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Prince George's County, MD Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Prince George's County details |
|---|---|
| Probate court | The Orphans' Court for Prince George's County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. The Maryland Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026 lists the court at the Prince George's County Courthouse, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD, with court line (301) 952-3790. |
| Filing office | Register of Wills for Prince George's County, an elected office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. This is the office you file with. |
| Courthouse address | Prince George's County Courthouse, Room D4001, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. |
| Mailing address | Register of Wills, Prince George's County, P.O. Box 1729, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773. The office asks that mail be sent directly to the post office box, not to the street address. |
| Phone | (301) 952-3250 main, with option 1 for the New Estates Division and option 2 for the Auditing Division. Auditing Department direct line: (301) 780-7819. Orphans' Court line: (301) 952-3790. |
| Toll-free phone | (888) 464-4219, toll free within Maryland. |
| Fax | (301) 952-4489 for the Register. (301) 952-0908 for the Auditing Department. The office says filings cannot be accepted by fax. |
| [email protected] for questions only. The office says filings cannot be accepted by email. | |
| Hours and appointments | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed weekends and state holidays. The New Estates and Auditing divisions are on an appointment basis. Appointments are limited to two people, and the office suggests arriving 20 minutes early. |
| Filing fee | Statewide probate fee schedule under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2), for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022: $0 for a probate estate valued under $50,000, tied to Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, then statutory tiers rising to $10,000 plus 0.02% of the excess over $10,000,000. The fee is assessed and collected when the first administration account is filed under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i), with account timing under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305. |
| Local forms | No Prince George's County probate forms or local cover sheet. The office uses the Registers of Wills statewide numbered forms and packets. It does publish a local Estate Checklist of documents to bring. |
| Paper filing routes | Mail to P.O. Box 1729, drop off onsite, or use the drop-off box at the Commissioner's Entrance of the courthouse. Call before visiting. |
| Electronic filing | No estate opening through Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC). MDEC does not cover the Orphans' Court under Maryland Rule 20-101(w), and the Register of Wills is not a court. This office also does not accept filings by email or fax. |
| Case lookup | Use the Registers of Wills statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx. Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers circuit court and District Court matters, not estates opened with the Register. |
| Remote appearance | Not published by the office. Maryland Rules Title 21, limited by Maryland Rule 1-101(u), does not extend to the Orphans' Court. Ask the court on (301) 952-3790 before assuming video appearance is available. |
| Website | https://registers.maryland.gov/main/princegeorges.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Prince George's County, know what the decedent owned and owed as of the date of death. The local Estate Checklist asks for date-of-death bank balances, vehicle title and payoff information, a deed and mortgage balance for real property, and values for insurance, stock and savings bonds. Because the New Estates Division works by appointment, call (301) 952-3250, option 1, before visiting so the office can walk you through the documents it needs.
If you do not know where the accounts or a will are, a Maryland limited order can help before the estate is opened. The Registers' fee schedule describes a limited order as an order to search for assets in the decedent's sole name or for a will in a safe deposit box, requested on Form 1147 with Form 1148. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can also help you build the asset list before the appointment, so estate settlement starts with fewer missing balances.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Prince George's County estates are filed at the Register of Wills for Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro, the filing office established under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. The Orphans' Court for Prince George's County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, but the reader walks into the Register of Wills.
Venue belongs in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, and only one county may maintain the proceeding (Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103). If the decedent lived outside Maryland but owned Maryland property, the estate is opened in the county where the petitioner believes the largest part in value of the Maryland property was located.
The Upper Marlboro office serves the whole county, including communities such as Bowie, College Park, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Beltsville, Suitland, Oxon Hill, Fort Washington and Clinton. Those communities do not have separate estate filing counters.
The jurisdiction process
- File the original will and any codicils with the Register of Wills for Prince George's County after death, even if no estate will be opened (Md. Const. art. IV, § 41; Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 4-203(b)(1)). The original has to reach the office physically because this office does not accept filings by email or fax.
- Identify probate assets, debts and date-of-death values before the appointment. If you need authority to search for assets or a safe deposit box will, use the limited order process on Form 1147 with Form 1148.
- Gather the documents on the Prince George's County Estate Checklist, including the death certificate, funeral contract or itemized bill, date-of-death bank statements, vehicle title and payoff amount, deed and mortgage balance, insurance values, stock information, savings bond values, and the names and addresses of interested persons.
- If the proposed personal representative lives outside Maryland, arrange for a Maryland resident agent on Form 1106. The Prince George's checklist specifically asks for a signed resident agent form when the personal representative lives out of state.
