Probate records and wills are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? How about date of death, spouses and children names, birth order, siblings and siblings spouses, parents names, and residence locations for all named persons. Also, ownership of land and/or other significant property, business names and occupation, military service, guardianships, and adoptions. Basically anything owned by the deceased is typically listed and to whom it is to be assigned to.
I won't pretend to be an expert on the probate process - all I know is that I have discovered an amazing amount of good information from probate records and wills as part of my personal genealogy research.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching probate documents and wills:
- FamilySearch - United States Probate Records
- Wills and Probate Records are Genealogy Riches
- How to Use Wills and Estate Records to Learn About Your Ancestors
- Probate Records Could Be the Key to Unlocking Your Family’s Hidden Past
Below, listed by state are links to probate records, wills, and indexes available for free online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find a desired will or probate record in an index, that the holder of the actual materials (e.g., (archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital.
(Updated September, 2019; recently added links are in BOLD)
- Alachua County Online Will Record Books
- Alachua County Probate Records and Wills Search
- Alachua County Probate Records, 1828-1948
- Baker County Miscellaneous Records 1912-1937
- Baker County Probate Records, 1877-1910 and Wills, 1914-1960
- Baker County Record of Administrations, Baker County, Florida, 1914-1938
- Bay County Will Records, 1913-1936
- Bradford County Letters of Administration, 1892-1918
- Bradford County Letters of guardianship, 1892-1946
- Bradford County Letters of testamentary, 1895-1936
- Bradford County Probate Records, 1868-1940
- Bradford County Register of Wills and Estates, 1892-1939
- Brevard County Probate docket, 1918-1944; general Index to Probate and guardianship, 1868-1975
- Brevard County Probate Records, 1877-1926
- Broward County Probate Records 1915-1924
- Calhoun County Probate Records, v. 1, 1858-1907
- Calhoun County Wills and related Probate matters, 1877-1958
- Calhoun County Wills, 1878-1952
- Citrus County Marriage and Probate Records
- Clay County Probate Records, 1859-1924
- Clay County Wills, 1861-1930
- Columbia County Probate Records, 1860-1955
- Columbia County, inventory Record of Estates, v. A 1871-1874
- Dade County Letters testimentary and Administration, 1869-1911
- Dade County Register of Wills, 1878-1911
- Dade County Estate Files, 1869-1900 : Index to 1930
- Dade County Probate Minute Book, 1901-1967
- DeSoto County Files and Records of Estates, 1887-1942
- DeSoto County Will Records, 1903-1929
- Duval County Last Wills and testaments, 1856-1922
- Duval County Letters testamentary and Administration, 1865-1902
- Duval County Probate orders, 1845-1878
- Duval County Probate packets, approx. 1805-1906; Index, 1805-1960
- East Florida. Escribano del Gobierno; East Florida. Escribano del GobiernoTestamentos, 1784-1816
- Escambia County Probate Records, in Estates of deceased persons, 1871-1883
- Escambia County Will Books, 1832-1921
- Escambia County Wills, 1918-1929
- Escambia County, Index to Probate Records, 1821-1921
- Flagler County Wills, 1916-1931
- Florida, Probate Records, 1784-1990
- Franklin County Franklin County Probate Records, 1833-1903
- Franklin County Probate and guardianship Records, 1846-1955
- Franklin County Probate Records, 1831-1922
- Gadsden County Administration Book, 1852-1888
- Gadsden County Chancery order Books, 1859-1926
- Gadsden County Estate Administration Records, 1903-1938
- Gadsden County Estate Book, Records of Estate, 1836-1888
- Gadsden County Guardianship Records, 1920-1932
- Gadsden County Letters of testamentary, 1906-1933
- Gadsden County Probate Records, 1832-1946
- Gadsden County Record of Wills, 1826-1930
- Gadsden County Settlement Book, 1837-1867
- Gulf County Probate Records (Gulf County, Florida), 1900-1940
- Hamilton County General Index to Marriages and Estates, 1828-1922
- Hamilton County Guardianship Records, 1891-1929
- Hamilton County Letters of Administration, 1913-1924
- Hamilton County Probate Records, 1830-1949
- Hardee County Probate Records, 1899-1956; Index, 1899-1986
- Hernando County Administration Records, 1884-1936
- Hernando County Guardianship Records, 1877-1932
- Hernando County Probate court Minutes, 1884-1926
- Hernando County Wills, 1884-1936
- Hillsborough County Administration Records, 1847-1928
- Hillsborough County Guardianship Records, 1886-1929
- Hillsborough County Inventories Records, 1846-1859, 1885-1893, 1905-1930
- Hillsborough County Probate Minutes, 1882-1928
- Hillsborough County Probate packets, Index 1834-1944
- Hillsborough County Register of Estates, 1893-1926
- Hillsborough County Wills, 1847-1930
- Hillsborough County, Old Guardianships
- Hillsborough County, Old Wills
- Holmes County Probate Records, 1915-1934
- Holmes County Record of Wills, 1902-1920
- Jackson County Probate Records, 1897-1936
- Jackson County Record of Wills, v. 1, 1905-1921
- Jackson County Records of Estates, 1840-1893
