David K. Petty has practiced law in the Oklahoma Panhandle since 1971. A Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and the American College of Trial Lawyers, he serves Texas, Cimarron, and Beaver counties.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Texas County, Oklahoma
How probate works in Texas County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Texas County District Court
Texas County · 1st Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM (open through noon with limited staff)
Office
319 North Main Street, Suite 301, Guymon, OK 73942
Website
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Mail and offices
P.O. Box 1081
Guymon, OK 73942
Fax
1-580-338-3819
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Texas 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 Texas County, probate runs through the District Court at 319 North Main Street, Suite 301, Guymon. The court sits in the 1st Judicial District. Texas County shares the 1st Judicial District with Beaver, Cimarron and Harper.
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 Oklahoma intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Oklahoma estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 2 monthsOkla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 331, 333, 591Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Texas County
What probate costs in Texas County, Oklahoma 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 District Court at 319 North Main Street, Suite 301, Guymon. The court is part of the 1st Judicial District.
Oklahoma's probate filing fee is $135 plus statutory fund fees and the clerk's surcharges, $197.89 in total for a self-represented filer. An attorney's filing adds the $10 lengthy trial fund fee. A county that has adopted the courthouse security fee adds up to $12.50 more28 O.S. § 152; 12 O.S. § 1809; 28 O.S. § 86(D)(2); 19 O.S. § 220(C)–(D); Laws 2025, c. 87 (SB 600)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Oklahoma are negotiated, typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under 58 O.S. § 525 (all necessary expenses of administration allowed; no statutory attorney fee schedule — court-determined reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.6%Modeled estimate under 58 O.S. § 525 (all necessary expenses of administration allowed; no statutory attorney fee schedule — court-determined reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Oklahoma sets executor compensation by statute — about $12,600 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.5%58 O.S. § 527 (5% first $1K, 4% next $5K, 2.5% remainder)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Oklahoma 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 58 O.S. § 171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Oklahoma typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate cases in Texas County are filed at the District Court. File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 1st Judicial District.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Oklahoma has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Texas County Self-Filing Assessment.
Texas 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
Every motion and pleading is signed by the party or counsel presenting it, with that person's printed name, mailing address and phone number, and an email address is requested.
SourceRecords Access
An original will filed with the Court Clerk stays in the Court Clerk's custody unless the court orders otherwise in writing.
SourceOther Requirements
Probate, guardianship, joint tenancy and life tenancy termination cases are assigned to the Associate District Judge.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Original will and any codicils (custodian must deliver the will to the district court) (Okla. Stat. tit. 58, § 21); Verified petition for probate / for letters, stating the requisites of Okla. Stat. tit. 58, § 23 (jurisdictional facts, executor consent/renunciation, heirs/legatees/devisees, value of estate, person for whom letters are prayed); Certified copy of the death certificate (standard district court filing requirement); Notice of hearing on the petition, mailed/published per Okla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 25-26, 32-34Okla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 1, 23, 101-125, 171-178 (probate jurisdiction, petition requisites, letters, bond)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Texas County
In Texas County certified copies of the death certificate come from Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service.
Vital Records Office Record
Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service
Texas County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday noon-4:45 PM (will-call pickup only, no walk-in applications)
Website
Certified copies
From Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service
Vital Records Service
Oklahoma State Department of Health
P.O. Box 248964
Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Texas County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
921 Northeast 23rd Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Website
Serves this county
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Mail and offices
Fax
1-405-239-2430
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Texas 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 Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Texas County are recorded with the County Clerk at 319 North Main Street, Suite 202, Guymon, OK 73942. Phone: 1-580-338-3141. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM (open through lunch).
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 197, Guymon, OK 73942.
The County Clerk charges $18 for the first page plus $2 for each additional page.
Texas County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Texas County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM (open through lunch)
Office
319 North Main Street, Suite 202, Guymon, OK 73942
Website
E-recording
P.O. Box 197
Guymon, OK 73942
Fax
1-580-338-4311
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $18 |
| Each additional page | $2 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
28 O.S. § 32
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Texas County
Oklahoma uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Texas County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Oklahoma are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Texas County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District Court, 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.
Field & Hicks serves the Oklahoma Panhandle from Guymon, providing estate planning, probate, trust administration, and business succession planning. Cory Hicks has practiced in the Panhandle since 2003.
Ellis & Ellis is a boutique estate planning firm in Stillwater. Both attorneys are Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
Serves western Oklahoma from Clinton and Weatherford, with a third office in Oklahoma City. Handles probate for Oklahoma residents and for non-residents who owned Oklahoma property, summary and ancillary administrations, trust administration, and will and trust contests, along with the title work and court approval needed to sell a decedent's land and minerals.
Holmes, Yates & Johnson serves Kay County and north-central Oklahoma from Ponca City, with estate planning, probate proceedings, and wills and trusts alongside civil litigation, business, and family law.
Carissa C. King provides estate planning, probate, and elder law services from Weatherford, serving western Oklahoma including Custer, Washita, and Beckham counties.
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
(8)·
- 28 O.S. § 152; 12 O.S. § 1809; 28 O.S. § 86(D)(2); 19 O.S. § 220(C)–(D); Laws 2025, c. 87 (SB 600)
- 58 O.S. § 527 (5% first $1K, 4% next $5K, 2.5% remainder)
- Okla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 1, 23, 101-125, 171-178 (probate jurisdiction, petition requisites, letters, bond)
- Okla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 331, 333, 591
- 28 O.S. § 32
- Texas County District Court, official page
- Texas County Clerk, official page
- Texas County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma
Free tools for settling an estate in Oklahoma: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Oklahoma.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Oklahoma: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 days58 O.S. §§ 281, 289Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 2 monthsOkla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 331, 333, 591Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Oklahoma happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust Code60 O.S. § 1601.1 et seq. (Oklahoma Uniform Trust Code, HB 1850, eff. Nov 1, 2025); 60 O.S. § 175.1 et seq. (Oklahoma Trust Act, residual)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 days60 O.S. § 1601.1 et seq. (Oklahoma Uniform Trust Code, Laws 2025, c. 254, eff. Nov. 1, 2025)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Oklahoma has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Get the Answer
Hire an Oklahoma Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Oklahoma attorneys handling probate matters.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
