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McKean County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The McKean 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 McKean County the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court are one combined office held by a single elected official |
| Administration supervised by | The McKean County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (48th 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 |
| Courthouse | McKean County Courthouse, 500 West Main Street, Smethport, PA 16749 |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 500 West Main Street, Smethport, PA 16749 |
| Phone | (814) 887-3260 for the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (the same number handles marriage-license appointments); the McKean County Courthouse main line is (814) 887-5571. These are the county's own numbers, not a statewide call center |
| [email protected], the general office mailbox linked from the office's own page; the office letterhead also uses [email protected] as the county moves to its .gov web address. Call the office before relying on email for a filing | |
| Office hours | 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on business days, per the county's posted hours. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Smethport |
| Filing fee | Set by McKean County and graduated by the value of the estate under the county's published Register of Wills fee schedule (revised December 2, 2025): $50.00 for an estate up to $1,000, rising in steps to $130.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, plus a $41.25 Judicial Computer System (JCS) fee and a $10.00 automation fee on the first filing in each new case (42 P.S. § 21022.1). All fees are prepaid; see the fee section below and confirm the current amounts with the office |
| Local probate forms | Pennsylvania uses a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set published on pacourts.us and used in every county; McKean County posts the statewide RW forms on its own site along with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Estate Information Sheet (REV-346), which the county forms page labels the New Estate Information Sheet. There is no separate numbered McKean County form set, and the small estate petition uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for McKean County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person or by mail. The grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. Guardianship matters use the statewide Guardianship Tracking System after you obtain an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. 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, and McKean County does not publish a separate online estate-record search. The office fills mailed Probate Record Search Requests covering estate records from 1827 to the present, $5.00 per request with a self-addressed stamped envelope (county request form, verified July 2026) |
| Remote appearance | Not generally published for McKean County; the Register of Wills fee schedule lists a $20.00 charge for service out of the office or virtual (revised December 2, 2025), so ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step, such as the oath, can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.mckeancountypa.gov/government/other_elected_officials/register_of_wills___clerk_of_orphans_court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in McKean 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 Smethport.
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 McKean 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 McKean County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, one combined office at the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport, serve all of McKean County. That includes Smethport, the county seat, along with the City of Bradford, the boroughs of Kane, Port Allegany, Eldred, Mount Jewett, and Lewis Run, and the surrounding townships across the county. Every McKean County estate is filed at 500 West Main Street in Smethport. McKean is the 48th Judicial District, a single-county district, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of McKean County; you file in the county where the decedent lived, not in any other county.
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 McKean County, file with the McKean 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 county forms page also posts the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Estate Information Sheet (REV-346), which it labels the New Estate Information Sheet and which accompanies the inheritance tax paperwork; there is no separate numbered McKean 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 500 West Main Street, Smethport. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; call the office first at (814) 887-3260 or (814) 887-5571 to confirm what the Register needs and whether any step can be handled by mail.
- Pay the filing fee. Under McKean County's published Register of Wills fee schedule (revised December 2, 2025), the fee for granting letters is graduated by the value of the estate, from $50.00 for an estate up to $1,000 to $130.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, plus $50.00 for each additional $100,000, and the first filing in each new case adds a $41.25 JCS fee and a $10.00 automation fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1). All fees must be prepaid, so confirm the amount for your estate value and the accepted forms of payment with the office before you go.
- Receive the letters. On a valid will, the Register grants letters testamentary to the executor; with no will, letters of administration to the administrator, in the priority order set by 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155. Request several short certificates, the certified proof of the letters, which is what banks and transfer agents rely on.
