Utah Probate Records

United States Utah Probate Records

Background Information

Probate cases include the proving of wills and the administering of estates for individuals who have died. They also include such matters as guardianship and insanity proceedings.They are a good source for locating relatives, death dates, and property. Families with property are more likely to be found in probate records than poorer families.

Territorial Period

Probate records in Utah have been kept by several courts. During the territorial period probate records were kept by both the county probate court and the federal district court.

Statehood Period

At statehood in 1896, the probate courts were abolished, and the powers of the federal district courts were transferred to the state district courts. The state district courts have maintained jurisdiction of probate matters since 1896. Probate divisions of the state district courts in each county handle probate matters.

Availability

Probate records from the territorial period to the present may be found in either the county clerk's office or the Utah State Archives. You may also find some probate records from the territorial probate courts in the personal journals of early probate judges.

The Family History Library has copies of probate records for many Utah counties. Usually the Library only has part of the files created during the probate process. Contact county clerks for additional records.

FamilySearch has begun to digitize Utah probate records:

• 1851-1961 - Utah, Probate Records, 1851-1961 - free, courtesy: FamilySearch. Description. Currently includes Summit County.

• 1848-2001 - Utah, State Archives Records, 1848-2001. free, courtesy: FamilySearch. Description. Includes some county probate case files.
  

• 1856-1960 - Utah, Box Elder County Records, 1856-1960 - free, courtesy: FamilySearch. Description.

Additional records are available on microfilm or in print. For example, the Library has microfilm copies of the following Salt Lake County probate records:

• 1852-1910 - Utah. District Court (Salt Lake County). Probate Records. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. FHL Films 425667 (1st of 43 films). These records include an index and records from 1852 to 1910. Includes estates records and guardianship cases.

• 1876-1966 - Utah. District Court. (Salt Lake County). Register of Estates or Abstracts of Probate Filed 1876–1966, Index 1876–1964. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1966. FHL Films 425623–66. Includes guardianships and adoptions.

Probate records are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the following headings

UTAH, [COUNTY] - PROBATE RECORDS
UTAH, [COUNTY] - GUARDIANSHIP