- Call (301) 952-3250 to schedule the appointment. Choose option 1 for the New Estates Division. The office says appointments are limited to two people and suggests arriving 20 minutes early for parking and entry.
- Complete the statewide Register of Wills forms or use the assembled packet. A regular estate starts with Form 1112. A small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 starts with Form 1103. There is no Prince George's County probate form or local cover sheet.
- Deliver the filing by mail to P.O. Box 1729, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773, through the drop-off box at the Commissioner's Entrance, or in person at the appointment. Do not send filings by fax or email.
- The Register acts in administrative probate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-301. On a request for administrative probate, the Register may admit the will and shall appoint the personal representative, then issues letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302.
- Give notice and administer the estate. The Notice of Appointment goes out, interested persons are listed, the inventory is filed when required under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-201, and administration accounts are handled through the Auditing Division with account timing under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305.
- Pay the probate fee when it is assessed by statute, not when the estate is opened. For a regular estate, the Register assesses and collects the probate fee when the first administration account is filed under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(5)(i).
- Use the Orphans' Court for contested or court-required matters. The Orphans' Court for Prince George's County is Maryland's probate court under ET § 2-101, and the Maryland Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026 lists its separate line as (301) 952-3790.
- Close the estate after final account approval and any required approvals of personal representative commissions and attorney's fees, with commissions governed by Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-601.
Executor duties
In Maryland, the legal term is personal representative. In Prince George's County, the local duty that matters most is routing filings to the correct division. New estates are handled through (301) 952-3250, option 1. Inventories under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-201, administration accounts under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305, and inheritance tax questions under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-204 generally go through the Auditing Division at (301) 780-7819 or by appointment through option 2.
Do not fax or email filings to this office. The office says filings cannot be accepted by fax or email. Mail goes to P.O. Box 1729, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773, or papers can be dropped off onsite or in the drop-off box at the Commissioner's Entrance. The office also says it cannot be held responsible for mail that is not sent directly to its post office box.
The probate fee under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206 is not collected when the estate opens. It is assessed and collected when the first administration account is filed under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i), with the account itself governed by ET § 7-305. If the fee waiver conditions in ET § 2-206(a)(4) apply, the Register shall waive fees on a request made on Form 1220.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Prince George's County
Prince George's County does not publish its own probate forms or a local cover sheet. The office uses the statewide numbered forms published by the Registers of Wills, and its own forms link points to that statewide set. Download the forms and complete them on your device, rather than filling them out in a browser.
| Need | Forms or packet |
|---|---|
| Open a regular estate | Form 1112, Petition for Administration of Regular Estate, with Form 1136 Schedule A, Form 1104 List of Interested Persons, Form 1114 Notice of Appointment, and the required bond papers. |
| Open a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 | Form 1103, Petition for Administration of a Small Estate, with Form 1137 Schedule B, Form 1104, Form 1118, Form 1109, Form 1124, Form 1117 and Form 1153. |
| Out-of-state personal representative | Form 1106, Appointment of Resident Agent. The Prince George's County Estate Checklist asks for a signed resident agent form when the personal representative lives outside Maryland. |
| Fee waiver | Form 1220, Request for Waiver of Fees, where Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(a)(4) applies. |
| Search for assets or a safe deposit box will before opening | Form 1147, Petition for Limited Orders, with Form 1148 Schedule C. |
| Register a domestic partnership | Form 101, Declaration of Domestic Partnership, filed with the Register under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-214 if the partners are domiciled in Prince George's County. |
The key local document is not a form. It is the Prince George's County Estate Checklist, which lists documents needed to open an estate and obtain letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302, including date-of-death balances, payoff amounts, deed information and interested-person addresses.
