Nevada County effectively runs two probate calendars, and knowing which one your case lands on saves a long drive. Probate is heard at the Nevada City Courthouse, 201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, main line (530) 362-4309. The Truckee Courthouse at the Joseph Government Center, 10075 Levon Avenue, Truckee, CA 96161 carries its own probate calendar for eastern county matters. Bart Hubbard sells inherited, probate and trust homes on both sides of the ridge. Sources: court locations and hours and the tentative rulings page.
The county climbs from the Gold Country ridges around Grass Valley and Nevada City through forested canyons to the Truckee and Donner Lake area. Housing follows the terrain: nineteenth century cottages and Victorians in the old town cores, 1970s and 1980s homes tucked into the pines, planned lake communities such as Lake of the Pines, and ranch acreage around Penn Valley.
On the eastern side the housing is mountain property, and it prices and inspects differently. Snow load, roof condition, heat tape, defensible space and road maintenance agreements all come up, and the selling season is not the valley’s. Plan the listing date as carefully as the price.
Key Facts
- Probate is heard at the Nevada City Courthouse, 201 Church Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, main (530) 362-4309, clerk’s office open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays (locations and hours).
- The Truckee Courthouse, 10075 Levon Avenue, runs a separate, periodic probate calendar; the Nevada City set posts weekly (tentative rulings).
- The court posts probate tentative rulings online for both locations.
- Local practice is Chapter 8 of the local rules, rules 8.00 through 8.32, updated July 1, 2026 (rules of court).
- The Assessor (Suite 290, 530-265-1232) and Clerk-Recorder (Suite 210, 530-265-1221) share 950 Maidu Avenue, Nevada City; the Assessor’s Proposition 19 page names BOE-19-P.
- Statewide anchor: full probate “typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer” (California Courts probate guide).
Where is probate filed in Nevada County?
At the Nevada City courthouse on Church Street, which handles civil, criminal, family law, juvenile, probate and traffic. Estates on the eastern side of the county are heard on the Truckee calendar. Probate is filed where the person lived, so Grass Valley, Penn Valley and Truckee homes point here but not to the same courtroom. Confirm the calendar before booking winter travel.
What are tentative rulings and how do you read them?
A tentative ruling is the judge’s provisional decision, posted before the hearing, which becomes the order unless a party asks to argue. Nevada County posts a Nevada City probate set weekly and a Truckee set periodically. One quirk: the PDFs carry the hearing date and case list but no departmental header, so match by case number and date.
Does an executor need court confirmation to sell?
Only when the letters do not grant full authority. The personal representative is the executor or administrator the court appoints, and the letters state their authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, or IAEA. With full authority the confirmation rules drop away, including publication, the 90% minimum and the overbid. Prob. Code 10503. Limited authority does not reach real property. Prob. Code 10501(b). Source: Justia.
What happens if the sale has to be confirmed in court?
The accepted offer goes back to the judge, and it cannot be confirmed below 90% of the appraised value, on an appraisal under a year old. Prob. Code 10309. The court can also take a higher offer from the floor. The first overbid must beat it by 10% of the first $10,000 plus 5% of the rest, so a $500,000 offer needs $525,500. Prob. Code 10311.
What is a mountain or foothill home worth at date of death?
A probate referee appointed by the State Controller appraises estate real property at date-of-death value, with at least one referee per county. The fee is one-tenth of one percent of the value appraised, with a $75 floor and a $10,000 ceiling. Source: State Controller. Give the referee real information about access, utilities and condition, since these parcels vary too much for a desk estimate.
Where do you record the deed and claim Prop 19?
Both sit in the same building at 950 Maidu Avenue in Nevada City, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays. If a child keeps the family home and claims the parent-child exclusion, file BOE-19-P with the Assessor. The exclusion covers the factored base-year value plus $1,044,586 through February 15, 2027, and the child must make the home their principal residence within one year. Source: BOE Proposition 19.
Does Bart sell homes in Nevada County?
Yes, with one honest note about distance. Nevada County sits at the edge of the service area, roughly 60 miles from downtown Sacramento, and Bart travels up for appointments on the Grass Valley, Nevada City and Penn Valley side. See the service areas page. For a house up in the Truckee and Donner area, he can introduce a partner agent who works that market weekly.
Cities and communities served
- Truckee, population 16,891
- Grass Valley, population 13,238
- Nevada City, population 3,325
- Community regions including Penn Valley, Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines and Higgins Corner
- Rural communities including Alta Sierra, Cedar Ridge, Chicago Park, Rough and Ready and North San Juan
- Eastern county communities including Glenshire, Donner Lake and Tahoe Donner
City figures are California Department of Finance estimates, January 1, 2026.
What should you do first?
- Find out whether the house is in a trust. A successor trustee can sell without a judge under Prob. Code 16226, which skips the calendar question.
- Hire a California probate attorney and confirm which calendar your case belongs on.
- Winterize and insure. California’s standard fire policy suspends coverage past 60 consecutive vacant days under Ins. Code 2071.
- Order the date-of-death appraisal early. The inventory is due within four months after letters issue under Prob. Code 8800(b).
- Get a written market valuation that weighs access, utilities, roof and defensible space, then pick a listing window. Up here, timing moves the result as much as preparation.
Summary
- Nevada County probate is heard at 201 Church Street in Nevada City, with a separate periodic calendar in Truckee.
- Probate tentative rulings post online for both locations, without a departmental header on the PDFs.
- Chapter 8 of the local rules, rules 8.00 through 8.32, governs probate practice.
- The Assessor and Clerk-Recorder share 950 Maidu Avenue in Nevada City.
- Full IAEA authority removes court confirmation, the 90% floor and the overbid.
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: A written price range for the property within one business day.
Related reading
- How do probate court confirmation and overbids work?
- What should you do with a vacant inherited house?
- Will property taxes go up under Prop 19?
- All counties Bart serves
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.