probate is a division of the Superior Court, not a separate court. The Probate Division page at riverside.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate says probate law protects the interests of people involved in administration of an estate after a death, and it protects the rights of minors and adults who cannot manage their own affairs. The case mix is wider than just wills. The division hears decedent estates, trust proceedings, guardianships of the person and estate, conservatorships of the person and estate, minor compromises, and certain mental health filings. The CARE Act, while filed at any courthouse, often touches the same examiner staff.
The Probate Division landing page lists the local courthouses, probate notes, eSubmit, and local rule links.
Riverside County Probate Division Contact
Phone lines and counters are shared with the rest of the Superior Court. The main number is 951-777-3147 for all court locations. Phone hours run Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Counter hours run Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The court warns of long phone waits and slow email replies, so the in-person counter or web chat is often faster. The probate webassistance email was retired on 5/19/25, so users now reach the probate clerk through the main phone line, web chat, or the probate examiner email shown in local rule notices.
Probate Division, Riverside Superior Court
Riverside Historic Courthouse
4050 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92501
951-777-3147
Mon-Fri, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (counter)
Probate Terms Defined
A quick reference helps a new user read a probate file. The terms below show up on most petitions and notes.
- Testator
- The person who made the will. A female testator is sometimes called a testatrix in older case papers.
- Executor
- The person named in the will to carry it out. The court issues Letters Testamentary to the executor after the will is admitted.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will. The estate then passes under the California intestacy rules in the Probate Code.
- Administrator
- The personal representative appointed when there is no will, or when the named executor will not serve. The court issues Letters of Administration.
- Guardianship
- Court-ordered care of a minor. May be of the person, the estate, or both. Used when a parent cannot serve or for an inheritance held in trust.
- Conservatorship
- Court-ordered care of an adult who cannot manage personal needs or finances. Includes LPS conservatorships for adults who need mental health care.
- Minor Compromise
- Court approval of a settlement on behalf of a child. Often needed in personal injury cases where a minor receives money.
How to Search Riverside County Probate Records
Probate cases are searched on the Riverside Superior Court Public Portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov. Almost all probate cases from July 1994 onward sit in the portal. Case-number searches are free. Name searches use credits. After a hit, the portal shows the register of actions, the calendar for the next 7 days, and (with a case number) the probate notes for past and future hearings. Sealed and confidential probate cases do not appear in the portal. Guardianship, conservatorship, and mental health remote-access limits under California Rules of Court rule 2.503 still apply, so some documents are courthouse-only.
- Sign in to a free Public Portal account; allow cookies and turn off popup blockers.
- Pick Probate as the case type.
- Enter the case number for a free search, or buy a name credit for a name search.
- Open the register of actions to read each filing date and party.
- Pull the probate notes for the hearing using the case number.
- Buy any document downloads allowed by rule 2.503; downloads stay live for 30 days.
- If the file is older than the online date range, use the $15 Request Records Search.
Riverside County Probate Notes and Local Rules
Probate notes are a key part of Riverside probate practice. The probate examiner reviews each petition before the hearing and posts notes that list missing items, defects, and follow-up tasks. The portal updates probate notes on the evening three business days before the hearing. The notes reflect documents filed at least four court days before the hearing; anything filed later will not be in the posted notes. A user who checks notes the night before the hearing should not be surprised if a late-filed supplement is not listed.
Local Rule 7109 of the Riverside Superior Court lets an attorney or a self-represented party ask for at least a three-week continuance of an uncontested petition hearing. The request goes by email to probate.examiners@riverside.courts.ca.gov, at least four court days before the hearing. The email must say that the requesting party gave notice to every party entitled to notice and to any other person known to plan to attend. The probate FAQ at riverside.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate/probate-faqs spells out the rule and gives a working template.
Riverside County Probate Court Locations
Probate matters do not run out of every courthouse. The Probate Division names three buildings as probate locations: the Riverside Historic Courthouse downtown, the Palm Springs Courthouse on Tahquitz Canyon Way, and the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. Calendar departments are listed in the court's judicial assignments PDF, which the court updates from time to time.
| Courthouse | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside Historic Courthouse | 4050 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 | 951-777-3147 |
| Palm Springs Courthouse | 3255 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262 | 760-393-2617 |
| Southwest Justice Center | 30755-D Auld Road, Murrieta, CA 92563 | 951-777-3147 |
eSubmit and Online Probate Filing in Riverside County
The court runs an eSubmit portal that takes electronic delivery of probate documents, plus appeals, family law, juvenile, criminal, traffic, and CARE Act papers. Probate filers can send petitions, supplements, and orders through eSubmit instead of mailing or walking the file to a counter. The court still keeps a paper file in many probate matters, and the clerk may print eSubmit packets for the examiner. Civil eFiling has been mandatory for some unlimited civil cases since July 2021, but probate eSubmit remains a delivery channel, not a true e-filing system.
The eSubmit page lists the supported case types and the file naming rules.
Riverside County Probate Filing Fees
Court filing fees follow the statewide schedule set by Government Code §70626 and the Probate Code. Riverside posts the current fee schedule on the court's forms-and-filing page. Amounts in the table below are typical statewide rates as of recent updates; users should pull the live court fee schedule before sending a check.
| Item | Typical Fee |
|---|---|
| Petition for probate of estate | $435.00 first appearance |
| Petition for letters of administration | $435.00 first appearance |
| Petition for guardianship | $435.00 first appearance |
| Petition for conservatorship | $435.00 first appearance |
| Objection or response by other party | $435.00 first appearance |
| Certified copy per document | $40.00 plus copy fee per page |
| Plain copy per page | $0.50 per page |
| Court name search credit (Public Portal) | $1.00 per credit and up |
| Paid clerk records search | $15.00 per search |
Fee waivers are available under Government Code §68630 et seq. A petitioner who cannot afford the filing fee files Judicial Council form FW-001. The court reviews income, household size, and benefits eligibility before granting or denying the waiver.
What Riverside County Probate Files Show
A probate file holds the petition, the will if any, the inventory and appraisal of estate assets, the notice of hearing, proof of service, creditor claims, accountings, distributions, and the final order or decree. Guardianship and conservatorship files also hold court investigator reports, medical capacity declarations, and bond documents. Many of those investigator reports and medical capacity papers are confidential and only available to the parties and their counsel. The register of actions tells a user when each filing arrived and who filed it, even when the document itself is locked behind rule 2.503 remote-access limits.
Restricted Probate Records in Riverside County
Not every probate filing is open. Mental health files under the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act are confidential by statute. Court investigator reports in guardianship and conservatorship cases are restricted to the parties, their counsel, and the court. Minor compromises that involve sealed medical records are also limited. Adoption files, while often handled at a separate calendar, are highly restricted under the Family Code. Sealed probate files under California Rules of Court rule 2.550 do not show in the Public Portal at all. To unseal a probate file, a party files a motion to unseal under rule 2.551 and shows good cause.
Note. Probate notes are not the official court order. They are the examiner's working list. The official ruling is the signed minute order or judgment in the case file.