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Bedford County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Bedford County Register of Wills, in Room 106 on the first floor of the courthouse, which admits the will to probate, grants letters testamentary (with a will) or letters of administration (without one), and receives the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500). In Bedford County the Register of Wills is combined with the Recorder of Deeds as one elected row office |
| Administration supervised by | The Bedford County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (57th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, a function held by the county's combined Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Courthouse | Bedford County Courthouse, 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA 15522. The Register of Wills is in Room 106 |
| Mailing address | Register of Wills Division, Bedford County Courthouse, 200 South Juliana Street, Room 106, Bedford, PA 15522. Mail must include a self-addressed stamped envelope for returning documents |
| Register of Wills phone | (814) 623-4836 (grant of letters, will filing, inheritance tax). Fax (814) 624-0488, email [email protected] |
| Clerk of Orphans' Court phone | (814) 623-4833, the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office (inventory, accounts, disputes), email [email protected]. This is a different office and number from the Register of Wills |
| Office hours | The Register of Wills Division is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; probates and filings are transacted from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM by appointment, and same-day probate services stop at 4:00 PM. Make an appointment before coming in to open an estate, and confirm holiday closings |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills probate costs are set by Bedford County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $15.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $82.50 for a $75,000 to $100,000 estate, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000, plus a $41.25 Judicial Computer Project (JCP) surcharge on each estate, under the county fee bill effective November 20, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). See the fees section below, and confirm the current schedule with the Register of Wills |
| Local probate forms | Pennsylvania uses a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set published on pacourts.us and used in every county; the Bedford County Register of Wills posts those forms plus an estate information sheet and a pro se petitioner affidavit. No small estate petition form is posted online; contact the Register of Wills office about the current form |
| E-filing | None. The Register of Wills takes filings on paper, by in-person appointment or by mail, and the county's Court Forms and Local Rules page states that forms cannot be submitted electronically. Opening an estate by practice requires an appointment with the Register |
| Remote appearance | The Register of Wills offers video-conference (virtual) probate under a Pennsylvania Supreme Court emergency order, but only when an attorney is present with the client at the remote location; there is no video conferencing for self-represented (pro se) estates, which appear in person by appointment |
| Online case search | Bedford County runs its own online Register of Wills estate-records search and an online Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts records search, both linked from the county site. The statewide UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch) also exists, but its Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate coverage varies by county |
| Website | https://www.bedfordcountypa.org/departments/register_and_recorder.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Bedford County, know exactly what is in the estate. Which Pennsylvania path fits depends on whether there is a will and on the value and type of the assets: a full grant of letters testamentary or of administration through the Register of Wills, a petition to settle a small estate of $50,000 or less through the Orphans' Court (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), or the release of certain assets without any letters at all. Those paths and their dollar thresholds are statewide and are explained on the Pennsylvania state page; identify the estate first so you present the right petition once, because opening an estate in Bedford County generally requires an appointment with the Register of Wills.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of real property, along with every debt, before you go to the courthouse. In a rural county like Bedford it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, farmland, or camp or hunting land, and how that real property is titled matters, because a jointly owned home with right of survivorship or a beneficiary-designated account passes outside probate while real property in the decedent's sole name does not. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Bedford County Register of Wills, in Room 106 at the Bedford County Courthouse, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, held by the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office in the same courthouse, together serve all of Bedford County. That includes the borough of Bedford, the county seat, along with Everett, Saxton, Hyndman, Schellsburg, Coaldale, New Paris, Rainsburg, St. Clairsville, Pleasantville, and Woodbury, and the surrounding townships across the county. Every Bedford County estate is filed at 200 South Juliana Street in Bedford. Bedford County is its own 57th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge sitting in and for Bedford County.
Venue for a decedent's estate is the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence, under Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). If the decedent lived in Bedford County, file with the Bedford County Register of Wills. If the decedent was not domiciled in Pennsylvania but left property in the county, the Register of the county where the property is located may grant letters (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151), which is the basis for an ancillary administration. The Register of Wills keeps the county's original wills and estate records, some dating back to 1771.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the documents. Collect the original signed will (if there is one), a certified copy of the death certificate, the names and addresses of the heirs and beneficiaries, the proposed personal representative's information and identification, and a list of the assets and debts with values. A person named in a will to settle the estate is an executor; a person appointed where there is no will is an administrator. Pennsylvania's umbrella term for either is personal representative.
