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Columbia County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Columbia County Register of Wills, which admits the will to probate, grants letters testamentary (with a will) or letters of administration (without one), receives the verified inventory, and receives the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500). In Columbia County the Register of Wills is combined with the Recorder of Deeds under one elected Register and Recorder |
| Administration supervised by | The Columbia County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (26th Judicial District, shared with Montour County), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court; in Columbia County that role is held by the separate elected Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts. It handles accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Courthouse | Columbia County Courthouse, 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 (both offices) |
| Mailing address | Register of Wills or Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Columbia County Courthouse, 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815; confirm any post office box with the office before mailing |
| Register of Wills contact | Phone (570) 389-5632, email [email protected] (the Register and Recorder office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Clerk of the Orphans' Court contact | Phone (570) 389-5614 (the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, which holds the Clerk of the Orphans' Court role), in the same courthouse |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. No lunch closure, filing cutoff, or appointment requirement for probate is published; confirm the counter hours before making a trip to Bloomsburg |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Columbia County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $28.00 for a grant of letters of administration on an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county fee bill effective November 17, 2025, plus a separate $41.25 JCP fee added to each grant of letters (42 P.S. § 21022.1). Columbia's schedule lists no separate automation fee. 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; Columbia County has no separate numbered county form set. The Register and Recorder posts an Estate Packet to help families assemble a filing. The small estate petition uses a county form filed with the Orphans' Court, so contact the office for the correct form |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills e-filing was found for Columbia County. The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office accepts PACFile e-filing for criminal cases only, so Orphans' Court estate matters are filed on paper as well. 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. The county Recorder of Deeds also runs the paid LANDEX image database, which includes a wills index and will images, but that is a recorded-document image search, not a court docket |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Columbia County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | http://columbiapa.org/registerrecorder/index.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Columbia 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 is handled on paper and generally requires appearing before the Register in Bloomsburg.
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 county like Columbia it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, farm, or camp, 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 Columbia County Register of Wills and the Columbia County Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both in the Columbia County Courthouse in Bloomsburg, serve all of Columbia County. That includes Bloomsburg, the county seat, along with Berwick, Catawissa, Millville, Orangeville, Benton, Stillwater, Espy, and the surrounding townships across the county's Susquehanna River and Fishing Creek communities. Every Columbia County estate is filed at 35 West Main Street in Bloomsburg. Columbia shares the 26th Judicial District with Montour County, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that two-county district, but Columbia keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' Court; you do not file in Montour County or in the district at large.
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 Columbia County, file with the Columbia 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. The Columbia County Register and Recorder also posts an Estate Packet on the county site to help families assemble a filing; there is no separate numbered Columbia County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the Register and Recorder office at the Columbia County Courthouse, 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, and Columbia handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan to file in person; call (570) 389-5632 first to confirm what the office needs.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Columbia County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $28.00 for a grant of letters of administration on an estate not exceeding $1,000 (or $23.00 for the first page of a grant of letters testamentary) and rising with the estate's value under the fee bill effective November 17, 2025, plus a separate $41.25 JCP fee added to the grant of letters. 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; Columbia County charges $5.00 per short certificate under the fee bill 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). The Press Enterprise, published in Bloomsburg, is the area's daily newspaper of general circulation; the statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help confirm the correct newspaper and the designated legal periodical. 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; the county inventory filing fee is $10.00 on the fee bill effective November 17, 2025), 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, a role held by the Columbia County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office ((570) 389-5614), then advertised and confirmed; the first and final account fee is $70.00 for the first page plus $2.00 each additional page on the Orphans' Court fee bill effective November 12, 2025. Many small estates close by a family settlement agreement instead of a formal account; ask the Clerk which route fits your matter.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Columbia County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Columbia County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Columbia 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 filed with the Orphans' Court rather than a numbered statewide RW form; contact the office for the correct form, and note that the Register of Wills fee bill also lists a separate small estates affidavit as its own line item, so ask the office which filing fits your estate.
