To contact the Probate Registry in England and Wales, call the HMCTS Courts and Tribunals Service Centre on 0300 303 0648 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm) or email contactprobate@justice.gov.uk. There is also a Welsh language line on 0300 303 0654 (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026, subject to change).
The separate network of local district probate registries has been replaced by a single national service, so most enquiries now go to one central team by phone, email, post, or the online application service. This guide sets out each contact method, what to have ready so your enquiry is dealt with faster, and where the process differs in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Contact details and fees are current as at August 2026 and are subject to change, so it is worth confirming them on gov.uk before you get in touch.
Ways to contact the Probate Registry
There are four main ways to reach the probate service. Which one suits you depends on whether you have a question about an application you have already sent, or you are asking about the process before you start. For a plain-English overview of the process itself, see our guide to what probate is and how it works.
| Method | Details | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 0300 303 0648 (English), 0300 303 0654 (Welsh), Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm | Chasing progress, general questions |
| contactprobate@justice.gov.uk | Written queries and document references | |
| Post | HMCTS Probate, PO Box 12625, Harlow, CM20 9QF | Paper applications and enclosures |
| Online | The apply for probate service at gov.uk/applying-for-probate | Starting or tracking an application |
Source: gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/probate-enquiries and gov.uk/applying-for-probate, as at August 2026, subject to change.
When you email or write, quoting your application reference number and the full name of the person who has died helps the team find your file. HMCTS has warned that scammers sometimes mimic genuine probate phone numbers and email addresses, so it is worth checking any details you are given against the official gov.uk pages rather than a number from a search advert (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026).
What happened to the district probate registries?
Probate work used to be spread across local district probate registries in cities such as Oxford, Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton. That network has been centralised into a single Courts and Tribunals Service Centre, so you no longer choose a local office to write to. Some hearing centres still carry a probate registry name, but general enquiries and applications are handled through the central contact routes above (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026, subject to change). If you hold older paperwork that lists a local registry address, use the current central details instead.
What to have ready before you get in touch
Having a few details to hand tends to make the call or email shorter and avoids a second round of questions. If you have already applied, the team will usually ask for your application reference. If you are enquiring before applying, it helps to know roughly where you are in the process, for example whether the will has been located and whether inheritance tax has been reported to HMRC.
- The full name and date of death of the person who has died
- Your application or reference number, if you have already applied
- Your relationship to the estate, for example executor or administrator
- Whether there is a valid will, and where the original is held
- Whether inheritance tax forms have been submitted to HMRC, where relevant
Probate and inheritance tax are handled by different parts of government, and in many estates the tax position needs to be reported to HMRC before a grant is issued. Questions about the tax itself go to HMRC rather than the probate service, and our guide to inheritance tax in England and Wales explains how the two connect. If you have not yet made or updated a will, our guide on how to write a will is a useful starting point.
Probate application fees
Contacting the registry is free, but applying for a grant carries a fee once the estate is above a set value. The fee is the same whether you apply online or by post, and reduced help may be available for people on a low income or certain benefits.
| Item | Fee (August 2026) |
|---|---|
| Estate valued at £5,000 or less | No fee |
| Estate valued over £5,000 | £526 |
| Extra copies of the grant, ordered with the application | £2 each |
| Extra copies of the grant, ordered after the grant is issued | £16 each |
Source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees, as at August 2026, subject to change. Extra sealed copies are useful when several banks or organisations need to see the grant at the same time.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
These contact details apply to England and Wales. Scotland uses a different system called confirmation, handled by the local sheriff court rather than a probate registry, so the process and contacts differ. Northern Ireland has its own probate arrangements through the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service. If the estate includes assets in more than one UK nation, it can be worth checking the correct process for each. For the wider picture of how probate sits alongside wills and tax, see our overview of estate planning for families in England and Wales.
Frequently asked questions
What is the phone number for the Probate Registry?
The HMCTS Courts and Tribunals Service Centre probate helpline for England and Wales is 0300 303 0648, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm. There is a separate Welsh language line on 0300 303 0654 (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Can I email the Probate Registry?
Yes. Written enquiries can be sent to contactprobate@justice.gov.uk. Including the full name of the person who has died and your application reference number helps the team locate your file (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Is there still a local probate registry near me?
Probate enquiries and applications are now handled by a single national Courts and Tribunals Service Centre rather than local district probate registries. Some centres keep a probate registry name, but general contact goes through the central phone, email, post and online routes (gov.uk, probate enquiries, as at August 2026, subject to change).
How much does it cost to apply for probate?
There is no application fee if the estate is valued at £5,000 or less. For estates over £5,000 the fee is £526, the same online or by post. Extra copies of the grant cost £2 each when ordered with the application, or £16 each afterwards (gov.uk/applying-for-probate/fees, as at August 2026, subject to change).
How can I check the progress of my probate application?
You can chase progress by calling 0300 303 0648 or emailing contactprobate@justice.gov.uk, quoting your application reference. Applications made through the online service can also be tracked when you sign back in (gov.uk/applying-for-probate, as at August 2026, subject to change).
Should I contact the Probate Registry or HMRC about inheritance tax?
Questions about how much inheritance tax is due, and about the tax forms, go to HMRC rather than the probate service, because the two are run by different parts of government. The probate service deals with the grant itself. In many estates the tax position is reported to HMRC before a grant can be issued (gov.uk/applying-for-probate, as at August 2026, subject to change).