Back to Pennsylvania
Carbon County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Carbon County Register of Wills, 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 Carbon County one elected official holds the Register of Wills office together with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court office |
| Administration supervised by | The Carbon County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (56th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Courthouse | Carbon County Courthouse, 4 Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 |
| Mailing address | Carbon County Register of Wills, 4 Broadway, PO Box 286, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 |
| Phone | (570) 325-2261 (the combined Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (570) 325-5098 |
| [email protected] (the office mailbox) | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; the courthouse offices close for lunch from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The office asks that you call (570) 325-2261 to make an appointment, and appointments always take priority over walk-ins; confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Jim Thorpe |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Carbon County and graduated by the gross value of the estate, starting at $65.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000, plus a combined $61.25 (a $41.25 JCP surcharge, a $15.00 data processing fee, and a $5.00 automation fee) added on top, under the county schedule effective August 27, 2021 and revised November 17, 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; Carbon County has no separate numbered county form set. The petition to settle a small estate uses a county form, so ask the Register of Wills for it |
| E-filing | None. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court e-filing was found for Carbon County. For a probate, the office's published instructions ask that the completed petition and supporting documents be emailed to [email protected] first; the office then contacts you with the fee and schedules an in-person appointment, because Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register |
| Online case search | The free statewide UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch), whose coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county. Carbon County also runs its own Tyler Odyssey records portal that covers Prothonotary and Orphans' Court records, but it requires a paid subscription |
| Remote appearance | Not available for the grant of letters: the office's published probate instructions state it no longer offers Zoom appointments, so plan to appear in person at the scheduled appointment. For other Orphans' Court steps, ask the Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| Website | https://www.carboncountypa.gov/government/row_offices/register_of_wills.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Carbon 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 the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register in Jim Thorpe by appointment.
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 Carbon County it is common for a decedent to have owned a home in Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, or Palmerton, or a cabin or hunting land in the Pocono or Penn Forest area, 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 Carbon County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, one combined office at the Carbon County Courthouse, 4 Broadway, in Jim Thorpe, serve all of Carbon County. That includes Jim Thorpe, the county seat, along with Lehighton, Palmerton, Lansford, Nesquehoning, Summit Hill, Weatherly, Weissport, Bowmanstown, Parryville, East Side, and Beaver Meadows, and the surrounding townships (Penn Forest, Kidder, Mahoning, Towamensing, Lower Towamensing, East Penn, Franklin, Lehigh, Banks, Lausanne, and Packer). Every Carbon County estate is filed at 4 Broadway in Jim Thorpe. Carbon is the only county in the 56th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that single-county district.
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 Carbon County, file with the Carbon 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 office keeps the county's original wills and estate records.
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. There is no separate numbered Carbon County form set.
- Email the documents and schedule the appointment. Carbon County's published probate instructions ask that you email the completed Petition for Grant of Letters (stating the estate value and the number of short certificates you want), the death certificate, the original will only if it is in your possession, the county's estate information sheet, photo identification for anyone taking an oath or renouncing, and any renunciations to [email protected]. The office then contacts you with the fee and schedules your appointment; appointments always take priority over walk-ins, and you can also call (570) 325-2261.
- Appear before the Register at 4 Broadway. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, and the office no longer offers Zoom appointments, so plan to complete the grant of letters in person at the Carbon County Courthouse in Jim Thorpe at the scheduled time.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee for the grant of letters is set by Carbon County and graduated by the gross value of the estate (jointly held assets and transfers excluded), starting at $65.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000, plus a combined $61.25 in JCP, data processing, and automation fees added on top, under the schedule effective August 27, 2021 and revised November 17, 2025. 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 certificates (certified proof of the letters), which is what banks and transfer agents rely on; the county charges $6.00 per short certificate under the current schedule.
- 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 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).
- 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. 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, advertised, and confirmed. Many small estates close by a family settlement agreement instead of a formal account; ask the office which route fits your matter.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Carbon County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Carbon County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Carbon County form set. 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 estate notice and certification under Rule 10.5 (Forms RW-07 and RW-08), and the Inventory (Form RW-09), along with the Orphans' Court OC-series account and administration forms. The petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form rather than a numbered statewide RW form, so ask the Register of Wills for it. The office also uses its own estate information sheet at probate intake, available from the office.
In Carbon County these forms are filed on paper with the combined Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at 4 Broadway, Jim Thorpe; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court e-filing was found for the county. For a probate, the office's published instructions ask that the completed petition and supporting documents, including the estate information sheet, be emailed to [email protected] before an appointment is scheduled, so email or phone (570) 325-2261 first to confirm what the office needs on intake.
| 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 |
| Carbon County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court (carboncountypa.gov) | The combined county office page, with hours, the appointment request, contact information, and links to the county fee schedule |
| UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us) | The free 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 Carbon County publishes its own Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective August 27, 2021 and revised November 17, 2025 (the revision reflects the JCP fee changing from $40.25 to $41.25 under Act 45 of 2025). The figures below were read from the county's published schedule in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule.