The Columbia County Register and Recorder posts an Estate Packet on the county site to help families assemble a filing. In Columbia County these forms are filed on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills at 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg; no Register of Wills e-filing was found for the county, and the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office accepts PACFile e-filing for criminal cases only. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (570) 389-5632 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 |
| Columbia County Register and Recorder (columbiapa.org) | The county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page, with the Estate Packet, the current Register of Wills fee bill, 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 Columbia County publishes its own schedules: a Register of Wills fee bill effective November 17, 2025 and a separate Prothonotary, Orphans' Court and Criminal Court fee bill effective November 12, 2025. The figures below were read from the county's published fee bills in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule.
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is graduated by the value of the estate. A grant of letters of administration starts at $28.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($36.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $49.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $57.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $66.00 over $20,000 to $30,000, $75.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $83.00 over $40,000 to $50,000, $92.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $101.00 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. A grant of letters testamentary starts at $23.00 for the first page plus $5.00 for each additional page and then follows the same ladder above $1,000. Columbia adds a separate $41.25 JCP fee to each grant of letters, and its schedule lists no separate automation fee, so budget for the graduated amount plus $41.25.
| Columbia County filing | Fee (Register of Wills fee bill effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters of administration, estate not exceeding $1,000 | $28.00 plus the $41.25 JCP fee |
| Grant of letters testamentary, estate not exceeding $1,000 | $23.00 for the first page plus $5.00 each additional page, plus the $41.25 JCP fee |
| Grant of letters (either kind), estate over $75,000 to $100,000 | $101.00 plus the $41.25 JCP fee |
| Grant of letters, each additional $100,000 or fraction | $40.00 |
| JCP fee (added to each grant of letters) | $41.25 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Probate of will only (no grant of letters) | $25.00 |
| Filing inventory and appraisement (Form RW-09) | $10.00 |
| Filing an inheritance tax return | $10.00 |
| Filing proof of publication | No fee |
| Small estates affidavit (Register of Wills) | $35.00 |
| Settlement of a small estate petition (Clerk of the Orphans' Court, fee bill effective November 12, 2025) | $90.00 |
| First and final account (Clerk of the Orphans' Court, fee bill effective November 12, 2025) | $70.00 for the first page plus $2.00 each additional page |
Local nuance
Columbia County-specific considerations
Two offices, two elected officials, one courthouse. In most of the estate work you will deal with two separate Columbia County offices, both in the Columbia County Courthouse at 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, but each run by a different elected official. The Register of Wills, where probate begins, is combined with the Recorder of Deeds under one elected Register and Recorder. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court, where the administration is later supervised, is a role of the separate elected Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts. Knowing which office handles a step saves a wasted trip to the wrong counter.
Start at the Register of Wills for the grant of letters. The Register and Recorder office, reached at (570) 389-5632, admits the will, grants letters testamentary or of administration, receives the verified inventory (Form RW-09), and receives the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500). This is where estate administration begins, on paper and in person; the county publishes its Register of Wills fee bill and an Estate Packet on the Register and Recorder page.
Take accounts and disputes to the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. Once letters are granted, formal accounts, petitions for distribution, guardianship matters, and any contested step are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, a role held by the Columbia County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office at (570) 389-5614. That office publishes its own Orphans' Court fee bill (effective November 12, 2025) and accepts PACFile e-filing for criminal cases only, so estate filings there are handled on paper.
