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Fulton County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Fulton 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 Fulton County the Register of Wills is one part of a combined county row office run by the elected Prothonotary |
| Administration supervised by | The Fulton County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (39th 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 Prothonotary runs the Clerk of Courts, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court functions at the same courthouse counter, so all of the estate filings are made in one office |
| Courthouse | Fulton County Courthouse, 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg, PA 17233 |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg, PA 17233 |
| Phone | (717) 485-4212 (the combined row office; the same line serves the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| [email protected] (the combined office mailbox) | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to McConnellsburg |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Fulton County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $30.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county schedule effective November 14, 2025, plus a $41.25 JCP surcharge and a $5.00 automation fee added to every new estate filing (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; Fulton County has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition uses a county petition obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper with the combined office in McConnellsburg; no Fulton County Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found. The grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register; ask the office which later filings can be sent by mail. Guardianship reports use the statewide Guardianship Tracking System with an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| 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, and Fulton has no separate county estate-records search |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Fulton 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.fulton.pa.us/prothonotary.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Fulton 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 McConnellsburg.
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 Fulton it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, a farm, 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 Fulton County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined row office at the Fulton County Courthouse in McConnellsburg, serve all of Fulton County. That includes the boroughs of McConnellsburg, the county seat, and Valley-Hi, along with the townships of Ayr, Belfast, Bethel, Brush Creek, Dublin, Licking Creek, Taylor, Thompson, Todd, Union, and Wells. Every Fulton County estate is filed at 201 North Second Street in McConnellsburg. Fulton shares the 39th Judicial District with Franklin County, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that two-county district, but Fulton keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' Court; you do not file in Franklin 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 Fulton County, file with the Fulton 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 Fulton 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 at 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; call (717) 485-4212 first to confirm what the Register needs and to ask whether any part of the filing can be handled by mail.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Fulton County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $30.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective November 14, 2025, plus a $41.25 JCP surcharge and a $5.00 automation fee added to every new estate filing. 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; Fulton County charges $5.00 per short certificate under the schedule effective November 14, 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-notice publication (the statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help locate the current listing), 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; ask the Clerk which filing and audit dates apply to your matter. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Fulton County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Fulton County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Fulton 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 petition rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
Fulton County does not publish a downloadable small estate form online; contact the office for the petition and to confirm what it needs before you file. In Fulton County these forms are filed on paper with the combined office at 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for the county. For questions about what the office needs on intake, or whether a filing can be sent by mail, call (717) 485-4212 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 |
| Fulton County combined row office (co.fulton.pa.us) | The county Prothonotary, Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with 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 Fulton County publishes two schedules for the estate offices, a Register of Wills fee schedule and a Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, both effective November 14, 2025. The figures below were read from the county's published schedules in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedules.
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $30.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($50.00 for $1,000 to $5,000, $60.00 for $5,000 to $10,000, $70.00 for $10,000 to $20,000, $80.00 for $20,000 to $30,000, $90.00 for $30,000 to $40,000, $100.00 for $40,000 to $50,000, $110.00 for $50,000 to $75,000, and $120.00 for $75,000 to $100,000), then $35.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. To every new filing, on either schedule, Fulton County adds a $41.25 JCP surcharge and a $5.00 automation fee on top of the base fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1); the county's schedules cite the November 14, 2025 JCP increase to Act 45 of 2025. A short certificate is $5.00.
| Fulton County filing | Fee (effective November 14, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters (graduated by estate value) | From $30.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $120.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $35.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction |
| JCP surcharge (added to each new filing on both schedules) | $41.25 |
| Automation fee (added to each new filing on both schedules) | $5.00 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Family exemption, small estate, or family settlement agreement petition (Register of Wills schedule) | $40.00 |
| Petition for settlement of a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102; Clerk of Orphans' Court schedule) | $60.00 for the first 4 pages, then $4.00 per additional page |
| First and final account (Clerk of Orphans' Court schedule) | $60.00 for the first 4 pages, plus $55.00 advertising |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $20.00 |
| Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500) | $30.00 |
| Renunciation (Form RW-06) | $10.00 |
| Copies | $0.50 per page |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 14, 2025 | Fulton County's Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedules effective November 14, 2025 set the graduated grant-of-letters fees and carry the JCP surcharge increase to $41.25 under Act 45 of 2025 (source: the county's published fee schedules on co.fulton.pa.us, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Fulton County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the McConnellsburg-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 Fulton 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 McConnellsburg and Fulton is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to arrange the appearance and ask what can be handled by mail. | 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 McConnellsburg. |
| 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 Fulton 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 |
|---|---|
| Fulton County combined row office, (717) 485-4212 (co.fulton.pa.us/prothonotary.php) | The county Prothonotary, Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the current fee schedule, and contact information |
| 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 Fulton 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 Fulton County Register of Wills |
| MidPenn Legal Services, 1-800-326-9177 (midpenn.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Fulton County and 17 other central Pennsylvania counties; apply through the statewide intake line, and the nearby offices are in Chambersburg and Bedford |
| 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 Fulton County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Fulton 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, a farm, 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 Fulton 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, Fulton 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 Fulton County Register of Wills in McConnellsburg.
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 Fulton 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 Fulton County?
With the Fulton County Register of Wills, part of the combined county row office at the Fulton County Courthouse, 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg, PA 17233. 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. One elected Prothonotary runs both functions along with the Recorder of Deeds and Clerk of Courts.
Do I have to travel to McConnellsburg to settle an estate in Fulton 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 Fulton County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to McConnellsburg. Call (717) 485-4212 first to arrange the appearance and to ask whether any part of your matter can be handled by mail.
Where do I file if my parent lived in McConnellsburg but I live out of state?
You still file in Fulton 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 Fulton County Register of Wills in McConnellsburg 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 and ask what can be handled by mail.
Can I file probate electronically in Fulton County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Fulton County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper with the combined office in McConnellsburg. The statewide UJS Portal is a case search, not an estate e-filing system for this county, and the statewide Guardianship Tracking System, which does accept guardian reports online, needs an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court.
How much does it cost to file probate in Fulton County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Fulton County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $30.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective November 14, 2025. To every new estate filing the county adds a $41.25 JCP surcharge and a $5.00 automation fee. A short certificate is $5.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Fulton 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 Fulton County form set, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county petition you obtain from the office.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Fulton County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Fulton 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 Fulton 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, and Fulton has no separate county estate-records search, so to confirm a specific estate filing you can also call the combined office at (717) 485-4212.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Fulton County?
The combined office is reached at (717) 485-4212, with 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 McConnellsburg.
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.