Collin County Probate Court 1
2100 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 12010, McKinney, TX 75071. About 17 miles by road from downtown Celina. Filing fee about $385.
Letters of administration in Celina, TX
Celina's city limits reach from northwest Collin County into Denton County, so the first thing to settle for a Celina estate is which county the person lived in. Collin County estates go to McKinney, about 17 miles from downtown Celina. Denton County estates go to Denton, about 28 miles away.
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When a Celina resident dies without a will, or the will names no executor who can serve, the court appoints an administrator and the clerk issues letters of administration. The application goes to Collin County Probate Court 1 in McKinney, with a filing fee of about $385. With no will, the court first holds an heirship proceeding to confirm who the heirs are. Collin County requires a licensed attorney for letters applications. Legacywyse prepares the facts and documents the attorney needs. If the person lived in the Denton County part of Celina, file with Denton County Probate Courts in Denton instead.
Reference cost
$2,000-$6,000 all-in for this path, including the filing fee, certified copies, and notary work. Attorney fees push administration higher.
Two counties
Celina spans Collin and Denton counties. The county where the person lived decides the court.
Which county handles a Celina estate
Texas files probate in the county where the person lived, not where they died or where the bank is. Texas Estates Code § 33.001 sets that rule. Celina's city limits extend from northwest Collin County into Denton County.
To check, look at the person's property tax statement or voter registration certificate, which name the county, or search the address on the Collin County appraisal district and Denton County appraisal district sites.
Full county guides: independent administration in Collin County and independent administration in Denton County. Letters of administration come out of that same court process.
Collin County Probate Court 1
2100 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 12010, McKinney, TX 75071
(972) 548-6463
About 17 miles by road from downtown Celina.
Court websiteDenton County Probate Courts
3900 Morse St, Suite 100, Denton, TX 76208
(940) 349-2140
About 28 miles by road from downtown Celina.
Court websiteHow to get letters of administration in Collin County
Confirm the county
Texas files probate in the county where the person lived. Celina's city limits extend from northwest Collin County into Denton County. Settle this before anyone signs an application.
File the application with Collin County Probate Court 1
The application asks the court to appoint an administrator and issue letters of administration. The filing fee runs about $385. Collin County requires a licensed attorney for letters applications. Legacywyse prepares the facts and documents the attorney needs. The attorney files it online through eFileTexas.
Wait for the 10-day citation period
The clerk posts citation at the courthouse, and interested parties may contest during this window. Courts usually set the hearing 2-4 weeks after filing.
Attend the hearing
The court hears the heirship evidence, including the attorney ad litem's report, and decides who should serve as administrator. Collin County's probate court says uncontested probate cases are often handled by Zoom, and its website posts the Zoom hearing instructions.
Qualify, then collect the letters
The administrator files the oath and meets any bond requirement. The clerk then issues the letters, a certificate under the court's seal that banks and other institutions ask to see.
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The heirship step in a no-will estate
With no will, the court has to confirm who inherits before it appoints anyone. Texas Estates Code § 401.003 bars an independent administrator in a no-will estate until a heirship proceeding establishes that the applicants are all of the heirs. Two disinterested witnesses who know the family history testify at that hearing.
The court also appoints an attorney ad litem, a lawyer who represents any heirs whose names or locations are unknown, as Section 202.009 requires. The court sets that fee, and the estate pays it. Denton County's probate court lists a $600 ad litem deposit as of February 2025. Ask the Collin County probate clerk for its current deposit.
Related guides: application to determine heirship and heirship witness statement.
Local details for Celina
Certified death certificates
The Collin County Clerk's vital records office is at 2300 Bloomdale Rd. in McKinney, on the same campus as the courts building. Death records are usually available about two weeks after the death, and only close family, the informant on the record, or someone with their signed authorization can get a copy.
Collin County death certificate requirementsDenton County vital records nearby
If the death was recorded in Denton County, the county clerk's Frisco office at 5533 FM 423, Suite 301 handles birth and death certificates, along with the main office in Denton.
Denton County Clerk locationsNotice to creditors
After the administrator qualifies, the notice to creditors runs once in a Collin County newspaper of general circulation, such as McKinney Courier-Gazette or Plano Star Courier. A Denton County case publishes in a Denton County paper instead, such as the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Notice to creditors guideCommon questions
Where do I file for letters of administration in Celina, TX?
With Collin County Probate Court 1, 2100 Bloomdale Rd, Suite 12010, McKinney, TX 75071, or online through eFileTexas.gov. Texas files probate in the county where the person lived, so Celina residents on the Collin County side file in McKinney. If the person lived in the Denton County part of Celina, file with Denton County Probate Courts, 3900 Morse St, Suite 100, Denton, TX 76208.
How much do letters of administration cost in Collin County?
The Collin County filing fee for the application runs about $385. Certified copies of the letters, the creditor notice, and any attorney fees add to that, and a reference range for the whole administration is $2,000-$6,000. Counties update fees, so re-verify before filing.
Do I need a lawyer to get letters of administration in Celina?
Yes for a Collin County case. Collin County's probate court says an attorney is required whenever someone needs to be approved to administer the estate, and letters are that approval. Legacywyse prepares the facts and documents the attorney needs. If the person lived in the Denton County part of Celina, confirm the requirement with Denton County Probate Courts.
Why does a no-will estate need an heirship hearing?
Texas Estates Code Section 401.003 bars the court from appointing an independent administrator for a no-will estate until a heirship proceeding confirms who all the heirs are. The court also appoints an attorney ad litem to represent any unknown heirs, and the estate pays that fee. Two witnesses who know the family history testify at the hearing.
Who can get letters of administration when there is no will?
Texas Estates Code Section 304.001 sets the order. With no will, the surviving spouse comes first, then the next of kin, then a creditor, then other qualified people the statute lists. The court makes the appointment after the hearing.
How do I know if a Celina home is in Collin or Denton County?
The person's property tax statement and voter registration certificate both name the county. You can also search the address on the Collin and Denton central appraisal district websites. The county where the person lived decides where the case is filed.
Do I have to go to the courthouse in McKinney for the hearing?
Not always. Collin County's probate court says uncontested probate cases are often handled by Zoom, and its website posts the Zoom hearing instructions. The court decides the format, so follow the instructions in your hearing notice.
How long does it take to get letters of administration in Celina?
Courts usually set an uncontested hearing two to four weeks after filing, after a 10-day citation period. The clerk issues letters once the administrator takes the oath and meets any bond requirement. No-will cases can take longer because the heirship proceeding and the attorney ad litem's work come first.
Review note
Updated October 2, 2026. Legacywyse links to Texas court, statute, tax, and county sources when a guide discusses filing, authority, taxes, or local probate process. The content is general information, not legal advice.
Official sources
Texas Estates Code § 33.001 (venue)Collin County Probate Court: Do I need an attorney?Texas Estates Code § 401.003 (no-will independent administration)Texas Estates Code § 202.009 (attorney ad litem)Texas Estates Code § 304.001 (who may serve)Texas Estates Code Chapter 306 (letters)Collin County Probate Court 1Denton County Probate CourtsCollin County death certificate requirementsDenton County Clerk locations
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