A family owned and operated funeral home and crematory serving families in Bakersfield and Kern County with burial and cremation services. It flies a loved one to another state or country for burial, or brings one back to California.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Kern County, California
How probate works in Kern County: the Superior Court - Probate Department record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Kern County Superior Court - Probate Department
Kern County
Phone
1-661-610-6000 (option 1, then option 5 for Probate)
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-noon
Office
2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93305
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysMandatory for parties represented by counsel in probate under Local Rule 1.10. Self-represented litigants and attorneys representing minors in probate proceedings are not required to e-file. Letters e-filed in the Probate Department carry the appointee's signature in the affirmation section. Probate and family law papers may also be filed through a fax filing agency (Local Rule 1.9). On paper: Appeals; Wills and codicils; Bonds; Affidavits re Real Property of Small Value.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedCourt accepts filings in person (including via drop box), online (e-filing), and by mail.
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented litigants are not required to e-file. The court's Petition for Probate Packet carries the forms and instructions; clerks do not advise which forms to use.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCheck, Money order.Checks/money orders payable to Kern County Superior Court.
Self-help center
- 1215 Truxtun Ave., 1st floor, BakersfieldMonday-Thursday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-noon · Assistance in Spanish in addition to EnglishServices listed: guardianship of the person, family law, requests for orders and small claims; decedent probate is not among them.
County forms
- Petition and Report of Personal Representative (KRN SUP CRT PR-2451)Optional local form for a personal representative's petition and report.
- Declaration of Diligent Search and Request to Dispense with Notice (KRN SUP CRT PB-003)Optional local form declaring the search made for a person who cannot be found and asking the court to dispense with notice.
- Court Reporter Services Request (Probate) (KRN SUP CRT PB-001)Request for a court reporter at a probate hearing.
Departments
- Probate Clerk's Office1-661-610-6900 · Juvenile Justice Center, 2100 College AvenueQuestions also by the Email Probate form on the court's website.
- Probate Department (motion reservations)1-661-610-6901Attorneys pre-clear and reserve law and motion hearing dates by phone (Local Rule 8.3.1.1).
- Probate Examiner1-661-610-6970 · wmpbexaminer@kern.courts.ca.gov
- Metropolitan Division1-661-610-6000 · 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
- Justice Building1-661-610-6000 · 1215 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
About the court
- Juvenile Justice Center location handles all probate filings. Metropolitan Division at Truxtun/Chester for other matters.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Kern County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Kern County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Probate Department at 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield. Probate e-filing in Kern County goes through kern.courts.ca.gov, which no other California county uses.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under California intestacy law when there is no will.
Most California estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsCal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What Probate Costs in Kern County
What probate costs in Kern County, California comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Superior Court - Probate Department at 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield.
California charges $435Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5, 70602.6Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
California sets attorney fees by statute — a percentage of the estate's gross value. Every attorney charges the same schedule, so the decision to hire one comes down to complexity, not price.
California sets executor compensation by statute — about $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.6%Cal. Prob. Code § 10800Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
California requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8480 (bond required before letters issued), 8481 (waiver: will provision or all-beneficiary written waiver; court may still require bond for good cause)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in California typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Superior Court - Probate Department
Probate cases in Kern County, California are filed at the Superior Court - Probate Department.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Probate Clerk's Office, Probate Department (motion reservations), Probate Examiner, and Metropolitan Division.
Services listed: guardianship of the person, family law, requests for orders and small claims; decedent probate is not among them.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In California, informal probate is not availableCal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Kern County Self-Filing Assessment.
Kern County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
All probate matters, guardianships, conservatorships, minor compromises, and vital record cases file at Juvenile Justice Center (College Ave) location.
Local Rule 1.7.5(m).
SourcePaper filings are an original and one copy; every paper set for hearing shows the department, hearing date and time under its title, and every petition cites the Probate Code section that allows the relief.
Local Rule 8.1.1.
SourceProbate examiner's notes post as a comment on each hearing; papers that cure them are filed by 9:00 AM two court days before the hearing, or the matter may be continued or dropped.
Local Rule 8.3.2.1.
SourceA petition for special administration is accepted only with a concurrent petition for general administration, except on good cause.
Local Rule 8.5.1.
SourceDocument Requirements
Copy requests must be submitted through the online Document Requests Link.
SourceA petition for probate of a will attaches a copy of the will as an exhibit, with a typewritten copy of a handwritten will; the original will is lodged with the court at filing.
Local Rule 8.5.3 and the court's Petition for Probate Packet.
SourceCourt Appearances
Telephonic appearances available via CourtCall LLC (1-888-882-6878), pre-cleared with CourtCall at least five court days before the hearing; remote video appearances in Department J1-Probate open 30 minutes early.
SourceMatters the probate examiner notes as "proper to be submitted on the pleadings" (PSP) need no appearance; the proposed order is filed with the petition and the DE-120 or DE-121 notice carries the PSP legend. Appointments, sales, extraordinary fees, spousal property petitions and contested matters require an appearance.
Local Rule 8.2.3.
