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Clarion County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Clarion 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 Clarion County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office |
| Administration supervised by | The Clarion County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (18th 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 |
| Combined office | One elected Register and Recorder runs the Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at the same courthouse counter |
| Courthouse | Clarion County Courthouse, 421 Main Street, Suite 24 (first floor), Clarion, PA 16214. The courthouse reopened in early July 2026 after a renovation that closed the building in April 2024; the Register and Recorder office has returned to the courthouse from its temporary location at the Clarion County Complex in Shippenville |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 421 Main Street, Suite 24, Clarion, PA 16214 |
| Phone | (814) 226-4000, extension 2500 (the combined Register of Wills and Recorder office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (814) 226-1117 |
| [email protected] (the Register of Wills and Recorder office) | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Clarion |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Clarion County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $83.25 for an estate under $1,000 up to $204.75 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $58.00 for each additional $100,000, under the county schedule effective November 17, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). The $41.25 State JCS/ATJ fee and the $5.00 County Automation Fee are included in those amounts. 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; Clarion County posts a general Orphans' Court petition form on the county site but has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper, in person or by mail, with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills e-filing was found for Clarion County, and practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. Orphans' Court e-filing runs through the statewide UJS portal and Guardianship Tracking System and requires an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court; confirm the current options with the office |
| Online case search | The statewide UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch), whose coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county. Clarion County also offers online land and Orphans' Court record access through Infocon Corporation (infoconcountyaccess.com), a subscription service |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Clarion County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.co.clarion.pa.us/government/elected_officials/register___recorder/index.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Clarion 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 Clarion.
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 Clarion it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, farm, camp, or timber 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 Clarion County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined office in Suite 24 of the Clarion County Courthouse, serve all of Clarion County. That includes Clarion, the county seat, along with the boroughs of New Bethlehem, Rimersburg, Knox, Sligo, Strattanville, Foxburg, East Brady, Callensburg, Hawthorn, St. Petersburg, and Shippenville, and the surrounding townships along the Clarion River and the Interstate 80 corridor. Every Clarion County estate is filed at 421 Main Street in Clarion. Clarion is a single-county judicial district, the 18th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge sitting in Clarion, and there is no neighboring county sharing the office.
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 Clarion County, file with the Clarion 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. Clarion County posts a general Orphans' Court petition form on the county site; there is no separate numbered Clarion County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the combined office in Suite 24 of the Clarion County Courthouse, 421 Main Street, Clarion. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; the office also accepts filings by mail, so confirm what the Register needs before you travel.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Clarion County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $83.25 for an estate under $1,000 up to $204.75 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $58.00 for each additional $100,000, under the schedule effective November 17, 2025. The $41.25 State JCS/ATJ fee and the $5.00 County Automation Fee are included in those amounts. The office stopped accepting credit and debit card payments as of June 1, 2025, so plan to pay by check or cash and confirm payment methods when you call. 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; Clarion County charges $6.00 per short certificate under the schedule effective November 17, 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 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 of the grant of letters (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; ask the Clerk which filing and audit date fits your matter. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Clarion County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Clarion County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Clarion 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 small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form rather than a numbered statewide RW form; Clarion County posts a general Orphans' Court petition form on its site, and you can ask the office for the small estate petition it uses.
In Clarion County these forms are filed on paper, in person or by mail, with the Register of Wills in Suite 24 of the courthouse at 421 Main Street; no Register of Wills e-filing was found for the county. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (814) 226-4000, extension 2500, 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 |
| Clarion County Register and Recorder (co.clarion.pa.us) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with the general Orphans' Court petition form, the current fee schedule, hours, and contact information |
| 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 Clarion County publishes its own Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective November 17, 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. Note that the office stopped accepting credit and debit card payments as of June 1, 2025, so plan to pay by check or cash.