- Jefferson County Loose Probate Files, 1832-1927; Index 1832-1876
- Jefferson County Probate Records, 1838-1927
- Jefferson County Wills, letters testamentary and letters of Administration, 1838-1924
- Lafayette County Administration Record, 1921-1934
- Lafayette County Guardian Records, 1921-1943
- Lafayette County Probate Records, 1866-1962
- Lake County Probate Records, 1883-1929
- Lee County Letters testamentary, 1913-1928
- Lee County Wills and Probates, 1889-1925
- Leon County Probate Records, 1827-1887, Index to Estates, 1831-1974
- Leon County Probate Records, 1839-1935
- Levy County Probate Records, 1847-1921
- Liberty County Probate Records, 1858-1945
- Madison County Administration Record, 1892-1914
- Madison County Annual returns from Estate sales, 1849-1895
- Madison County Letters of guardianship, 1852-1882
- Madison County Wills, inventories and appraisements, 1846-1924
- Manatee County Docket, 1915-1917
- Manatee County Miscellaneous Record, 1859-1878
- Manatee County Probate Records, 1857-1977
- Marion County Probate Records, 1844-1925 approx
- Miami-Dade County Recorder's Official Probate Records Search
- Monroe County Probate Files, 1858-1923
- Monroe County Record of Wills, vols. A-B, 1888-1936
- Nassau County Wills Index
- Nassau County Bonds and letters in Estates of deceased persons, 1873-1889
- Nassau County General Index to Files and Records of Estates (dates are mixed)
- Nassau County Inventories, appraisements and sales in Estates of deceased persons, 1873-1933
- Nassau County Petitions and orders in Estates of deceased persons, 1873-1897
- Nassau County Returns on accounts in Estates of deceased persons, 1873-1930
- Nassau County Wills, 1870-1935
- Okaloosa County Record of Wills, v. 1, 1915-1935
- Okaloosa County, Indexes to Probate and other Circuit Court Records
- Orange County Clerk, Probate Records Search
- Orange County Probate packets, approx. 1869-1897
- Osceola County Wills, 1915-1926
- Palm Beach County General Index to Estates, vol. 2, 1909-1962
- Pasco County Bonds Records, v. 1, 1885-1934
- Pasco County Inventories and appraisements, 1894-1928
- Pasco County Letters of testamentary, 1888-1936
- Pasco County Miscellaneous Records, 1883-1934
- Pasco County Petitions and orders, 1887-1928
- Pasco County Record of Wills, 1884-1932
- Pinellas County Probate Case Records Search
- Polk County Probate docket, 1861-1929; Index, 1861-1975
- Polk County Probate packets, 1854-1899 approx
- Polk County Probate Records, 1861-1936
- Putnam County Probate Records, 1849-1909
- Santa Rosa County Guardianship Records, 1924-1955
- Santa Rosa County Letters of testament, 1924-1958
- Santa Rosa County Probate Records, 1878-1927
- Sarasota County Administration Records, 1921-1928
- Sarasota County Annual and final returns of Probate Records
- Sarasota County Appraisements and inventories, 1921-1929
- Sarasota County Estate Records 1921-1927; Index 1921-1990
- Sarasota County Guardianship Records, 1921-1938
- Sarasota County Miscellaneous Records, 1921-1926
- Sarasota County Statutory notices, 1921-1928
- Sarasota County Testamentary Records, 1921-1928
- Sarasota County Wills, 1921-1927
- Seminole County Probate Records, 1907-1942
- St. Johns County Probate Records, 1840-1933
- St. Johns County, Index of Probate and court Records
- St. Lucie County Will Books, 1903-1925
- Sumter County Probate Records, 1856-1933; Index, 1856-1974
- Suwannee County Administration Records, 1913-1923
- Suwannee County Guardianship Records, 1913-1930
- Suwannee County Miscellaneous Records, 1898-1953
- Suwannee County Probate order Book, v. E, 1893-1901
- Suwannee County Probate Records, ca. 1860-1950
- Suwannee County Will Records, 1800-1923
- Taylor County Administrator Records, 1908-1939
- Taylor County Administrator's letter and bond Book, 1870-1888 : letters testamentary, 1887-1938
- Taylor County Guardianship Records, 1888-1947
- Taylor County Index to all Records, 1856-1957
- Taylor County Letters of testamentary, 1887-1948
- Union County Chancery order Records of Union County, Florida, 1921-1934
- Union County Miscellaneous Records of Union County, Florida, 1897-1916
- Volusia County General Index to County Judge's office, from earliest Records (ca. 1855) to 1962
- Volusia County Probate Records, 1855-1872, 1874-1922
- Wakulla County Letters of guardianship, 1892-1948
- Wakulla County Letters of testamentary, 1895-1951
- Wakulla County Miscellaneous Probate Records, 1892-1923
- Wakulla County Miscellaneous Records, 1892-1993
- Walton County Foreign Wills, v. 1, 1919-1960
- Walton County Guardianship Records, 1900-1929 and annual reports of Administration of Estates and guardian
- Walton County Letters of testamentary, letters of Administration and petitions to sell realties
- Walton County Probate Records, v. C-D, 1882-1894
- Walton County Will Books, v. A-B, 1897-1937
- Walton County Wills, 1897-1937
- Walton County, Wills abstracted
- Washington County Guardianship Records, 1922-1946
- Washington County Miscellaneous Records, 1903-1953
- Washington County Probate Records of Estates, 1857-1885
- Washington County Record of Wills, v. A, 1909-1945
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
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