- 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). 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 by the Orphans' Court Division; ask the Clerk which filing and audit date fits your matter. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in McKean County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and McKean County uses the same forms as the rest of the state. 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 oaths of witnesses (Forms RW-03, RW-04, and RW-05), the Renunciation (Form RW-06), the estate notice and certification under Rule 10.5 (Forms RW-07 and RW-08), the Inventory (Form RW-09), and the Rule 10.6 Status Report (Form RW-10), along with the Orphans' Court OC-series account and administration forms. The county forms page also posts the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue Estate Information Sheet (REV-346), which it labels the New Estate Information Sheet and which goes with the inheritance tax filing. The small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form obtained from the office rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
McKean County posts the Register of Wills forms on the county site. In McKean County these forms are filed on paper, in person or by mail, with the Register of Wills at 500 West Main Street, Smethport; 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) 887-3260 or (814) 887-5571 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 |
| McKean County Register of Wills forms (mckeancountypa.gov) | The county's own forms page, with the statewide RW forms and the Department of Revenue Estate Information Sheet (REV-346), labeled there the New Estate Information Sheet |
| McKean County Register of Wills documents and forms (mckeancountypa.gov) | The office's documents page, with the published Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules and the mail-in probate, Orphans' Court, and marriage record search request forms |
| 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 per county, and McKean County publishes both of its schedules on the Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court documents and forms page: a Register of Wills fee schedule and an Orphans' Court fee schedule, each revised December 2, 2025. The Register of Wills fee for granting letters of administration, probating a will, and granting letters testamentary is graduated by the value of the estate, and the first filing in each new case adds a $41.25 Judicial Computer System (JCS) fee and a $10.00 automation fee (42 P.S. § 21022.1). All fees are state and county fees that must be prepaid, and where the estate's gross value was understated on the petition, additional probate fees come due when the inheritance tax return is filed. The key published amounts are below; confirm the current schedule with the office before you file.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grant of letters, estate up to $1,000 | $50.00 | The lowest tier; the fee rises in $10 steps with estate value, for example $70.00 for an estate of $5,001 to $10,000 and $110.00 for $40,001 to $50,000 (McKean County Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| Grant of letters, estate $75,001 to $100,000 | $130.00 | The top base tier, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 of estate value or fraction thereof, plus $5.00 for each will page over one (McKean County Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| JCS fee, first filing in each new case | $41.25 | Imposed on all petitions for grant of letters (McKean County Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| Automation fee, first filing in each new case | $10.00 | McKean County's published automation fee (McKean County Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| Short certificate | $5.00 | The certified proof of letters that banks and transfer agents rely on; renunciations are $7.50 per name and a bond, when required, is $15.00 (McKean County Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| Orphans' Court account filing | $50.00 first page | Plus $5.00 for each additional page; advertising of the account is pro-rated through the Bradford Era (McKean County Orphans' Court fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
| Orphans' Court petitions and motions | $50.00 | Amended petitions and motions are the same amount; the same $41.25 JCS fee and $10.00 automation fee apply to the first filing in a new Orphans' Court case (McKean County Orphans' Court fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025) |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| December 2, 2025 | McKean County revised both the Register of Wills fee schedule and the Orphans' Court fee schedule; the current schedules, including the graduated grant-of-letters fees and the $41.25 JCS and $10.00 automation fees on the first filing in each new case, are posted on the office's documents and forms page (source: mckeancountypa.gov, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in McKean County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Smethport-area or Bradford-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 McKean 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 Smethport and McKean is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to arrange the appointment or a mail filing. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies and to locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the small estate petition or the grant of letters, organized so an out-of-state filer can plan a single trip to Smethport. |
| 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 McKean 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 |
|---|---|
| McKean County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court, (814) 887-3260 (mckeancountypa.gov) | The county office page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the Register of Wills forms, the published Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules, and the office contacts for probate, inheritance tax, and Orphans' Court filings |
| 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 McKean 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 McKean County Register of Wills |
| Northwestern Legal Services, (814) 452-6957 (nwls.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of McKean County and nine other northwestern Pennsylvania counties |
| 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 McKean County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many McKean 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 McKean 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, McKean County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Pennsylvania path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Pennsylvania probate forms for your estate settlement path, including the Petition for Grant of Letters and the inventory, ready to present to the McKean County Register of Wills in Smethport.
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 McKean 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 McKean County?
With the McKean County Register of Wills, the combined Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at the McKean County Courthouse, 500 West Main Street, Smethport, PA 16749. 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 Smethport to settle an estate in McKean 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 McKean County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Smethport. Call (814) 887-3260 or (814) 887-5571 first to confirm whether any part of your matter can be handled by mail and to arrange the appointment.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Bradford but I live out of state?
You still file in McKean County, because Pennsylvania venue is the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). Bradford, Kane, Port Allegany, and the rest of the county are all served by the McKean County Register of Wills in Smethport, regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register, an out-of-state personal representative should call the office ahead of time to plan a single trip or a mail filing.
Can I file probate electronically in McKean County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for McKean County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person or by mail. Guardianship matters use the statewide Guardianship Tracking System after you obtain an access code from the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. 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 McKean County?
Under McKean County's published Register of Wills fee schedule, revised December 2, 2025, the fee for granting letters is graduated by the value of the estate: $50.00 for an estate up to $1,000, rising in steps to $130.00 for an estate of $75,001 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, plus a $41.25 JCS fee and a $10.00 automation fee on the first filing in each new case (42 P.S. § 21022.1). Short certificates are $5.00 each. All fees must be prepaid; call the office at (814) 887-3260 to confirm the amount for your estate value and the accepted forms of payment before you file.
What forms do I need for probate in McKean 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. The county forms page also posts the Department of Revenue Estate Information Sheet (REV-346), labeled there the New Estate Information Sheet, for the inheritance tax filing. There is no separate numbered McKean County form set, 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 McKean County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the McKean 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 McKean 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 McKean County does not publish a separate online estate-record search, so to confirm a specific estate filing you can call the office at (814) 887-3260. For older records, the office fills mailed Probate Record Search Requests covering estate records from 1827 to the present: send the county's request form, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a $5.00 check or money order per request, and allow 7 to 10 business days.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in McKean County?
The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office is reached at (814) 887-3260, and the McKean County Courthouse main line is (814) 887-5571; the general office email is [email protected]. The county's posted hours are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on business days. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Smethport.
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.