Sacramento County Probate Home Sales

Bart Hubbard sells probate and trust homes throughout Sacramento County. If you are a personal representative, the executor or administrator a court appoints, or a successor trustee, who takes over a trust after the person who created it dies, the first local fact worth knowing is where the case lives. Sacramento County hears probate at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, 3341 Power Inn Road, not at the main downtown courthouse, per the Sacramento Superior Court probate records page. That detail saves families a wasted trip.

Sacramento County holds the region’s widest range of housing. A file might involve a prewar bungalow on a grid street near the rivers, a 1960s single-story ranch with a long driveway, a 1990s two-story in a planned subdivision, or a modest house in a Delta levee town. Lot sizes, foundations and permit histories swing hard between those, and so do the repairs a buyer will ask about.

Geography shapes the work too. The county runs from the north county flatlands through the city, east toward the lower foothills, and south into Delta farmland, so a representative may drive an hour to reach the drop box.

Key Facts

Probate is filed and heard at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse, 3341 Power Inn Road, Sacramento, CA 95826, Probate Unit on the 2nd floor, Room 214, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, with a drop box at the entrance (court probate records page).
Two departments hear probate, Dept. 126 and Dept. 129, assigned by the last digit of the case number: 126 takes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, and 129 takes 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 (court assignment by department).
Probate clerk phone: 916-875-3400 (phone directory).
Probate is Chapter 4 of the local rules, Rules 4.00 through 4.85, decedents’ estates at 4.50 through 4.74 (local rules Chapter 4).
Probate Notes are posted by case on the court’s Public Portal for cases filed after February 5, 2007 (portal notice).
Sacramento County Assessor: 3636 American River Drive, Suite 200, (916) 875-0700, where a Proposition 19 claim is filed (Assessor contact page).
Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder: 3636 American River Drive, Suite 110, (916) 874-6334, same-day recording 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays (hours).
A court-confirmed private sale needs an appraisal made within one year of the hearing and an offer of at least 90% of that value, under Probate Code 10309.

Where is probate filed in Sacramento County?

At the Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse on Power Inn Road, Probate Unit, Room 214. The downtown courthouse on 9th Street handles civil matters, so a probate petition carried there goes to the wrong counter.

Which probate department will hear your case?

Either Dept. 126 or Dept. 129, and you do not choose. The court assigns by the last digit of the case number, odd to 126 and even to 129, for the life of the file.

Can you read the court’s notes before the hearing?

Yes. Sacramento posts Probate Notes by case on its Public Portal, so you see what the examiner flagged before you walk in. Notes often catch small defects, such as a missing proof of service, that otherwise push a hearing out.

How long does a probate sale take here?

The estate runs longer than the sale. The California Courts Self-Help Guide says the process “typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer,” per the formal probate guide. The house usually sells in the middle of that window, after letters issue. See how long probate takes in Sacramento County.

Do you need court confirmation to sell?

It depends on the authority printed on your letters. Full authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, shortened to IAEA, allows a sale with no confirmation hearing, no published notice of sale and no 90% floor, under Probate Code 10503. Limited authority does not reach real estate, so that sale needs court supervision under Probate Code 10501(b). Court confirmation and overbids explains the hearing.

What is the house worth as of the date of death?

A probate referee, the state-appointed appraiser of estate assets, sets the formal number. Sacramento’s court lists five referees and assigns them by the last digit of the case number, on its referee case assignment page. The fee is one-tenth of 1% of the value appraised, with a $75 floor and a $10,000 ceiling.

Where do the recording and property tax steps happen?

Both at 3636 American River Drive. The Clerk/Recorder in Suite 110 records the deed, and the Assessor in Suite 200 takes the Proposition 19 parent-child claim if an heir will keep the home and live in it. A satellite window at 8239 E. Stockton Blvd. accepts documents but processes them at the main office within two business days, cash or check only.

Cities and communities served

Sacramento, population 539,765
Elk Grove, population 188,319
Folsom, population 95,680
Rancho Cordova, population 87,312
Citrus Heights, population 86,487
Galt, population 27,133
Isleton, population 764
Unincorporated community plan areas including Antelope, Arden Arcade, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, North Highlands, Orangevale, Rio Linda, Elverta and Vineyard

City figures are California Department of Finance estimates as of January 1, 2026 (E-1 release). Community names come from Sacramento County community plan areas.

What should you do first?

Find the will, the death certificate and any trust documents, and check whether the home was titled in a trust.
Ask a California probate attorney which petition fits, because that answer moves the timeline most.
Secure the house, tell the insurer it is unoccupied, and keep the utilities on so inspections work.
Get a written opinion of value tied to the date of death, separate from the referee’s appraisal.
Gather the mortgage, tax and insurance statements, then decide with the heirs whether to sell, rent or keep.
Read the Probate Notes on the Public Portal before every hearing.

Summary

Sacramento County probate is heard at 3341 Power Inn Road, Room 214, not downtown.
Dept. 126 and Dept. 129 split the calendar by the last digit of the case number.
The probate clerk line is 916-875-3400.
Local probate practice is Chapter 4, Rules 4.00 through 4.85.
Probate Notes are posted by case on the court’s Public Portal.
The Assessor and the Clerk/Recorder share 3636 American River Drive.
A court-confirmed private sale needs at least 90% of an appraisal made within the past year.

Next Steps

Talk with Bart: Book a free 15-minute call. I’ll listen to where you are in the process, look at the property, and tell you your options, including the ones that don’t involve hiring me.

Request a free probate home valuation: You’ll get a written price range within one business day, tied to the date of death if needed.

About the Author

Bart Hubbard is a Realtor with HomeSmart ICARE Realty (DRE #01815497) and a C.A.R. Certified Probate and Trust Specialist who helps families across the greater Sacramento area sell inherited, probate and trust homes. He works alongside probate attorneys, fiduciaries and local vendors to handle pricing, cleanouts, repairs and court-confirmation sales, so executors can focus on their families. More about Bart is on his bio page.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Probate and tax rules depend on your facts. Talk with a California probate attorney or CPA before acting. Figures current as of October 2026.

Probate and Trust Home Sales in Sacramento County