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Montour County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Montour 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 Montour County the Register of Wills is combined with the Recorder of Deeds |
| Administration supervised by | The Montour County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (26th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, a function held by the combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, minors' estates, trusts, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Courthouse | Montour County Courthouse, 253 Mill Street, Danville, PA 17821. Both offices are in this building |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address: 253 Mill Street, Danville, PA 17821 |
| Register of Wills phone | (570) 271-3012. This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Clerk of Orphans' Court phone | (570) 271-3010 (the combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office) |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, for both offices. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Danville |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Montour County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at a $28.00 base for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county schedule effective November 17, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1). A $41.25 JCP fee is added to each grant-of-letters amount, and the office charges a $5.00 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; Montour County posts those forms and a Register of Wills packet and Checklist of Grant of Letters on the county site but has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition uses a county form |
| E-filing | No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Montour County. The grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, the grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register, and the county's fee schedule asks filers to call the office to make an appointment. The only online filing offered is the Clerk of Orphans' Court marriage license application. 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. Montour County's own recorded documents and will index are available through INFOCON County Access (subscription; fees apply) |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Montour County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.montourcounty.gov/departments/register-of-wills |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Montour 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 Danville.
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. How 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 Montour County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both at the Montour County Courthouse in Danville, serve all of Montour County. That includes Danville, the county seat, along with the borough of Washingtonville and the county's townships: Anthony, Cooper, Derry, Liberty, Limestone, Mahoning, Mayberry, Valley, and West Hemlock. Every Montour County estate is filed at 253 Mill Street in Danville. Montour shares the 26th Judicial District with Columbia County, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that two-county district, but Montour keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' Court; you do not file in Columbia County or in the district at large.
Venue for a decedent's estate is the county where the decedent had a last family or principal residence, under Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). If the decedent lived in Montour County, file with the Montour 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. Montour County also posts these forms, a Register of Wills packet, and a Checklist of Grant of Letters on the county site; there is no separate numbered Montour County form set.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the Register of Wills at the Montour County Courthouse, 253 Mill Street, Danville. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; the county's fee schedule asks filers to call the office to make an appointment, so call (570) 271-3012 before you travel and ask whether any part of the filing can be handled by mail.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Montour County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at a $28.00 base for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective November 17, 2025, with a $41.25 JCP fee added to each grant-of-letters amount and a $5.00 automation fee. The Register of Wills accepts cash or check. 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 schedule effective November 17, 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 (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, part of the combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office, then advertised and confirmed; ask that office which filing schedule fits your matter. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Montour County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Montour County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Montour 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 and is filed with the Orphans' Court.
Montour County posts the Register of Wills forms, a Register of Wills packet, and a Checklist of Grant of Letters on the county site to help families assemble a filing. In Montour County these forms are filed on paper with the Register of Wills at 253 Mill Street, Danville; 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 the Register of Wills at (570) 271-3012 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 |
| Montour County Register of Wills forms (montourcounty.gov) | The county's posted Register of Wills forms, the Register of Wills packet, and the Checklist of Grant of Letters, filed on paper with the Register of Wills |
| 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 Montour County publishes both a Register of Wills fee schedule, effective November 17, 2025, and a Clerk of Orphans' Court fee bill, updated November 17, 2025. The figures below were read from the county's published schedules in July 2026; confirm the current amounts with each office, because a county can revise its schedules.