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters (administration or testamentary) is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $83.25 for an estate under $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($98.00 for $1,001 to $5,000, $112.25 for $5,001 to $10,000, $129.25 for $10,001 to $20,000, and on up to $204.75 for $75,001 to $100,000), then $58.00 for each additional $100,000. The $41.25 State JCS/ATJ fee and the $5.00 County Automation Fee are already included in those grant-of-letters amounts. Orphans' Court filings carry their own fees, such as $158.50 for the first page of an account and $42.00 for most other petitions and motions.
| Clarion County filing | Fee (effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters (graduated by estate value) | From $83.25 for an estate under $1,000 up to $204.75 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $58.00 for each additional $100,000; the $41.25 State JCS/ATJ fee and the $5.00 County Automation Fee are included |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $6.00 each |
| Certified copy of a document | $6.00, plus $0.50 for each page over four |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $14.50 |
| Inheritance tax return (paid at time of probate) | $28.50 |
| Renunciation | $6.00 |
| Caveat filing | $28.50 |
| Orphans' Court account (first page) | $158.50, plus $6.00 for each additional page |
| Orphans' Court, all other petitions or motions | $42.00 |
| Family settlement agreement | $14.50 |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | The Clarion County Courthouse at 421 Main Street reopened after a renovation that closed the building in April 2024. The Register and Recorder office (Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court) returned to Suite 24 of the courthouse from its temporary location at the Clarion County Complex, 160 Amsler Avenue, Shippenville (source: county announcements and local news coverage of the reopening, verified July 2026). |
| November 17, 2025 | A revised Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule took effect. The statewide JCS surcharge included in the grant of letters fee rose from $40.25 to $41.25 (source: the county's published fee schedule and office notice, verified July 2026). |
| June 1, 2025 | The Register and Recorder office stopped accepting credit and debit card payments (source: the county office page, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Clarion County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Clarion-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 Clarion 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 Clarion and this is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call 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 Clarion. |
| 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 Clarion 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 |
|---|---|
| Clarion County Register and Recorder, (814) 226-4000, extension 2500 (co.clarion.pa.us) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the general Orphans' Court petition form, and the current fee schedule |
| Clarion County Courts (co.clarion.pa.us/government/courts) | The Court of Common Pleas and Orphans' Court Division pages for the 18th Judicial District, with court resources and self-represented litigant documents |
| 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 Clarion 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 |
| 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 Clarion County Register of Wills |
| Summit Legal Aid, 1-800-846-0871 (summitlegal.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Clarion County and nine other western Pennsylvania counties; a Clarion office is at 231 West Main Street, Clarion |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (pabar.org) | Referrals to Pennsylvania probate attorneys statewide, including those serving the Clarion County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Clarion 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 Clarion 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, Clarion 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 Clarion County Register of Wills in Clarion.
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 Clarion 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 Clarion County?
With the Clarion County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office in Suite 24 of the Clarion County Courthouse, 421 Main Street, Clarion, PA 16214. 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 Clarion to settle an estate in Clarion County?
For the grant of letters, usually yes. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register of Wills to be sworn, and Clarion County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to the courthouse. The office also accepts filings by mail, so call (814) 226-4000, extension 2500, first to confirm whether your matter can be handled by mail and to arrange the appointment.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Clarion but I live out of state?
You still file in Clarion 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 Clarion County Register of Wills regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register, an out-of-state personal representative should call the office ahead of time to plan a single trip or a mail filing.
Can I file probate electronically in Clarion County?
Not for the grant of letters. No Register of Wills e-filing was found for Clarion County; the grant of letters is handled on paper, in person or by mail. Orphans' Court e-filing runs through the statewide UJS portal and the Guardianship Tracking System and requires an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, so ask the office about a specific filing. The statewide UJS Portal is a case search, not a full estate e-filing system for this county.
How much does it cost to file probate in Clarion County?
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is set by Clarion County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $83.25 for an estate under $1,000 up to $204.75 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $58.00 for each additional $100,000, under the schedule effective November 17, 2025. The $41.25 State JCS/ATJ fee and the $5.00 County Automation Fee are included in that amount. A short certificate is $6.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Clarion 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 Clarion County form set, though the county posts a general Orphans' Court petition form, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form you can request from the office.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Clarion County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Clarion 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 Clarion County probate case online?
Use the statewide UJS Portal case search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch. Its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county. Clarion County also offers online land and Orphans' Court record access through Infocon Corporation (infoconcountyaccess.com), a subscription service, and you can call the combined office at (814) 226-4000, extension 2500, to confirm a specific estate filing.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Clarion County?
The combined office is reached at (814) 226-4000, extension 2500, with a fax at (814) 226-1117 and email [email protected]. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Clarion.
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.