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Clinton County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Clinton 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 Clinton County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register & Recorder office |
| Administration supervised by | The Clinton County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (25th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, adoptions, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Combined office | One elected official runs the Register & Recorder office, which holds the Register of Wills, the Recorder of Deeds, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts is a separate office |
| Filing office location | Clinton County Register & Recorder, 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, Lock Haven, PA 17745 (the Piper Building, second floor). This is the filing office for the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court; the Court of Common Pleas and the Prothonotary remain at the Clinton County Courthouse, 230 East Water Street |
| Mailing address | Clinton County Register & Recorder, 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, Lock Haven, PA 17745 |
| Phone | (570) 893-4010 (the combined Register & Recorder office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| [email protected] (the combined office mailbox) | |
| Office hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM; Wednesday, 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Lock Haven, and note the shorter Wednesday hours |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Clinton County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $76.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $131.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, under the county fee sheet effective November 17, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). Those amounts include the $41.25 JCP surcharge. 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; Clinton County has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition uses a county form obtained from the Register of Wills, and the county posts an Orphans' Court cover sheet on its site |
| E-filing | No Register of Wills or general estate e-filing was found for Clinton County; the grant of letters and estate filings are handled on paper, in person or by mail with the Register & Recorder. The grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. Appointed guardians file their inventories and annual reports through the statewide Guardianship Tracking System. Confirm the current options with the office |
| Online case search | The statewide UJS Portal case search (ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch); its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Clinton County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.clintoncountypa.gov/government/register-recorder |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Clinton 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 Lock Haven.
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 office. In a rural county like Clinton it is common for a decedent to have owned a home along with camp, 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 Clinton County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined Register & Recorder office at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, in Lock Haven, serve all of Clinton County. That includes Lock Haven, the county seat, along with Mill Hall, Flemington, Avis, Renovo, South Renovo, Loganton, Beech Creek, Salona, and the surrounding townships across the West Branch Susquehanna valley and the Sproul State Forest uplands. Every Clinton County estate is filed with the Register & Recorder at 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven. Clinton County is its own single-county 25th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Clinton County Court of Common Pleas judge sitting in the Orphans' Court Division.
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 Clinton County, file with the Clinton 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 Clinton County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the Register & Recorder office at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, in Lock Haven (the Piper Building, second floor), not to the courthouse on East Water Street. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; call ahead to confirm what the office needs and to check the counter hours, which are shorter on Wednesdays.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Clinton County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $76.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $131.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, under the fee sheet effective November 17, 2025; the $41.25 JCP surcharge is included in those amounts. 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, the certified proof of the letters that banks and transfer agents rely on, from the Register & Recorder; the county fee sheet effective November 17, 2025 charges $5.00 per short certificate.
- 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 (the statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help locate the current journal), 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, 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, advertised, and confirmed; the county's account fee includes the advertising and the first page of the first and final account. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Clinton County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Clinton County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Clinton 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 obtained from the Register of Wills rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
In Clinton County these forms are filed on paper, in person or by mail, with the Register & Recorder at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, in Lock Haven; no Register of Wills e-filing was found for the county. The county posts an Orphans' Court cover sheet on its site for account and petition filings. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (570) 893-4010 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 |
| Clinton County Register & Recorder (clintoncountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with the current fee sheet, the Orphans' Court cover sheet, 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 Clinton County publishes a single combined Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee sheet, effective November 17, 2025. The figures below were read from that published sheet in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule.
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $76.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($81.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $91.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $96.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $106.00 over $20,000 to $30,000, $111.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $116.00 over $40,000 to $50,000, $126.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $131.00 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. The county's fee sheet states that these amounts include the $41.25 JCP surcharge.
| Clinton County filing | Fee (effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters (graduated by estate value) | From $76.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $131.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the $41.25 JCP surcharge is included |
| Small estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $71.00 |
| Short certificate | $5.00 each |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $20.00 |
| Inheritance tax return (REV-1500) filed with the Register of Wills | $20.00 |
| Account, first and final (includes advertising and the first page) | $95.00 |
| Petition (general) | $25.00 |
| Family settlement agreement | $40.00 |
| Family exemption claim | $10.00 |
| Petition to appoint a guardian of an incapacitated person or of a minor | $71.00 |
Recent updates
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Filing office location (Piper Building) | The Clinton County Register & Recorder, which holds the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, is located at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, in the Piper Building (second floor), Lock Haven. Older records list the Clinton County Courthouse at 230 East Water Street; the Court of Common Pleas and the separate Prothonotary remain at the courthouse, but estate filings go to 2 Piper Way |
| Fee sheet effective November 17, 2025 | Clinton County published a combined Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee sheet effective November 17, 2025, with grant-of-letters fees graduated by estate value that include the $41.25 JCP surcharge. Confirm the current amounts with the office before filing |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Clinton County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Lock Haven-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 Clinton County Register of Wills at 2 Piper Way 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 Lock Haven and Clinton 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 Lock Haven. |
| 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 Clinton 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 |
|---|---|
| Clinton County Register & Recorder, (570) 893-4010 (clintoncountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions to 2 Piper Way, the mailing address, the current fee sheet, and the Orphans' Court cover sheet |
| 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 Clinton 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 Clinton County Register of Wills |
| North Penn Legal Services, (877) 953-4250 (nplspa.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Clinton County and 19 other central and northeastern Pennsylvania counties, served from the Williamsport office |
| 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 Clinton County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Clinton 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 Clinton 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, Clinton 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 Clinton County Register of Wills in Lock Haven.
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 Clinton 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 Clinton County?
With the Clinton County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register & Recorder office at 2 Piper Way, Suite 239, Lock Haven, PA 17745 (the Piper Building, second floor). This is not the courthouse on East Water Street, where the judges and the separate Prothonotary sit. 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 Lock Haven to settle an estate in Clinton 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 Clinton County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to the Register & Recorder office at 2 Piper Way in Lock Haven. The office also accepts filings by mail, so call (570) 893-4010 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 Clinton County but I live out of state?
You still file in Clinton 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 Clinton County Register of Wills in Lock Haven 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 Clinton County?
No. No Register of Wills or general estate e-filing was found for Clinton County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person or by mail with the Register & Recorder. Appointed guardians file their inventories and annual reports through the statewide Guardianship Tracking System. 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 Clinton County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Clinton County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $76.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $131.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, under the fee sheet effective November 17, 2025. The county's sheet states the $41.25 JCP surcharge is included in those amounts. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Clinton 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 Clinton County form set, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form you obtain from the Register of Wills.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Clinton County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Clinton 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.
What are the office hours for probate in Clinton County?
The Register & Recorder office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM (a half day). It is reached at (570) 893-4010 and [email protected]. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Lock Haven.
How do I look up a Clinton 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, so to confirm a specific estate filing you can also call the Register & Recorder office at (570) 893-4010.
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.