Local nuance
Prince George's County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Lawyer judges may sit alone | Prince George's County voters elect three Orphans' Court judges. Under Md. Const. art. IV, § 40(c), added by Chapter 394, Acts of 2011 and ratified November 6, 2012, they must be admitted to practice law in Maryland and be members in good standing of the Maryland Bar. The Maryland Judiciary says judges in Prince George's County, Baltimore City and Baltimore County may preside alone, unlike the panel practice in other elected-judge jurisdictions. |
| Appointment-based estate counter | The New Estates Division and Auditing Division are on an appointment basis. Call (301) 952-3250, option 1 for a new estate and option 2 for auditing. Appointments are limited to two people, and the office suggests arriving 20 minutes early. |
| No email or fax filing | Prince George's County estate settlement is paper-based. The office says filings cannot be accepted by email or fax. Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) also does not open estates because Maryland Rule 20-101(w) excludes the Orphans' Court from the covered trial-court definition and the Register is not a court. |
| Separate mailing address | The courthouse address is Room D4001, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. Mail goes to P.O. Box 1729, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773, and the office asks that mail be sent directly to that post office box. |
| Local Estate Checklist | The office publishes a one-page checklist of documents needed to open an estate and obtain letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302. It is especially useful for bank balances, vehicle payoff amounts, deeds and mortgage balances. |
| Separate Orphans' Court line | The Maryland Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026 lists the Orphans' Court for Prince George's County under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 with its own phone number, (301) 952-3790, separate from the Register's main line. |
| Appeal route remains available | Prince George's County is not one of the counties excluded from the de novo circuit court appeal route. A party may appeal under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 12-501 to the Appellate Court of Maryland or take a de novo appeal under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 12-502, with the notice filed with the Register within 30 days. |
| Law library in the courthouse | The Prince George's County Circuit Court Law Library is in the same building at 14735 Main Street, Room M1400, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. It is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with phone (301) 952-3438. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| November 6, 2012 | Maryland voters ratified Chapter 394, Acts of 2011, adding Md. Const. art. IV, § 40(c). Orphans' Court judges elected in Prince George's County must be admitted to practice law in Maryland and be members in good standing of the Maryland Bar, and those judges may preside over a case alone. |
| June 4, 2026 | The Maryland Judiciary revised its Orphans' Court judges and registers directory. The Prince George's County entry lists the Orphans' Court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 at the Prince George's County Courthouse, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, with its own line, (301) 952-3790, and a Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | If the home passes outside probate, the estate may be limited to accounts or a vehicle in the decedent's sole name. The spouse should call (301) 952-3250, option 1, and use the Prince George's County Estate Checklist to gather date-of-death balances and payoff amounts. A small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 is still opened with the Register using Form 1103, and the probate fee rules are in Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize balances for the Estate Checklist and generate the probate packet for the Register of Wills. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | An out-of-state personal representative can serve if a Maryland resident signs Form 1106 as resident agent. The original will must physically reach the office, but the filing can be mailed to P.O. Box 1729 or placed in the drop-off box. It cannot be emailed or faxed. | Sunset helps assemble the small-estate packet under ET § 5-601, track the original documents and coordinate the local resident-agent step. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate with a home to sell | A solely owned home usually means the filing needs property value, deed and mortgage-balance information. The Estate Checklist points to a deed copy and a value from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation or a certified appraisal. Accounts and audit questions go to the Auditing Division at (301) 780-7819, and administration accounts are governed by Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305. The probate fee is assessed under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206 when the first administration account is filed. | Sunset helps find accounts, prepare the forms, keep sale-related documents organized and connect the family with a vetted probate attorney when the house sale or title issue becomes complicated. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Register of Wills for Prince George's County | The local probate self-help counter. The office says it provides brochures, answers questions and assists the public in estate administration, but does not give legal advice. It is the filing office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. | (301) 952-3250. Option 1 for New Estates, option 2 for Auditing. Website: registers.maryland.gov/main/princegeorges.html. |
| Prince George's County Estate Checklist | Local checklist of documents needed to open an estate and obtain letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302. | Linked from the Prince George's County Register of Wills page. |
| Prince George's County Circuit Court Law Library | Public law library in the same courthouse as the Register. Do not treat it as legal advice or document preparation. | 14735 Main Street, Room M1400, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. (301) 952-3438. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Maryland Legal Aid, Prince George's County Office | Free civil legal services for financially eligible households. Its published wills-and-estates service is brief advice for clients who need help drafting wills or advance directives, not representation of personal representatives in estate administration. | 8401 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Landover, MD 20785. Local phone (301) 560-2100. Statewide intake 1-888-465-2468, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| People's Law Library of Maryland | Consumer legal library with Maryland estate administration and probate articles. | peoples-law.org |
| Maryland Court Help Centers | Free civil legal help, but the Help Centers say they cannot help third parties or personal representatives. There is no in-person Court Help Center location published for Prince George's County. | 410-260-1392, 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. |
| Registers of Wills statewide Estate Search | Search estate dockets and basic case information across Maryland Register of Wills offices. | registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx |
| Prince George's County Bar Association | Local lawyer referral route published by the Register of Wills. | (301) 952-1442. |
| Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service | The Register points readers to this service. Scope and eligibility should be confirmed directly with the service. | 800-510-0050. |
| Comptroller of Maryland, Maryland Estate Tax Division | Questions about Maryland estate tax under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-309. Keep this separate from inheritance tax under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-204, which is assessed and collected by the Register. | 410-260-7850. |
When to hire an attorney
The Register's staff can help with required forms and general questions, but legal advice makes sense when there is a caveat, a contested appointment, an elective share, a creditor dispute, a disallowed claim against the estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 8-103, a title question, or a fight over who owns an asset. Prince George's County also has two local court features that can raise the stakes: its Orphans' Court judges under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 must be Maryland Bar members under Md. Const. art. IV, § 40(c), and a losing party still has the de novo appeal route under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 12-502 or a direct appeal to the Appellate Court of Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 12-501. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate accounts, policies and other assets before the Prince George's County appointment, so the Estate Checklist is not guesswork and estate settlement can move forward with date-of-death information.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information into the Maryland Register of Wills forms and helps organize the local documents the Prince George's County office asks for.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a contested Orphans' Court matter under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, a house sale, a creditor dispute or a de novo appeal under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 12-502, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and the probate filing still goes through the Register of Wills for Prince George's County under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Prince George's County, Maryland?
