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Greene County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Greene 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 Greene County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register and Recorder office in Room 100 of the courthouse |
| Administration supervised by | The Greene County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (13th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, run within the Clerk of Courts office on the first floor of the courthouse; it handles the inventory review, accounts, distributions, small-estate petitions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Courthouse | Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370. The Register and Recorder office is on the first floor in Room 100; the Clerk of Courts and Orphans' Court office is also on the first floor (the office door reads Orphans' Court - Marriage Licenses) |
| Mailing address | Register of Wills, Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Room 100, Waynesburg, PA 15370 |
| Phone | Register of Wills (724) 852-5284; the main Register and Recorder office line is (724) 852-5369. The Clerk of Courts and Orphans' Court office is (724) 852-5282 or (724) 852-5281. These are the county's own lines, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | Clerk of Courts and Orphans' Court office, (724) 852-5316; the county publishes no fax for the Register of Wills |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Probate is by appointment only: appointments are scheduled between 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM, the research room closes at 4:00 PM, and no monetary transactions take place after 4:00 PM. Schedule your probate appointment before traveling to Waynesburg |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills probate fees are set by Greene County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $61.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county schedule revised effective November 17, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). The $41.25 state (JCS/ATJ) fee is included in those bracket totals, and the Register of Wills probate 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; Greene County has no separate numbered county form set, but the Register and Recorder page posts downloadable copies of the probate forms along with the county's probate filing requirements checklist and the estate information sheet the office asks filers to complete. The small-estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) is filed with the Orphans' Court and its form is provided by the office on request |
| Payment methods | Cash, check, or money order made payable to the Register of Wills; cards are not accepted. No monetary transaction is processed after 4:00 PM |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper and in person, by appointment, with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court county e-filing system was found for Greene County. Where the Orphans' Court accepts electronic filing, it is through the statewide UJS Portal (PACFile) after you obtain an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. Confirm the current options with each 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 Greene County Register and Recorder also offers online access through SearchIQS, which the county describes as covering land records from 1926 to the present along with estates and probate |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Greene County; because probate is by appointment, ask the Register of Wills whether a given step can be handled other than in person, and ask the Clerk of the Orphans' Court about any remote option for a hearing |
| Website | https://greenecountypa.gov/department-register-recorder |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Greene 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 in Greene County is by appointment and generally requires appearing before the Register in Waynesburg.
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 Greene it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, farm, or timber, mineral, or gas-lease interests, and how that 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 Greene County Register of Wills, part of the Register and Recorder office in Room 100 of the Greene County Courthouse, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, run within the Clerk of Courts office on the first floor of the same courthouse, together serve all of Greene County. That includes Waynesburg, the county seat, along with Carmichaels, Jefferson, Rices Landing, Greensboro, and the surrounding boroughs and townships across the county's southwestern corner of the Commonwealth, bordering West Virginia. Every Greene County estate is filed at 10 East High Street in Waynesburg. Greene is the only county in the 13th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is the county's own Court of Common Pleas judge, and there is no second county to consider for venue.
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 Greene County, file with the Greene 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.
- Schedule a probate appointment. In Greene County the grant of letters is handled by appointment, scheduled between 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM. Call the Register of Wills at (724) 852-5284 before you travel to arrange the appointment and confirm what to bring; the office asks to review the completed probate documents before the appointment is set, and walk-in probate is not offered.
- Prepare the petition and forms. Pennsylvania uses a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set published on pacourts.us, and the Greene County Register and Recorder page posts downloadable copies along with the county's probate filing requirements checklist. The core filing is the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), presented with the original will, the certified death certificate, and the estate information sheet the office asks filers to complete. There is no separate numbered Greene County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Bring the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the Register and Recorder office in Room 100 at 10 East High Street, Waynesburg, at your scheduled appointment. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Greene County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $61.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule revised effective November 17, 2025; the $41.25 state (JCS/ATJ) fee is included in the bracket total, and the probate schedule lists no separate automation fee. Payment is by cash, check, or money order; no transaction is processed after 4:00 PM. See the fees section below.
