Barnstable County Probate Records
Barnstable County probate court records are kept at the Probate and Family Court in Barnstable, which serves all 15 towns of Cape Cod. You can search Barnstable County probate court records online, in person at the courthouse, or through the virtual registry by phone. The court handles wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and name changes for residents from Bourne to Provincetown. Register Anastasia Welsh Perrino manages the clerk's office and all case files. This is the only probate court for Cape Cod, and it offers a walk-in session each week for informal probate cases.
Barnstable County Overview
Barnstable County Probate and Family Court
The courthouse is at 3195 Main Street in Barnstable. All probate filings for Cape Cod go through this one court. Under M.G.L. c. 215, § 1, the Probate and Family Court has sole jurisdiction over wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships in each county. First Justice Susan Tierney presides, and Register Anastasia Welsh Perrino runs the clerk's office.
Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The main phone line is (508) 375-6710. For probate and estate matters, call (508) 375-6725 to reach the right staff. Guardianship and equity matters go to (508) 375-6730. You can also email the court at barnstableprobate@jud.state.ma.us for general questions. Fax is 508-362-3662. The mailing address is P.O. Box 346, Barnstable, MA 02630. Free parking is available at the courthouse with over 650 spaces in several lots around the building.
The Barnstable Probate and Family Court page on mass.gov shows the full details for this Cape Cod courthouse.
This page lists the address, phone numbers, and hours for the Barnstable County Probate and Family Court.
| Court | Barnstable County Probate and Family Court |
|---|---|
| Address |
3195 Main Street Barnstable, MA 02630 |
| Mailing | P.O. Box 346, Barnstable, MA 02630 |
| Phone | (508) 375-6710 |
| Probate/Estates | (508) 375-6725 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| First Justice | Hon. Susan Tierney |
| Register | Anastasia Welsh Perrino, Esq. |
| barnstableprobate@jud.state.ma.us |
Barnstable County Probate Court Services
Barnstable County offers a magistrate walk-in session for informal probate. This is held every Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. You must make an appointment at least 24 hours in advance by emailing barnstableprobate@jud.state.ma.us. Only two cases are heard per session. The big advantage is that you can leave with your Letter of Authority the same day. Under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 3-102, informal probate is handled by the Register without a full hearing, so these walk-in sessions can resolve simple estate cases fast. Note that eFiling is not accepted for walk-in session cases.
The virtual registry lets you reach court staff by phone. Call 1-646-828-7666 and use meeting ID 1605462604. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:15 PM to 4:00 PM. You can also join by Zoom. Staff can help with questions about filing, case status, and what forms to use.
The Barnstable County virtual registry page has the latest hours and access info for this service.
The virtual registry is useful if you live on the Outer Cape and can't easily get to the courthouse in Barnstable.
The court also offers eReminder notifications. Sign up with the PFC 29 form and you'll get text or email reminders 4 days and 1 day before any court events on your case. Use the PFC 30 form to stop the reminders if you no longer want them.
Search Barnstable County Probate Records Online
The MassCourts portal is the free way to search Barnstable County probate court records from home. Select "Probate & Family Court" as the department and pick Barnstable as the division. You can search by name, case number, or case type. Cases filed from 2009 on may have document images. Older cases show docket entries only.
Barnstable County case numbers use the site code "BA" at the front. A 2023 estate filing might look like BA23P0234EA. For name searches, enter the last name with at least two letters and the first name with at least one letter. Results show party names, filing date, case type, status, and docket entries. Most probate cases are public records. Some guardianship filings and cases that involve minors may have restricted online access.
Most probate records in Barnstable County are open to the public. You can view case files at the clerk's office or request copies by mail. Estate files hold the will, petition, inventory, and accounts. Guardianship records have petitions, medical reports, and court orders. Each filing adds to the case file over time.
Barnstable County Probate Filing Fees
Barnstable County uses the statewide fee schedule. Fees are the same at every Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts. Informal probate costs $375 plus a $15 surcharge, totaling $390. Formal probate adds a citation fee, bringing the total to $405. Voluntary administration is $115.
Certified copies of probate records cost $2.50 per page. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Exemplified copies for use in another state cost $50 plus $1 per page after the first. Guardianship of a minor has no filing fee. Guardianship of an incapacitated person runs $255. Account filing fees depend on the estate value and range from $0 (for estates under $25,000) to $3,500 (for estates over $10 million). The full fee schedule on mass.gov has every fee listed.
You can file some probate cases online through eFileMA. That adds a $22 one-time case fee. Credit card payments have a 2.89% processing charge. eCheck is $0.25. Fee waivers are possible if you file an Affidavit of Indigency.
Historical Probate Records in Barnstable County
Barnstable County probate records date back to 1686. The Registry of Deeds was set up that year, with John Lothrop serving as the first register from 1686 to 1702. A fire in 1827 destroyed some early deed books, though Book 61 survived. Probate records from this era cover the early Cape Cod settlements and include wills, inventories, and estate accounts from some of the oldest families on the peninsula.
Online access to historical Barnstable County probate court records is good. FamilySearch has records from 1686 to 1950, which includes both indexes and record books. The index covers 1686 to 1950. Actual record books are available for 1686 to 1873. American Ancestors, run by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, also holds Barnstable County probate file papers. You need a free guest account to use that site. The state's historic records guide lists which collections are online and what years they cover for each county.
Note: For very early Cape Cod records before the county was formed, you may need to check Plymouth Colony records, since Barnstable was part of that jurisdiction.
Barnstable County Probate Court Towns
The court serves all 15 Cape Cod towns. Under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 1-304, venue for probate matters is in the county where the person lived at the time of death or incapacity. If the person lived anywhere on Cape Cod, the case goes to Barnstable County.
The Upper Cape towns are Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich, and Mashpee. Mid-Cape includes Barnstable, Dennis, and Yarmouth. The Lower Cape has Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, and Orleans. The Outer Cape towns are Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. All 15 of these towns file probate cases at the courthouse on 3195 Main Street in Barnstable. There are no satellite offices for this county, so all Cape residents must come to the main courthouse or use the virtual registry and mail options.
Get Copies of Barnstable County Probate Records
You can get copies of Barnstable County probate court records in person, by mail, or through the virtual registry. In person is fastest. Go to 3195 Main Street in Barnstable and ask at the clerk's window. Staff can pull the file and make copies. Certified copies cost $2.50 per page. Plain copies cost $1.00 per page.
By mail, fill out the PFC 18 form and send it with a check or money order to P.O. Box 346, Barnstable, MA 02630. Make it out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. No personal checks by mail. If you don't know the docket number, use MassCourts to look it up first. The virtual registry can also help you figure out what you need before you send in a request. Call 1-646-828-7666 with meeting ID 1605462604 during open hours.
Free parking at the courthouse makes in-person visits easy. Over 650 spaces are spread across several lots around the building, so finding a spot is not usually a problem even during busy court days.
Towns in Barnstable County
Barnstable County includes 15 Cape Cod towns. All of them file probate court records at the Barnstable County Probate and Family Court. None of the towns in this county meet the population threshold for a separate city page, but all are served by the court at 3195 Main Street in Barnstable. The 15 towns are Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Falmouth, Harwich, Mashpee, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich, Truro, Wellfleet, and Yarmouth.
Nearby Counties
Barnstable County sits on Cape Cod with Plymouth County to the west. The island counties of Dukes and Nantucket are nearby but have their own Probate and Family Courts. Make sure you file in the county where the person lived.