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Jefferson County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Jefferson 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 Jefferson County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register and Recorder office |
| Administration supervised by | The Jefferson County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (54th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Combined office | One elected Register and Recorder runs the Register of Wills, the Recorder of Deeds, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in a single office; the Prothonotary is a separate office in the same courthouse |
| Courthouse | Jefferson County Courthouse, 200 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Brookville, PA 15825 |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 200 Main Street, Brookville, PA 15825 |
| Phone | (814) 849-1610 (the Register and Recorder office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. No lunch closure or earlier filing cutoff is published, but the grant of letters is handled in person, so confirm the counter time before making a trip to Brookville |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Jefferson County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $65.00 for an estate of $5,000 or less and rising to $135.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 (read from the Jefferson County Register & Recorder fee schedule, July 2026). Pennsylvania estates also carry a statewide $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA surcharge and a $14.75 automation fee under 42 P.S. § 21022.1; the county schedule does not itemize them separately, so confirm with the office whether they are included in the listed amounts. See the fees section below |
| Local probate forms | Pennsylvania uses a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set published on pacourts.us and used in every county; Jefferson County has no separate numbered county form set but does require its own estate information sheet when an estate is opened. The small estate petition uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper and in person with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Jefferson County. The office accepts electronic recording of deeds through CSC (a Recorder of Deeds service, not probate), and guardianship annual reports may be filed online. The grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. 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 Register and Recorder office also makes its record indexes available online through Infocon County Access (infoconcountyaccess.com), a fee-based subscriber service linked from the office's page |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Jefferson County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.jeffersoncountypa.gov/departments/register-recorder/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Jefferson 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 Brookville.
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 Jefferson it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, camp, or timber or hunting land, and how that real property is titled matters, because a jointly owned home with right of survivorship or a beneficiary-designated account passes outside probate while real property in the decedent's sole name does not. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Jefferson County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined Register and Recorder office at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Brookville, serve all of Jefferson County. That includes Brookville, the county seat, along with Punxsutawney, Reynoldsville, Sykesville, Falls Creek, Summerville, Corsica, and Big Run, and the surrounding townships across the county. Every Jefferson County estate is filed at 200 Main Street in Brookville. Jefferson County is its own judicial district, the 54th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that single-county district and there is no other county sharing the court.
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 Jefferson County, file with the Jefferson 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. Jefferson County also requires its own estate information sheet when an estate is opened; there is no separate numbered Jefferson County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the combined Register and Recorder office at 200 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Brookville. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; confirm what the Register needs before you travel.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Jefferson County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $65.00 for an estate of $5,000 or less and rising with the estate's value up to $135.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 (read from the county fee schedule, July 2026). Pennsylvania estates also carry a statewide $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA surcharge and a $14.75 automation fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1); confirm with the office whether those are already included in the listed 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 (certified proof of the letters), which is what banks and transfer agents rely on; confirm the current per-copy short-certificate charge with the office.
- 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. 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 fee schedule lists a First and Final Account at $125.00 (plus $5.00 per page after the first). Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Jefferson County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Jefferson County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Jefferson County form set. The load-bearing form to open an estate is the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02), filed with the original will and a certified death certificate. Other statewide forms in common use include the Renunciation (Form RW-06), the estate notice and certification under Rule 10.5 (Forms RW-07 and RW-08), and the Inventory (Form RW-09), along with the Orphans' Court OC-series account and administration forms. The small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
Jefferson County adds one local requirement: it requires its own estate information sheet when an estate is opened, obtained from the Register and Recorder office. In Jefferson County these forms are filed on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills at 200 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Brookville; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for the county. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (814) 849-1610 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 |
| Jefferson County Register and Recorder (jeffersoncountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with the fee schedule, hours, address, and contact information, and the estate information sheet required to open an estate |
| 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 Jefferson County publishes its own Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule. The figures below were read from the county's published schedule in July 2026; the schedule does not carry a printed effective date, so 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. It starts at $65.00 for an estate of $5,000 or less and rises with the estate's value ($75.00 for $5,001 to $10,000, $85.00 for $10,001 to $20,000, $95.00 for $20,001 to $30,000, $105.00 for $30,001 to $40,000, $115.00 for $40,001 to $50,000, $125.00 for $50,001 to $75,000, and $135.00 for $75,001 to $100,000), then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction of it. Pennsylvania estates also carry a statewide $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA surcharge and a $14.75 automation fee under 42 P.S. § 21022.1; the county schedule does not itemize them separately, so confirm with the office whether they are already included in the amounts above. If the estate's value is underestimated on the petition, the county adjusts the probate fee and invoices the balance, which must be paid before the estate can be closed. The office accepts cash, checks, and credit cards, with a service fee for card payments (read from the county fee schedule, July 2026).
| Jefferson County filing | Fee (read from the county schedule, July 2026) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters, estate of $5,000 or less | $65.00 |
| Grant of letters, estate of $50,001 to $75,000 | $125.00 (an example mid-range tier; the fee rises in steps with estate value) |
| Grant of letters, estate of $75,001 to $100,000 | $135.00, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction of it |
| Amended letters | $71.25 |
| First and Final Account | $125.00, plus $5.00 for each page after the first |
| Petitions | $96.25 |
| Termination or adoption petitions | $196.25 |
| Annual guardian report or inventory | $20.00, free when filed online through the Guardianship Tracking System |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Jefferson County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Brookville-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 presents the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) to the Jefferson 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 Brookville and Jefferson is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to plan the appointment and the required estate information sheet. | 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 Brookville. |
| 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 Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|
| Jefferson County Register and Recorder, (814) 849-1610 (jeffersoncountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the fee schedule, and the estate information sheet required to open an estate |
| 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Register of Wills |
| Summit Legal Aid, central intake 1-800-846-0871 (summitlegal.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Jefferson County and nine other counties in western and southwestern Pennsylvania |
| 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 Jefferson County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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, Jefferson County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which 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 Jefferson County Register of Wills in Brookville.
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County?
With the Jefferson County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register and Recorder office at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 200 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Brookville, PA 15825. 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 Brookville to settle an estate in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Brookville. Call (814) 849-1610 first to confirm what the office needs, including the county's estate information sheet.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Jefferson County but I live out of state?
You still file in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Register of Wills in Brookville 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 Jefferson County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Jefferson County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper and in person. The office does accept electronic recording of deeds through CSC, but that is a Recorder of Deeds service, not probate. Guardianship annual reports may be filed online through the 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 Jefferson County?
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is set by Jefferson County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $65.00 for an estate of $5,000 or less and rising to $135.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 (read from the county fee schedule, July 2026). Pennsylvania estates also carry a statewide $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA surcharge and a $14.75 automation fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1); the county schedule does not itemize them separately, so confirm with the office whether they are included. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Jefferson 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 Jefferson County form set, though the county requires its own estate information sheet when an estate is opened, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form obtained from the office.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Jefferson County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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. The Register and Recorder office also makes its record indexes available online through Infocon County Access (infoconcountyaccess.com), a fee-based subscriber service used mainly by title searchers and other professionals. To confirm a specific estate filing, you can also call the Register and Recorder office at (814) 849-1610.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Jefferson County?
The Register and Recorder office is reached at (814) 849-1610. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; no lunch closure or earlier filing cutoff is published. Because the grant of letters is handled in person, confirm the counter time before making a trip to Brookville.
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.