The Register of Wills fee for the grant of letters is graduated by the gross value of the estate, with jointly held assets and transfers excluded. It starts at $65.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 and rises with value ($75.00 for $5,001 to $10,000, $95.00 for $10,001 to $30,000, $115.00 for $30,001 to $50,000, $125.00 for $50,001 to $70,000, $135.00 for $70,001 to $90,000, and $145.00 for $90,001 to $100,000, then $60.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction). On top of that base the county adds a combined $61.25: the statewide $41.25 JCP surcharge, a $15.00 data processing fee, and a $5.00 automation fee. So the smallest grant of letters totals about $126.25. An additional probate fee may be assessed once the appraisement is received from the Department of Revenue.
| Carbon County filing | Fee (schedule effective August 27, 2021, revised November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters, base fee (graduated by gross estate value) | From $65.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 up to $145.00 for an estate of $90,001 to $100,000, then $60.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction |
| JCP, data processing, and automation fees added to the grant of letters | $61.25 combined ($41.25 JCP surcharge, $15.00 data processing, $5.00 automation) |
| Petition to settle a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $96.25 (includes JCP, data processing, and automation) |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $6.00 each |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $15.00 |
| Inheritance tax return (REV-1500) and papers | $20.00 |
| Certified copy of a document | $15.00 first page, $4.00 each additional page |
| Copies | $0.25 per page |
| Death certificate | $7.00 |
Local nuance
Carbon County-specific considerations
One combined office. In Carbon County a single elected official holds both the Register of Wills office and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court office, so the grant of letters (the Register of Wills function) and the later administration filings such as the inventory and any account (the Orphans' Court function) are handled at the same counter at 4 Broadway, Jim Thorpe. You do not go to two separate buildings.
Email first, then appear by appointment. The office asks that you call (570) 325-2261 to make an appointment, and its published policy is that appointments always take priority over walk-ins. For a probate, its instructions ask that the completed petition and supporting documents be emailed to [email protected]; the office then contacts you with the fee and schedules the appointment. It no longer offers Zoom appointments, so plan to complete the grant of letters in person in Jim Thorpe, and note the courthouse lunch closure from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
Two ways to look up a case. The free statewide UJS Portal (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch) is the first stop, though its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county. Carbon County also runs its own Tyler Odyssey online records portal that does cover Prothonotary and Orphans' Court records, but access to it requires a paid subscription, so for a single estate lookup it is often simpler to call the office.
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 17, 2025 | Carbon County updated its Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule to reflect the JCP surcharge increasing from $40.25 to $41.25 per Act 45 of 2025 (source: the county fee schedule on carboncourts.com, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Carbon County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Jim Thorpe or Lehighton area 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 presents the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) to the Carbon County Register of Wills 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 the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register in Jim Thorpe and the office schedules probate appointments only after the petition and supporting documents are emailed to it, an out-of-state child should email the paperwork ahead and plan the trip around the scheduled appointment. | 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 Jim Thorpe. |
| 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 Carbon County home and, when a formal account is required, file it with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Carbon County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, (570) 325-2261 (carboncountypa.gov) | The combined county office page: hours, the appointment request, the mailing address, contact information, and links to the current fee schedule |
| Carbon County courts, fee schedules and records (carboncourts.com) | The county courts site, with the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule and the public records-access page |
| 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 Carbon 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 free statewide court case search; Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate-record coverage varies by county |
| 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 Carbon County Register of Wills |
| North Penn Legal Services, (877) 953-4250 (northpennlegal.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Carbon County; the Hazleton office at 101 West Broad Street serves the Carbon County area |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Carbon County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (carbonbar.org/Lawyer-Referral-Service.html) | The county bar's referral service, which matches Carbon County residents with a participating local attorney for a half-hour consultation for a moderate fee, with a Modest Means Program offering reduced rates for income-qualified clients |
When to hire an attorney
Many Carbon 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 or out-of-state property. 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 Carbon 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, Carbon 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 Carbon County Register of Wills in Jim Thorpe.
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 Carbon 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 Carbon County?
With the Carbon County Register of Wills, the combined Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at the Carbon County Courthouse, 4 Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. The Register of Wills admits the will and grants letters; the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, in the same office, supervises the administration that follows.
Do I have to travel to Jim Thorpe to settle an estate in Carbon County?
For the grant of letters, yes. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register of Wills to be sworn, and the Carbon County office's published probate instructions state it no longer offers Zoom appointments. The office asks that you email the completed petition and supporting documents to [email protected] first; it then contacts you with the fee and schedules the in-person appointment, so plan the trip around that appointment.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Carbon County but I live out of state?
You still file in Carbon 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 Carbon County Register of Wills in Jim Thorpe regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register, an out-of-state personal representative should email the petition and supporting documents to [email protected] ahead of time and plan a single trip around the appointment the office schedules.
Can I file probate electronically in Carbon County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court e-filing was found for Carbon County. The office does ask that probate documents be emailed to [email protected] ahead of time, but that is document intake for scheduling, not e-filing: the grant of letters is completed on paper, in person before the Register. The statewide UJS Portal is a case search, not an estate e-filing system for this county.
How much does it cost to file probate in Carbon County?
The Register of Wills fee for the grant of letters is set by Carbon County and graduated by the gross value of the estate, starting at $65.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000, plus a combined $61.25 in JCP, data processing, and automation fees added on top, under the schedule effective August 27, 2021 and revised November 17, 2025. The smallest grant of letters totals about $126.25. A short certificate is $6.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Carbon 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. There is no separate numbered Carbon County form set, and the petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form, so ask the Register of Wills for it.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Carbon County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Carbon 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 Carbon County probate case online?
Start with the free statewide UJS Portal case search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch, though its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county. Carbon County also runs its own Tyler Odyssey records portal that covers Orphans' Court records, but it requires a paid subscription, so for a single estate it is often simpler to call the office at (570) 325-2261.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Carbon County?
The combined office is reached at (570) 325-2261, with a fax at (570) 325-5098 and email [email protected]. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with the courthouse offices closed for lunch from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, and it asks that you make an appointment for a probate matter because appointments take priority over walk-ins. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Jim Thorpe.
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.