- Prepare the petition and forms. Pennsylvania uses a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set published on pacourts.us. The core filing is the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), presented with the original will and the certified death certificate. The Bedford County Register of Wills also posts an estate information sheet and, for self-represented filers, a pro se petitioner affidavit acknowledging receipt of the office's estate checklist.
- Make an appointment and present the petition to the Register of Wills. Call the Register of Wills at (814) 623-4836 to schedule, then bring the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to Room 106 at the Bedford County Courthouse. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn. If an attorney represents the estate, the office can arrange a video-conference (virtual) probate under the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's emergency guidelines; self-represented petitioners appear in person.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills probate cost is set by Bedford County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $15.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $82.50 for a $75,000 to $100,000 estate, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000, plus the $41.25 JCP surcharge on each estate, under the fee bill effective November 20, 2025. The office accepts checks, money orders, and debit or credit cards; a service fee applies to credit-card payments. See the fees section below.
- Receive the letters. On a valid will, the Register grants letters testamentary to the executor; with no will, letters of administration to the administrator, in the priority order set by 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155. Request several short-form certificates (certified proof of the letters), which is what banks and transfer agents rely on; Bedford County charges $3.00 per short-form certificate under the schedule effective November 20, 2025.
- Advertise the grant of letters. Immediately after letters are granted, advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent's residence and in the Bedford County Legal Journal, the county's designated legal periodical, so that creditors can present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). A creditor's practical deadline runs one year from the first complete advertisement (20 Pa.C.S. § 3532). The Register of Wills provides request-for-publication forms for both the legal journal and the newspaper.
- File the inventory and handle inheritance tax. File a verified inventory of the estate's real and personal property with the Register of Wills (Form RW-09, 20 Pa.C.S. § 3301), and file the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500) with the Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent. The inheritance tax becomes delinquent nine months after the date of death, and a 5% discount is allowed on tax paid within three months of death.
- Administer and close through the Orphans' Court. Pay valid debts and taxes, then distribute what remains. When a formal account is required, it is filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, (814) 623-4833, then advertised and confirmed; many small estates instead close by a family settlement agreement. The Orphans' Court Division also handles disputes, guardianships, and appeals from the Register of Wills (20 Pa.C.S. § 711).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bedford County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and the Bedford County Register of Wills posts those same forms on the county site. The load-bearing form to open an estate is the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), filed with the original will and a certified death certificate. Other statewide forms in common use include the Renunciation (Form RW-06), the oaths of subscribing and non-subscribing witnesses (Forms RW-03 and RW-05), the estate notice and certification under Rule 10.5 (Forms RW-07 and RW-08), the Inventory (Form RW-09), and the Rule 10.6 Status Report (Form RW-10), along with the Orphans' Court OC-series account and administration forms. The county's forms page also carries an estate information sheet and, for self-represented filers, a pro se petitioner affidavit. The small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 is a county-level form rather than a numbered statewide form, and Bedford County does not post one online; contact the Register of Wills office about the current form.
In Bedford County these forms are filed on paper, by in-person appointment or by mail, with the Register of Wills in Room 106 at the Bedford County Courthouse; the county's Court Forms and Local Rules page states that forms cannot be submitted electronically. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call the Register of Wills at (814) 623-4836 during business hours.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Register of Wills and Orphans' Court forms (pacourts.us) | The statewide form set used in every county, including the Petition for Grant of Letters (RW-02), the Renunciation (RW-06), the Inventory (RW-09), and the Orphans' Court OC-series forms |
| Bedford County Register of Wills forms (bedfordcountypa.org) | The county's documents-and-forms page, with the statewide RW forms, an estate information sheet, a pro se petitioner affidavit, and legal-journal and newspaper request-for-publication forms |
| UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us) | The statewide court case search; its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county |
Fees
Pennsylvania sets probate filing fees county by county, not statewide, and the Bedford County Register of Wills publishes its own probate fee bill, effective November 20, 2025. The figures below were read from the county's published fee bill in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule. Fees are payable in advance, and the office accepts checks, money orders, and debit or credit cards; a service fee of $2.50 or 2.95%, whichever is greater, applies to credit-card payments.
