Back to Pennsylvania
Mifflin County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Mifflin 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 Mifflin County the Register of Wills is a division of the combined Register, Recorder, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office |
| Administration supervised by | The Mifflin County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (58th 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 three divisions at the same courthouse counter: the Register of Wills, the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, and the Recorder of Deeds |
| Courthouse | Mifflin County Courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044 |
| Phone | (717) 242-1449 (the combined office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (717) 248-2503 |
| [email protected] (the contact email published on the office's own pages) | |
| Office hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (the county's posted courthouse hours; the combined office does not publish separate counter hours). Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Lewistown |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Mifflin County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $32.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county schedule effective December 4, 2025, plus a $41.25 JCS surcharge and a $10.00 automation fee on first filings (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; Mifflin County has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills, and Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. Some Orphans' Court matters, including guardianships through the Guardianship Tracking System, can be e-filed through the statewide UJS Portal 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 |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Mifflin County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.mifflincountypa.gov/regrec |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Mifflin 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 Lewistown.
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 Mifflin it is common for a decedent to have owned a home along with farm, woodland, or hunting property, 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 Mifflin County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both divisions of the combined office at the Mifflin County Courthouse in Lewistown, serve all of Mifflin County. That includes Lewistown, the county seat, along with Burnham, Yeagertown, Belleville, Reedsville, Milroy, McVeytown, Kistler, Newton Hamilton, and the surrounding townships across the Kishacoquillas and Juniata valleys. Every Mifflin County estate is filed at 20 North Wayne Street in Lewistown. Mifflin County is its own 58th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that single-county district, and the county keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' 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 Mifflin County, file with the Mifflin 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, the certified death certificate, and an estate information sheet. There is no separate numbered Mifflin 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 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown. 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 Mifflin County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $32.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective December 4, 2025, plus a $41.25 JCS surcharge and a $10.00 automation fee on the first 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; the county charges $6.00 per short certificate under the schedule effective December 4, 2025.
- Advertise the grant of letters. Immediately after letters are granted, advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent's residence and in the county's designated legal periodical, so that creditors can present claims (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). 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, which acts as the collection agent. 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; 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 Mifflin County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Mifflin County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Mifflin 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, a certified death certificate, and an estate information sheet. 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 obtained from the office rather than a numbered statewide RW form.
In Mifflin County these forms are filed on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills at 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown; the grant of letters generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (717) 242-1449 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 |
| Mifflin County Register, Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (mifflincountypa.gov) | The combined county office page, with the current fee schedule, the required probate documents, 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 Mifflin County publishes its own Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective December 4, 2025. The figures below were read from the county's published schedule in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with the office, because a county can revise its schedule.
The Register of Wills fee for granting letters testamentary or of administration is graduated by the estimated value of the estate. It starts at $32.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($42.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $61.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $72.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $84.00 over $20,000 to $30,000, $96.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $106.00 over $40,000 to $50,000, $120.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $132.00 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $48.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. On a first filing the county also collects a $41.25 JCS surcharge and a $10.00 automation fee. The office links an online payment service for Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fees from its Clerk of the Orphans' Court page.
| Mifflin County filing | Fee (effective December 4, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Granting letters testamentary or of administration (graduated by estate value) | From $32.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $132.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $48.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction |
| JCS surcharge (first filing) | $41.25 |
| Automation fee (first filing) | $10.00 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $6.00 each |
| Petition for small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $25.00, plus the $41.25 JCS surcharge, $10.00 automation fee, and $6.00 estate number |
| Inheritance tax return filing | $14.00 |
| Inventory | $14.00 |
| Account, first and final (first page, including advertising) | $146.00, plus $6.00 each additional page |
| Register of Wills or Orphans' Court certification seal | $4.00 |
| Copies | $0.50 per page |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| December 1, 2025 | The AOPC/JCS surcharge collected on first filings in the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court increased from $40.25 to $41.25, per the office's notice dated November 17, 2025 (source: mifflincountypa.gov, verified July 2026). |
| December 4, 2025 | Mifflin County issued a new combined Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective December 4, 2025 (source: mifflincountypa.gov, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Mifflin County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Lewistown-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 Mifflin 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 Lewistown, an out-of-state child should call ahead to plan the trip and confirm what the office needs. | 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 Lewistown. |
| 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 Mifflin 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 |
|---|---|
| Mifflin County Register, Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, (717) 242-1449 (mifflincountypa.gov/regrec) | The combined county office page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the required probate documents, and the current 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 Mifflin 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 Mifflin County Register of Wills |
| MidPenn Legal Services, Lewistown office, 3 West Monument Square, Suite 303, apply at (800) 326-9177 (midpenn.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents; MidPenn serves 18 central Pennsylvania counties, including Mifflin, and keeps a local office in Lewistown |
| 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 Mifflin County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Mifflin 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, 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 Mifflin 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, Mifflin 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 Mifflin County Register of Wills in Lewistown.
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 Mifflin 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 Mifflin County?
With the Mifflin County Register of Wills, a division of the combined Register, Recorder, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at the Mifflin County Courthouse, 20 North Wayne Street, Lewistown, PA 17044. 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 Lewistown to settle an estate in Mifflin 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 Mifflin County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Lewistown. Call (717) 242-1449 first to confirm what the office needs and to plan the visit.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Lewistown but I live out of state?
You still file in Mifflin 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 Mifflin County Register of Wills in Lewistown 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 Mifflin County?
The grant of letters is handled on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills. Some Orphans' Court matters, including guardianships through the Guardianship Tracking System, can be e-filed through the statewide UJS Portal once 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 the grant of letters. Confirm the current options with the office at (717) 242-1449.
How much does it cost to file probate in Mifflin County?
The Register of Wills fee for granting letters is set by Mifflin County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $32.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective December 4, 2025, plus a $41.25 JCS surcharge and a $10.00 automation fee on the first filing. A short certificate is $6.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Mifflin 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, a certified death certificate, and an estate information sheet; the Inventory is Form RW-09. There is no separate numbered Mifflin 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 Mifflin County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Mifflin 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 Mifflin 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 combined office at (717) 242-1449.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Mifflin County?
The combined office is reached at (717) 242-1449, with a fax at (717) 248-2503 and email [email protected], the contact email published on the office's own pages. The county's posted courthouse hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; the office does not publish separate counter hours, so confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Lewistown.
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.