Bexar County, Texas Probate
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The Bexar County Statutory Probate Court in San Antonio administers all probate matters for Bexar County, Texas. Local court procedures supplement the state's probate code and can affect scheduling, filing requirements, and overall costs.

The Bexar County Statutory Probate Court in San Antonio processes a high volume of estate filings, with dedicated probate staff and structured hearing calendars. Expect longer initial wait times for hearings, but the trade-off is a court system with deep experience handling complex estates.

The typical probate timeline runs 6-12 months.

Bexar County has a dedicated statutory probate court — specialized judicial oversight most Texas counties lack. The majority of estates here proceed under independent administration, which eliminates most post-appointment court filings.

For the full Texas probate fee schedule and timeline, see our Texas Probate Calculator.

The Bexar County Statutory Probate Courts (Courts 1–4) is located at 100 Dolorosa, San Antonio, TX 78205. The court clerk can be reached at (210) 335-2546.

Visit the court's website for current forms, fee schedules, and filing instructions. Electronic filing is available.

Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

• Texas uses a "just and reasonable" compensation standard — no statutory fee schedule.
• Courts commonly reference ~5% of gross estate for personal representatives, but the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court in San Antonio retains discretion based on estate complexity.

• Court costs in Bexar County include the initial petition filing fee, bond premiums (where the will does not waive bond), and publication fees for creditor notice.
• Under independent administration, ongoing court costs after the initial appointment are minimal.

• Probate proceedings in Bexar County begin at the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court in San Antonio with filing an application to probate the decedent's will or, for intestate decedents, an application for letters of administration.
• Texas law imposes a waiting period after death before the application can be filed, and the court then schedules a hearing to determine whether to admit the will and appoint the personal representative.
• In Bexar County's high-volume court, this initial hearing is typically scheduled within the court's structured rotation calendar.

• After appointment, the personal representative must publish notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation, file an inventory of estate assets within 90 days, and manage the estate through distribution.
• The independent administration pathway — available when the will grants it or all distributees consent — eliminates most subsequent court filings, cutting both cost and timeline substantially.
• Most estates in Bexar County resolve within 6-12 months, though contested estates, those with real property in multiple counties, or estates involving community property disputes may take significantly longer.

Texas provides a small estate affidavit procedure for estates valued below $75,000, allowing heirs to collect assets without opening a formal probate case. In Bexar County — the 4th most populated of Texas's 254 counties — this option is particularly relevant for estates consisting primarily of personal property and smaller financial accounts, even in a jurisdiction where many estates exceed the threshold.

The affidavit must be filed in the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court in San Antonio no earlier than 30 days after the decedent's death.

To qualify, the estate must have no pending probate proceedings, the total value of assets (excluding homestead and exempt property) must fall below $75,000, and the estate's debts (excluding secured debts on real property) must not exceed its assets. Texas also offers a Muniment of Title proceeding — a simplified probate option that admits a will to probate solely to transfer title to property, without appointing a personal representative.

In a larger jurisdiction like Bexar County, families frequently use Muniment of Title for estates with real property but no unpaid debts, as it avoids the cost and delay of full administration.

• Getting an accurate cost estimate before you start probate in Bexar County helps you budget for Texas's reasonable compensation standard plus local filing fees at the Bexar County Statutory Probate Court.
• The clerk's office in San Antonio can answer procedural questions about required forms and hearing schedules.

• This free probate calculator applies Texas's specific rules automatically — enter the estate's approximate value to get an instant breakdown of expected fees.
• No account required.