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 testamentary 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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For a Celina resident who left a will, letters testamentary come from Collin County Probate Court 1 in McKinney. The filing fee for the application runs about $385. The court admits the will and appoints the executor at a hearing, the executor takes the oath and meets any bond requirement, and the clerk issues the letters. 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 testamentary 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 testamentary 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 admit the will to probate and issue letters testamentary. 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 proof of the will and, if the proof is sufficient, admits it and appoints the executor. 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 executor 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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When the court needs the will's witnesses
Turn to the last pages of the will before the attorney files. If a notarized affidavit signed by the person and the witnesses is attached, the will is self-proved, and Texas Estates Code § 251.102 lets the court admit it without the witnesses' testimony.
If the will is not self-proved, at least one of the witnesses who signed it must swear to how it was signed, by testimony or affidavit in open court. Section 256.153 allows a deposition instead when the witnesses live outside Collin County or cannot attend. A will written entirely in the person's handwriting needs two witnesses who know the handwriting.
Related guides: proof of will by a subscribing witness and proof of a handwritten will.
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 executor 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 testamentary 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 testamentary 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 testamentary 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.
Does the court need the witnesses who signed the will?
Not if the will is self-proved, meaning a notarized affidavit signed by the person and the witnesses is attached. Texas Estates Code Section 251.102 lets a self-proved will be admitted without the witnesses' testimony. If it is not self-proved, at least one witness must swear to how it was signed, in court or by deposition if they cannot attend.
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 testamentary 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 executor takes the oath and meets any bond requirement.
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 § 251.102 (self-proved wills)Texas Estates Code § 256.153 (proving a will)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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