SourceRecords Access
Notices of upcoming petitions to sell estate property are posted on a bulletin board outside the Probate Department; the court keeps no list of probated property.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court - Probate Department: Certified copy of the death certificate (required by some counties with the petition; not a statewide DE-111 attachment); Original will and any codicils (lodged with the court) (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200); Notice of Petition to Administer Estate (DE-121) with proof of publication and mailed notice (§§ 8100, 8120); Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative (DE-147); Confidential Supplement to Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative (DE-147S), where the court requires it by local rule; Proposed Order for Probate (DE-140)Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8000-8577 (appointment & letters); §§ 8002, 10450 (petition contents)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Kern County
In California a death is registered locally, and in Kern County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Kern County Public Health, Office of Vital Records as well as by California Department of Public Health - Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Kern County · Kern County Public Health, Office of Vital Records
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
1800 Mt Vernon Avenue, 1st Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93306-3302
Website
Order online
Also issued by
The county recorder
Fax
1-661-868-0201
Local rule
- The office issues certificates for Kern County deaths from 1993 on. Deaths before 1993 are held by the Kern County Recorder.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $26 |
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Sheriff-Coroner
Kern County · Sheriff's Office Coroners Section
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Kern County
24 funeral homes and crematories in Kern County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
A family owned and operated funeral home and crematory serving families in Bakersfield and Kern County with burial and cremation services. It flies a loved one to another state or country for burial, or brings one back to California.
A simple cremation provider based in Bakersfield, where families can make the arrangements online from any device or by phone, for now or in advance. A local family owned business, it serves a radius of about 50 to 60 miles, including Delano, Wasco, Shafter, Taft and Tehachapi.
In Bakersfield, Angels Cremation Service arranges cremation for families throughout Kern County from its office on Scobee Street. Families may begin arrangements online, by phone or with the local team, and the office is available 24 hours.
In Bakersfield, this family-owned funeral home serves Kern County with traditional funerals, cremation in its own crematory, and arrangements to Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador with consulate and apostille documents. Its general list is posted online.
Basham Funeral Care has helped families in Kern County honor their loved ones since 2000, with four locations throughout Kern County. It helps Bakersfield residents carry out the final wishes of their loved ones, with funeral services personalized with flowers and music.
Funeral homes by city: Bakersfield, Delano, Lake Isabella, Lamont, McFarland, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Taft
Cremation Services in Kern County
17 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in Kern County
7 listings
Burial Services in Kern County
8 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in Kern County
3 listings
Funeral Transport in Kern County
6 listings
Spanish-Speaking Funeral Homes in Kern County
3 listings
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Kern County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Kern County are recorded with the County Recorder at 1530 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Phone: 1-661-868-6400. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:00 PM (recording).
The County Recorder charges $13 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Kern County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-3:00 PM (recording)
Office
1530 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Website
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $13 |
| Each additional page | $3 |
| GC 27388.1 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee (SB 2)Applies to a TOD deed | $75 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Cal. Gov. Code 27361; Cal. Gov. Code 27388; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.1; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.2; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11911; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11930
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Kern County
California allows independent administrationCal. Prob. Code §§ 10400 (Independent Administration of Estates Act), 10500(a) (administer without court supervision), 10501 (actions still requiring court supervision)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in California are set by statute as a percentage of the estate's value, so every Kern County attorney charges the same schedule. Price isn't the variable — experience with the Superior Court - Probate Department and responsiveness are.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court - Probate Department, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Bakersfield office of a California firm with more than 120 years of practice and ten offices across the state. Handles estate planning, trust administration, probate, and conservatorships from the Kern County office, alongside civil litigation, family law, agricultural law, and business matters.
Bakersfield firm serving Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley since 1953, with offices in Fresno, Pasadena, Encinitas, and Santa Barbara. Handles probate and estate administration, including for personal representatives living outside California, plus trust administration and probate and trust disputes. Practice group leader Nancy L. Oehler is a certified specialist in trust and probate law.
Bakersfield firm representing executors, administrators, and trustees in Kern County probate and trust administration, including contested accountings and other probate and trust litigation, and has handled estates valued in the tens of millions. Founded in 1985.
Bakersfield firm serving Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley since 1939 with probate administration, trust administration, and wills alongside estate planning. Kevin Danley leads the estate practice, guiding executors and trustees through probate court, guardianships, and conservatorships. The firm calls itself one of Kern County's oldest and largest.
Bakersfield solo practice serving Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley, focused on trust and estate administration, trust and estate litigation, and conservatorships. Kurt Van Sciver opens probate proceedings, identifies creditors, and litigates will and trust contests over undue influence, capacity, and breach of fiduciary duty. President of the Kern County Bar Association Probate Section.
Bakersfield firm serving all of Kern County from a downtown office on 20th Street, with roots in the city dating back to 1951. Attorney John Wall works with trustees, heirs, and executors to settle estates, paying the estate's debts, guiding probate, and distributing assets to heirs. The firm also drafts estate plans.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5, 70602.6
- Cal. Prob. Code § 10800
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 10400 (Independent Administration of Estates Act), 10500(a) (administer without court supervision), 10501 (actions still requiring court supervision)
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8000-8577 (appointment & letters); §§ 8002, 10450 (petition contents)
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate track
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2
- Cal. Gov. Code 27361; Cal. Gov. Code 27388; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.1; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.2; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11911; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11930
- Kern County Superior Court - Probate Department, official page
- Kern County Recorder, official page
- Kern County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from California statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in California
Free tools for settling an estate in California: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in California: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 120 daysCal. Prob. Code §§ 8800-8804, 8900-8903Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsCal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 9 months to 12 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in California happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteCal. Prob. Code § 15000 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysCal. Prob. Code §§ 16061.7, 16061.8, 16064, 16460Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In California, informal probate is not availableCal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
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