File with the Register of Wills for Prince George's County, an elected office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41, at the Prince George's County Courthouse in Upper Marlboro. Mail should go to Register of Wills, Prince George's County, P.O. Box 1729, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773.
Do I file with the Register of Wills or with the Orphans' Court in Prince George's County?
You file with the Register of Wills. The Orphans' Court for Prince George's County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, but most families deal with the Register, who handles administrative probate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-301 and issues letters of administration under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-302. Maryland Rules Title 21, limited by Maryland Rule 1-101(u), does not give a statewide remote-appearance rule for the Orphans' Court, so ask the court at (301) 952-3790 before assuming video appearance is available.
Do I need an appointment at the Prince George's County Register of Wills?
Yes for the New Estates and Auditing divisions. Call (301) 952-3250, option 1 for the New Estates Division and option 2 for the Auditing Division. The office says appointments are limited to two people and suggests arriving 20 minutes early. If you do not need to appear, the office also accepts paper filings by mail, onsite drop-off or the drop-off box at the Commissioner's Entrance.
Can I file a Prince George's County estate online, by email or by fax?
No. Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) does not open estates because Maryland Rule 20-101(w) excludes the Orphans' Court from the covered trial-court definition and the Register of Wills is not a court. Prince George's County also states that filings cannot be accepted by email or fax.
What do I need to bring to open an estate in Prince George's County?
Use the local Estate Checklist. It asks for the original will, death certificate, funeral contract or itemized bill, date-of-death bank statements, vehicle title and payoff amount, deed and mortgage balance for real property, values for insurance, stock and savings bonds, and a list of interested persons. If the proposed personal representative lives outside Maryland, the checklist asks for a signed resident agent form, Form 1106.
Does Prince George's County have its own probate forms?
No. The office uses the statewide Register of Wills forms and packets. A regular estate uses Form 1112. A small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 uses Form 1103. Prince George's County does publish its own Estate Checklist, but that checklist is a document list, not a local form.
What does it cost to open an estate in Prince George's County, and when do I pay?
The probate fee is the statewide schedule in Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2), for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022. It starts at $0 for probate estates valued under $50,000, with the small-estate reference in Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, and rises by statute to $10,000 plus 0.02% of the excess over $10,000,000. For a regular estate, the Register assesses and collects the fee when the first administration account is filed under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i), with account timing under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 7-305.
Are Prince George's County Orphans' Court judges required to be lawyers?
Yes. Under Md. Const. art. IV, § 40(c), added by Chapter 394, Acts of 2011 and ratified November 6, 2012, Prince George's County Orphans' Court judges must be admitted to practice law in Maryland and be members in good standing of the Maryland Bar. The Maryland Judiciary also says those judges may preside alone.
How do I look up a Prince George's County estate?
Use the Registers of Wills statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx. It shows Register of Wills estate cases across Maryland. Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers cases originating in the circuit courts and the District Court, so an estate opened with the Register is not searched there.
Can I register a domestic partnership with the Prince George's County Register of Wills?
Yes, if the partners are domiciled in Prince George's County. Maryland domestic partnership registration is filed with the Register of Wills under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-214 using Form 101. A surviving registered domestic partner has an inheritance tax consequence under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-203(l)(3), while Maryland's inheritance tax rate rule is in Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-204.
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Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.