- Receive the letters. On a valid will, the Register grants letters testamentary to the executor; with no will, letters of administration to the administrator, in the priority order set by 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155. Request several short certificates (certified proof of the letters), which is what banks and transfer agents rely on; the county charges $5.00 per short certificate under the 2025 schedule.
- Advertise the grant of letters. Immediately after letters are granted, advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent's residence and in the county's designated legal periodical, so that creditors can present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). The county's probate checklist directs legal-journal advertising through the Court Administration office on the second floor of the courthouse, and the statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help locate the current journal. 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 county's probate checklist asks for two returns with original signatures. 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 in the Clerk of Courts office on the first floor of the courthouse, advertised, and confirmed by the Orphans' Court Division; a qualifying small estate can instead be settled on a petition to the Orphans' Court under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, and many small estates close by family settlement agreement rather than a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Greene County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Greene County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Greene County form set. The county makes them easy to find: the Register and Recorder page posts downloadable copies of the petition, the oaths of witnesses, the Renunciation, the Rule 10.5 estate notice and certification, the Inventory, and the Rule 10.6 status report, together with the county's probate filing requirements checklist, its probate appointment requirements, and the estate information sheet the office asks filers to complete. 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. The petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 is filed with the Orphans' Court and uses a form the office provides on request rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
In Greene County the probate forms are filed on paper, in person and by appointment, with the Register of Wills in Room 100 at 10 East High Street, Waynesburg; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court county e-filing system was found. For questions about what the office needs on intake, or to schedule the appointment, call the Register of Wills at (724) 852-5284 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 |
| Greene County Register and Recorder (greenecountypa.gov) | The county office that runs the Register of Wills function, with downloadable probate forms, the probate filing requirements checklist, the estate information sheet, the current fee schedule, hours, appointment scheduling, 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 Greene County publishes its own Register of Wills probate fee schedule and a separate Orphans' Court fee schedule. The Register of Wills probate schedule below was revised effective November 17, 2025 (the county's current schedule, read from the county site 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 $61.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($71.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $81.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, and up through the higher brackets to $591.00 for an estate of $900,001 to $1,000,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction). The $41.25 state (JCS/ATJ) fee is already included in each bracket total, and the Register of Wills probate schedule lists no separate automation fee. Those totals include the first four pages of the letters, with each additional page at $2.00. Payment is by cash, check, or money order, and no transaction is processed after 4:00 PM.
Petitions that are supervised by the Orphans' Court, including the settlement of a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court under the county's separate Orphans' Court fee schedule (42 P.S. § 21032.1); on that schedule the small-estate settlement carries a $25.00 base fee plus a $5.00 automation fee and a $3.00 order fee. Confirm the current Orphans' Court figures with the Clerk.