Recent updates
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Columbia County Register of Wills fee bill effective November 17, 2025 | The county's current Register of Wills schedule governs the graduated grant-of-letters fee, the separate $41.25 JCP fee, short certificates, the inventory, and the inheritance tax return filing. Confirm the amount for your filing with the Register and Recorder office |
| Columbia County Prothonotary, Orphans' Court and Criminal Court fee bill effective November 12, 2025 | The separate Orphans' Court schedule, published by the Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office that holds the Clerk of the Orphans' Court role, governs the settlement of small estate petition ($90.00) and the first and final account fee ($70.00 for the first page plus $2.00 each additional page) |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Columbia County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Bloomsburg-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 Columbia 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 Bloomsburg and Columbia is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to plan a single trip. | 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 Bloomsburg. |
| 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 Columbia 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 |
|---|---|
| Columbia County Register and Recorder, (570) 389-5632 (columbiapa.org) | The county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page: hours, directions, the Estate Packet, and the current Register of Wills fee bill |
| Columbia County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts, (570) 389-5614 (columbiapa.org) | The office that holds the Clerk of the Orphans' Court role, where accounts, petitions, and Orphans' Court filings are made, with its Orphans' Court fee bill |
| Columbia Montour Courts, 26th Judicial District (columbiamontourcourts.com) | The joint court site for Columbia and Montour counties, with court forms, the bar association, and links to county offices |
| 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County Register of Wills |
| North Penn Legal Services, Bloomsburg office, (877) 515-7079, or apply at (877) 953-4250 (nplspa.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents; the Bloomsburg office serves Columbia and Montour counties |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (800) 932-0311 (pabar.org) | Referrals to Pennsylvania probate attorneys through the statewide service, which operates in 47 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties; an initial 30 minute consultation costs no more than $30 |
When to hire an attorney
Many Columbia 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 farm, 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 Columbia 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, Columbia 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 Columbia County Register of Wills in Bloomsburg.
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 Columbia 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 Columbia County?
With the Columbia County Register of Wills, which is combined with the Recorder of Deeds in the Register and Recorder office at the Columbia County Courthouse, 35 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815. The Register of Wills admits the will and grants letters; the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, a role held by the county Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office in the same courthouse, supervises the administration that follows.
Which Columbia County office handles which part of an estate?
The Register of Wills, reached at (570) 389-5632, handles the start: admitting the will, granting letters, and taking the inventory and the inheritance tax return. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court, a role of the Columbia County Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office at (570) 389-5614, handles the later steps: formal accounts, petitions for distribution, guardianships, and disputes. Both are in the Columbia County Courthouse but are run by two different elected officials.
Do I have to travel to Bloomsburg to settle an estate in Columbia 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 Columbia County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Bloomsburg. Call the Register and Recorder office at (570) 389-5632 first to confirm what your matter needs and the current counter hours.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Columbia County but I live out of state?
You still file in Columbia 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 Columbia County Register of Wills in Bloomsburg 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.
Can I file probate electronically in Columbia County?
No. No Register of Wills e-filing was found for Columbia County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person. The Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts office, which holds the Clerk of the Orphans' Court role, accepts PACFile e-filing for criminal cases only, so Orphans' Court estate matters are filed on paper as well. 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 Columbia County?
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is set by Columbia County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $28.00 for a grant of letters of administration on an estate not exceeding $1,000 (or $23.00 for the first page of a grant of letters testamentary) and rising to $101.00 for an estate over $75,000 to $100,000 under the fee bill effective November 17, 2025, plus a separate $41.25 JCP fee. A short certificate is $5.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Columbia 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 Columbia County form set, though the Register and Recorder posts an Estate Packet, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form filed with the Orphans' Court, so contact the office for the correct form.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Columbia County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Columbia 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 Columbia 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 and Recorder office at (570) 389-5632. The county Recorder of Deeds runs the paid LANDEX image database, which includes a wills index and will images, but that is a recorded-document search rather than a court docket.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Columbia County?
The Register and Recorder office, where probate begins, is reached at (570) 389-5632 or by email at [email protected]; the Clerk of the Orphans' Court role is at the Prothonotary office, (570) 389-5614. Both are open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. No lunch closure or filing cutoff for probate is published, so confirm the counter hours before making a trip to Bloomsburg.
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.