The Register of Wills probate cost for a grant of letters is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $15.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($25.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $37.50 over $5,000 to $10,000, $45.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $52.50 over $20,000 to $30,000, $60.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $67.50 over $40,000 to $50,000, $75.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $82.50 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $30.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. A $41.25 Judicial Computer Project (JCP) surcharge is added on each estate on top of that probate cost.
| Bedford County filing | Fee (effective November 20, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters, probate cost (graduated by estate value) | From $15.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $82.50 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction |
| Judicial Computer Project (JCP) surcharge (per estate) | $41.25 |
| Short-form certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $3.00 each |
| Renunciation | $3.00 |
| Proof of publication | $7.00 |
| Filing of will, no letters (first page) | $12.00, plus $3.00 each additional page |
| Inventory, filing and recording (75 items or less) | $7.50, plus $2.00 each additional page |
| Inheritance tax return | $15.00 |
| Photocopies | $0.25 per page; certified copies $1.00 plus $0.25 per page |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 20, 2025 | The Bedford County Register of Wills issued a new probate fee bill, effective November 20, 2025, with probate costs graduated by estate value from $15.00 to $82.50 plus $30.00 for each additional $100,000, and a $41.25 Judicial Computer Project surcharge on each estate (source: the county's published Register of Wills fee bill, read July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Bedford County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Bedford County home was owned jointly with right of survivorship, it passes to the surviving spouse outside probate on proof of death, so no estate proceeding is needed for the house itself. If other assets stood in the decedent's sole name and there is a will, the spouse makes an appointment with the Bedford County Register of Wills, presents the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), and once the will is admitted receives letters testamentary as executor; with no will, the spouse is granted letters of administration. | Asset discovery to confirm how the home and accounts are titled and what must go through the Register of Wills. Packet generation for the RW-02 filing. A vetted attorney referral if a dispute arises. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | A smaller estate may qualify for the petition to settle a small estate of $50,000 or less, filed with the Orphans' Court (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), or certain assets may be released without letters. Otherwise the child opens a full estate with the Register of Wills. Because opening an estate in Bedford County generally requires an appointment with the Register and there is no e-filing for self-represented petitioners, an out-of-state child should call (814) 623-4836 ahead to arrange the appointment or a mail filing. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies and to locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the small estate petition or the grant of letters, organized so an out-of-state filer can plan a single trip to Bedford. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Because the estate holds real property that must be sold, it proceeds through a full grant of letters rather than a small estate petition: with no will, the parent is granted letters of administration by the Register of Wills; with a will, the parent probates it under Form RW-02. Once the letters issue, the personal representative can sell the Bedford County home and, when a formal account is required, file it with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the grant of letters and the inventory. Attorney referral, and help if the sale or an heir dispute turns contested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Bedford County Register of Wills, (814) 623-4836 (bedfordcountypa.org) | The county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page: hours, the Room 106 location, the mailing address, the probate forms, the estate information sheet, and the current fee bill |
| Bedford County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts (Clerk of Orphans' Court), (814) 623-4833 | The filing office for the Orphans' Court Division: inventory disputes, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Pennsylvania courts, orphans' court forms (pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms) | The statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set used in Bedford County, including the Petition for Grant of Letters and the Inventory |
| Pennsylvania courts, representing yourself (pacourts.us/learn) | Plain-language statewide guidance on the courts, self-representation, and estate procedure |
| UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch) | The statewide court case search; Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate-record coverage varies by county. Bedford County also runs its own online estate-records search on the county site |
| Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, inheritance tax (pa.gov/agencies/revenue) | The Pennsylvania inheritance tax rules and the REV-1500 return, which is filed with the Bedford County Register of Wills |
| MidPenn Legal Services, Bedford office, 232 East Pitt Street, (814) 623-6189 (midpenn.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible Bedford County residents; MidPenn serves 18 central-Pennsylvania counties, including Bedford. Apply for services at 1-800-326-9177 |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, 1-800-692-7375 (pabar.org) | Referrals to Pennsylvania probate attorneys statewide, including those serving the Bedford County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Bedford County estates are uncontested and can be handled without an attorney, especially a small estate that qualifies for the 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 petition or an ordinary grant of letters where the will is clear. Consider counsel when the estate holds real property that must be sold, when a will contest or a dispute among heirs is likely, when a formal Orphans' Court account will be required, when the estate is insolvent or creditors are pressing, when inheritance tax planning is involved, or when the estate includes a business interest, farmland, or out-of-state property. Retaining an attorney also lets the estate use the Register's video-conference probate option, which is not available to self-represented filers. The Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Pennsylvania probate attorney serving Bedford County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Bedford County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Pennsylvania estate settlement path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Pennsylvania probate forms for your path, including the Petition for Grant of Letters and the inventory, ready to present to the Bedford County Register of Wills in Room 106 at the courthouse.