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is graduated by the value of the estate. The base fee starts at $28.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($36.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $49.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $57.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $66.00 over $20,000 to $30,000, $75.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $83.00 over $40,000 to $50,000, $92.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $101.00 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. A $41.25 JCP fee is added to each of those grant-of-letters amounts, and the office charges a $5.00 automation fee. The Register of Wills accepts cash or check, and its fee schedule asks filers to call the office to make an appointment. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court publishes its own fee bill for the estate matters filed on that side, including the petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, and accepts cash, check, or debit and credit cards (processing fees apply).
| Montour County filing | Fee (effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters, Register of Wills (base fee, graduated by estate value) | From $28.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $101.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $40.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. A $41.25 JCP fee is added to each amount |
| Automation fee, Register of Wills (per estate) | $5.00 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Probate of will only (no grant of letters) | $25.00 |
| Filing inventory and appraisement | $20.00 |
| Filing an inheritance tax return | $20.00 |
| Small estates affidavit, Register of Wills (a schedule item distinct from the 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 petition below) | $35.00 |
| Filing proof of publication | No fee |
| Petition to settle a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court | $95.75 on the settlement of small estate line of the Clerk of Orphans' Court fee bill; a new case that requires a hearing or order of court is $110.75 |
| First and final account, Clerk of the Orphans' Court | $64.75 for the first page and $2.00 for each additional page, plus a $15.00 discharge fee and a $5.00 automation fee |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Montour County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Danville-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 Montour 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 Danville and Montour is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to make the appointment and ask whether any step can be handled by mail. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate qualifies and to locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the small estate petition or the grant of letters, organized so an out-of-state filer can plan a single trip to Danville. |
| 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 Montour 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 |
|---|---|
| Montour County Register of Wills, (570) 271-3012 (montourcounty.gov) | The county Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the Register of Wills packet and Checklist of Grant of Letters, and the current fee schedule |
| Montour County Clerk of Orphans' Court, (570) 271-3010 (montourcounty.gov) | The combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office, which handles the inventory, accounts, guardianships, minors' estates, trusts, small estate proceedings, and appeals from the Register of Wills |
| 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 Montour 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 Montour County Register of Wills |
| North Penn Legal Services, Bloomsburg office, (877) 515-7079, or apply at (877) 953-4250 (nplspa.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Montour and Columbia Counties from the office that serves this area |
| 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 Montour County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Montour 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 Montour 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, Montour 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 Montour County Register of Wills in Danville.
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 Montour 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 Montour County?
With the Montour County Register of Wills at the Montour County Courthouse, 253 Mill Street, Danville, PA 17821, where the Register of Wills is combined with the Recorder of Deeds. The Register of Wills admits the will and grants letters; the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, held by the combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office in the same courthouse, supervises the administration that follows.
Do I have to travel to Danville to settle an estate in Montour 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 Montour County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Danville. Call the Register of Wills at (570) 271-3012 first to make the appointment (the county's fee schedule asks filers to call ahead) and to ask whether any part of your matter can be handled by mail.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Danville but I live out of state?
You still file in Montour 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 Montour County Register of Wills in Danville 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 Montour County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Montour County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, and the county's fee schedule asks filers to call the office to make an appointment. The county posts the Register of Wills forms, a Register of Wills packet, and a Checklist of Grant of Letters on its site to help you assemble the filing. 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 Montour County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Montour County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at a $28.00 base for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective November 17, 2025. A $41.25 JCP fee is added to that amount, and the office charges a $5.00 automation fee; the Register of Wills accepts cash or check. A short certificate is $5.00 each. A petition to settle a small estate, filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court instead, is $95.75 under the Clerk of Orphans' Court fee bill updated November 17, 2025. Confirm the current schedules with each office.
What forms do I need for probate in Montour 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 Montour County form set, though the county posts a Register of Wills packet and a Checklist of Grant of Letters, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form filed with the Orphans' Court.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Montour County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Montour 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 Montour 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 Montour County's own recorded documents and will index are available through INFOCON County Access (a subscription service; fees apply). To confirm a specific estate filing you can also call the Register of Wills at (570) 271-3012.
What are the phone numbers and office hours for probate in Montour County?
The Register of Wills is reached at (570) 271-3012 and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, part of the combined Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, and Clerk of Orphans' Court office, at (570) 271-3010. Both offices are at the Montour County Courthouse, 253 Mill Street, Danville, and are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Danville.
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.