| Greene County filing | Fee (2025 county schedule) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters (graduated by estate value) | From $61.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $591.00 for an estate of $900,001 to $1,000,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the $41.25 state (JCS/ATJ) fee is included and there is no separate automation fee |
| Estate not exceeding $1,000 | $61.00 |
| Estate $50,001 to $75,000 | $131.00 |
| Estate $75,001 to $100,000 | $141.00 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Filing a will only, without letters (first page) | $30.00, each additional page $5.00 |
| Filing the inheritance tax return and inventory | $15.00 (filing the inventory alone is $5.00) |
| Settlement of a small estate, Orphans' Court (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $25.00 base plus $5.00 automation and $3.00 order |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 2025 | Greene County revised its Register of Wills probate fee schedule (and its Recorder of Deeds schedule) effective November 17, 2025, with the state (JCS/ATJ) fee set at $41.25 and folded into the graduated grant-of-letters totals (source: Greene County Register and Recorder schedule of fees, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Greene County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Waynesburg-area home was owned jointly with right of survivorship, or by the spouses as tenants by the entirety, 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 schedules a probate appointment and presents the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) to the Greene 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 in Greene County is by appointment and generally requires appearing before the Register in Waynesburg, an out-of-state child should call (724) 852-5284 ahead to schedule the appointment and 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 one trip to Waynesburg. |
| 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 Greene County home and, when a formal account is required, file it with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the Clerk of Courts office at the courthouse. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Greene County Register and Recorder, (724) 852-5284 (greenecountypa.gov) | The county office that runs the Register of Wills function: hours, the appointment requirement, downloadable probate forms and the filing checklist, the mailing address, the current probate fee schedule, and contact information |
| Greene County Clerk of Courts and Orphans' Court, (724) 852-5282 (greenecountypa.gov) | The Clerk of the Orphans' Court, for accounts, small-estate petitions, guardianships, and the Orphans' Court fee schedule |
| 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 Greene 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 Greene County Register of Wills |
| Summit Legal Aid, Waynesburg office (724) 627-3127 (summitlegal.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Greene County and nearby southwestern Pennsylvania counties; formed in the 2023 merger of Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid and Laurel Legal Services |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (800) 692-7375 (pabar.org) | The statewide lawyer referral service, whose coverage includes Greene County; it connects callers with an attorney for an initial consultation at a modest set fee |
When to hire an attorney
Many Greene 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 the estate includes farm, timber, mineral, oil, or gas interests common in the county, 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, or when inheritance tax planning is involved. 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 Greene 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, Greene County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Pennsylvania path fits for estate settlement 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 Greene County Register of Wills in Waynesburg.
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 Greene 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 Greene County?
With the Greene County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register and Recorder office in Room 100 of the Greene County Courthouse, 10 East High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370. The Register of Wills admits the will and grants letters; the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, in the Clerk of Courts office on the first floor of the same courthouse, supervises the accounts, small-estate petitions, and disputes that follow.
Do I need an appointment to open an estate in Greene County?
Yes. Probate in Greene County is by appointment. The Register of Wills schedules probate appointments between 9:00 AM and 3:30 PM, so call (724) 852-5284 before you travel to Waynesburg to arrange the appointment and confirm what to bring; the office asks to review the completed probate documents before the appointment is set. Walk-in probate is not offered, and no monetary transaction is processed after 4:00 PM.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Greene County but I live out of state?
You still file in Greene 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 Greene County Register of Wills in Waynesburg regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters is by appointment and generally requires appearing before the Register, an out-of-state personal representative should call (724) 852-5284 ahead of time to schedule the appointment and plan a single trip.
Can I file probate electronically in Greene County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court county e-filing system was found for Greene County; the grant of letters is handled on paper and in person, by appointment. Where the Orphans' Court accepts electronic filing of eligible documents, it is through the statewide UJS Portal (PACFile) after you obtain an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. The statewide UJS Portal is otherwise a case search, not an estate e-filing system for this county.
How much does it cost to file probate in Greene County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Greene County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $61.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule revised effective November 17, 2025. The $41.25 state (JCS/ATJ) fee is included in that amount, and the probate schedule lists no separate automation fee. A short certificate is $5.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Greene 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 Greene County form set, and the petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 is filed with the Orphans' Court using a form the office provides on request.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Greene County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Greene 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 Greene 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 of Wills at (724) 852-5284 or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at (724) 852-5282. The Register and Recorder also offers online access through SearchIQS, which the county describes as covering land records from 1926 to the present along with estates and probate.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Greene County?
The Greene County Register of Wills is reached at (724) 852-5284, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court at (724) 852-5282. The Register and Recorder office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, but probate is by appointment (scheduled 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM), the research room closes at 4:00 PM, and no monetary transaction is processed after 4:00 PM. Schedule your appointment before making a trip to Waynesburg.
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.