New Brunswick Probate Court Locations and Filing Requirements

The Probate Court of New Brunswick is not a single courthouse in Fredericton. It operates through regional registries distributed across the province, and which registry you file with matters — not just as a geographical matter, but because different districts have distinct local filing requirements that are not published on any provincial website. File in the wrong format in Moncton or Bathurst and your application comes back without being processed.

Where You Must File

The rule is straightforward: file at the Probate Court registry in the judicial district where the deceased ordinarily resided at the time of death. If the deceased did not have a fixed ordinary residence in New Brunswick, file where their estate property is located.

New Brunswick has eight judicial districts with Probate Court registries:

For current contact details — addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and office hours — go directly to the Courts New Brunswick website (courtsnb-coursnb.ca). Contact information changes, and a direct call before you file to confirm current requirements is always worthwhile.

The Record on Application Requirement: Moncton, Bathurst, and Edmundston

This is the most consequential local variation and the one most likely to catch executors off guard — particularly those relying on general Canadian probate guides that never mention New Brunswick-specific requirements.

Applications filed in the Moncton, Bathurst, and Edmundston districts must be submitted as a formally indexed "Record on Application." The specific requirements are:

• Documents must not be stapled or bound in any way
• They must be secured with a large binder clip
• A numbered document index must be included at the front of the package, listing each item in sequence

Failure to meet this formatting requirement results in the application being returned to you by the registry clerk without being processed. You then have to reformat and resubmit, adding weeks to the process.

The specific documents that form the record — and their required order — include the core petition form (Form 2A or 2E), the Affidavit of Execution (Form 2I), the estate inventory, the original will, any renunciations, and the probate tax payment. The index at the front must list each of these by number, corresponding to the order in the package.

Fredericton Registry

The Fredericton registry handles estates where the deceased resided in York County and the surrounding region. It serves the greatest volume of standard probate applications given Fredericton's role as the provincial capital and the location of the Court of King's Bench.

Fredericton does not require the clipped Record on Application format that Moncton, Bathurst, and Edmundston use — but local conventions still apply. Call before filing to confirm current document presentation requirements. The registry accepts applications by mail or in person.

Saint John Registry

The Saint John registry serves the southern part of the province. Saint John has historically been one of the more active probate registries in the province given its population and the concentration of commercial real estate in the area.

As with Fredericton, Saint John does not require the specific clipped record format, but the registry has its own document preparation conventions. Direct contact before filing is the most reliable way to confirm exactly what is expected.

Bilingual Court Forms

All New Brunswick probate forms are bilingual — presented in both English and French. This is a consequence of New Brunswick's status as Canada's only officially bilingual province, and it is a constitutional requirement for all courts and government services.

The bilingual format can look intimidating, but you are only required to complete your section in your preferred language. You do not need to fill in both columns, arrange for translations, or prepare parallel French documentation unless you are submitting in French. English-speaking executors complete the English side of each form and leave the French side blank.

Tips for Filing Without Errors

Call the registry before you file. Every executor should call the specific registry where they plan to file and ask:

• What is the current requirement for document presentation?
• Is there anything they commonly see missing from applications?
• What payment methods do they accept for the probate tax?

This five-minute call prevents the most common filing errors.

Verify the probate tax calculation. The fee must be paid at the time of filing and must be correct. Using outdated fee structures — the 2026 restructuring significantly changed the rates for larger estates — is one of the most common reasons for rejected applications. Bring the exact amount calculated using the current structure.

Submit originals, not copies. The original will must be filed with the application. Copies of the death certificate are generally acceptable but confirm with the specific registry. Some registries prefer certified copies over plain photocopies for key documents.

Keep copies of everything you file. Before submitting the original will and supporting documents, make certified copies of everything for your records. Once the registry has the originals, recovering them requires a formal request.

The New Brunswick Probate Process Guide includes district-specific filing notes, a complete application checklist organized by the typical registry sequence, and plain-English instructions for every form so your application is complete and correctly formatted when you arrive at the courthouse.

See more New Brunswick guides →