Find a local probate attorney. When a matter is contested or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted Pennsylvania probate attorney serving Bedford County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Bedford County?
With the Bedford County Register of Wills, in Room 106 on the first floor of the Bedford County Courthouse, 200 South Juliana Street, Bedford, PA 15522. The Register of Wills, which is combined with the Recorder of Deeds, admits the will and grants letters. Later administration is supervised by the Orphans' Court Division, whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, a separate office reached at (814) 623-4833.
Do I have to make an appointment to open an estate in Bedford County?
Yes. The Bedford County Register of Wills asks filers to make an appointment before coming in to open an estate. Call (814) 623-4836 to schedule. Probates and filings are transacted from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and same-day probate services stop at 4:00 PM, so plan your visit accordingly.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Bedford County but I live out of state?
You still file in Bedford County, because Pennsylvania venue is the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). File with the Bedford County Register of Wills regardless of where you live. Because opening an estate generally requires an appointment with the Register and Bedford County has no e-filing for self-represented petitioners, call (814) 623-4836 ahead of time to plan a single trip or a mail filing.
Can I file probate electronically in Bedford County?
No. Bedford County has no e-filing for the Register of Wills or the Orphans' Court; the county's Court Forms and Local Rules page states that forms cannot be submitted electronically. The Register of Wills takes filings on paper, by in-person appointment or by mail. Mailed filings must include a self-addressed stamped envelope for returning documents.
Can I appear by video for probate in Bedford County?
Only if an attorney represents the estate. Under a Pennsylvania Supreme Court emergency order, the Bedford County Register of Wills can arrange a video-conference (virtual) probate when an attorney is present with the client at the remote location. The office's guidelines state that there is no video conferencing for self-represented (pro se) estates, so a self-represented personal representative appears in person by appointment.
How much does it cost to file probate in Bedford County?
The Register of Wills probate cost is set by Bedford County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $15.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $82.50 for a $75,000 to $100,000 estate, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000, under the fee bill effective November 20, 2025. A $41.25 Judicial Computer Project surcharge is added on each estate. A short-form certificate is $3.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Bedford County?
The statewide Pennsylvania forms, the same ones used in every county. The core form is the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), filed with the original will and a certified death certificate; the Inventory is Form RW-09. The Bedford County Register of Wills posts those forms on its site along with an estate information sheet and a pro se petitioner affidavit. The small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 is a county-level form that is not posted online; contact the Register of Wills office about the current form.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Bedford County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Bedford County Register of Wills, which acts as the collection agent. Pennsylvania has no state estate tax, but it does have an inheritance tax whose rate depends on the beneficiary's relationship to the decedent. The tax becomes delinquent nine months after the date of death, and a 5% discount is allowed on tax paid within three months of death; the rates and details are on the Pennsylvania state page and the Department of Revenue site.
How do I look up a Bedford County probate case online?
Bedford County runs its own online Register of Wills estate-records search, linked from the county website's online records page. The statewide UJS Portal case search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch also exists, but its Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate coverage varies by county. To confirm a specific estate filing you can also call the Register of Wills at (814) 623-4836.
What are the phone numbers and office hours for probate in Bedford County?
The Register of Wills is reached at (814) 623-4836, with a fax at (814) 624-0488 and email [email protected]. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court, at the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, is a separate line at (814) 623-4833. The Register of Wills Division is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with probates and filings transacted 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM by appointment and same-day probate services stopping at 4:00 PM.
Shaped by the families we've helped
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.