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Perry County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Perry 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 Perry County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register and Recorder office (Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court) |
| Administration supervised by | The Perry County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (41st Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills (the inventory itself is filed with the Register of Wills) |
| Combined office | One elected official runs the Register and Recorder office: the Register of Wills, the Recorder of Deeds, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, at the same courthouse counter in New Bloomfield |
| Courthouse | Perry County Courthouse, 2 East Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068 |
| Mailing address | Register and Recorder, P.O. Box 223, New Bloomfield, PA 17068 |
| Phone | (717) 582-2131 (the combined Register and Recorder office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (717) 582-5149 |
| [email protected] (the Register and Recorder office) | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to New Bloomfield |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Perry County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $45.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $125.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, plus a combined JCP and automation fee of $51.25, under the county schedule effective January 1, 2025 (state JCS fee increase effective November 13, 2025) (42 P.S. § 21022.1). The graduated amount includes filing the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return. 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; Perry County also posts its own copies of the core probate forms (a Petition for Probate, Oaths of Subscribing and Non-Subscribing Witnesses, and a Renunciation) on the county site. 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 Perry County; the grant of letters is handled in person, by mail, or through the county's virtual probate process, and the estate filings are on paper. The Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) is a statewide online system for guardianship reports only. Confirm the current options with the office |
| Virtual probate | Perry County offers a virtual probate process for the grant of letters: email the required documents to the Register of Wills in advance, and once they are reviewed the office quotes the probate fee and schedules a virtual swearing-in by video, after which the original documents are submitted and the estate paperwork is mailed back |
| 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 county's Landex webstore search covers recorded documents such as deeds, not estate files |
| Remote appearance | The grant of letters can be handled through the county's virtual probate process; for other steps, ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://perryco.org/departments/orphans-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Perry 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, whether you do that in person in New Bloomfield or through the county's virtual probate process.
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 open the estate. In a rural county like Perry it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, farm, woodlot, 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 Perry County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined Register and Recorder office at the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield, serve all of Perry County. That includes New Bloomfield, the county seat, along with Duncannon, Newport, Marysville, Millerstown, Liverpool, Landisburg, Blain, and the surrounding townships in the Sherman's Valley and along the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers. Every Perry County estate is filed at 2 East Main Street in New Bloomfield. Perry shares the 41st Judicial District with Juniata County, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that two-county district, but Perry keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' Court; you do not file in Juniata 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 Perry County, file with the Perry 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. Perry County also posts its own copies of the Petition for Probate, the Oaths of Subscribing and Non-Subscribing Witnesses, and the Renunciation on the county site.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills, in person or virtually. You can take the petition, the original will, and the death certificate to the Register and Recorder office at 2 East Main Street, New Bloomfield, where the personal representative is sworn before the Register. Perry County also offers a virtual probate process: email the will, any codicil, the Petition for Grant of Letters, any oaths and renunciations, the death certificate, and identification for everyone being sworn in ahead of time, and the office will review them, quote the probate fee, and schedule a video swearing-in. The office also accepts filings by mail, so confirm what the Register needs before you travel.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Perry County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $45.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $125.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, plus a combined JCP and automation fee of $51.25, under the schedule effective January 1, 2025 (state JCS fee increase effective November 13, 2025). The graduated amount includes filing the inheritance tax return. 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; Perry County charges $5.00 per short certificate under the schedule effective January 1, 2025. If you use the virtual probate process, the original documents are then submitted and the estate paperwork is mailed back to you.
- 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, 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; many small estates instead close by a family settlement agreement. Ask the Clerk of the Orphans' Court which route fits your matter.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Perry County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Perry 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 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; obtain it from the Register and Recorder office.
Perry County posts its own copies of the core probate forms on the Register and Recorder page, including a Petition for Probate, the Oaths of Subscribing and Non-Subscribing Witnesses, and the Renunciation, to help families assemble a filing. In Perry County these forms are filed on paper, in person, by mail, or through the county's virtual probate process; 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 (717) 582-2131 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 |
| Perry County Register and Recorder (perryco.org) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with the county's probate forms, the current fee schedule, the virtual probate process, 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 Perry County publishes its own Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective January 1, 2025, with a state JCS fee increase reflected as of November 13, 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 a grant of letters is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $45.00 for an estate under $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($55.00 for $1,000 to $5,000, $65.00 for $5,000 to $10,000, $75.00 for $10,000 to $20,000, $85.00 for $20,000 to $30,000, $95.00 for $30,000 to $40,000, $105.00 for $40,000 to $50,000, $115.00 for $50,000 to $75,000, and $125.00 for $75,000 to $100,000), then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. A combined JCP and automation fee of $51.25 is added to the grant of letters, and the graduated amount includes filing the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return. An additional probate fee may be assessed once the inheritance tax return is filed.
| Perry County filing | Fee (effective January 1, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters (graduated by estate value) | From $45.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $125.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction; the amount includes filing the inheritance tax return |
| JCP and automation fee (added to the grant of letters) | $51.25 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $5.00 each |
| Issuance of new letters following initial probate | $45.00 |
| Renunciation | $5.00 |
| Inventory (Form RW-09) | $10.00 |
| Caveat filing | $25.00 |
| Register of Wills hearing | $250.00 |
| Filing an inheritance tax return with no estate opened | $35.00 |
| Clerk of Orphans' Court account (first page) | $35.00, plus $5.00 for each additional page |
The Clerk of Orphans' Court schedule also lists advertising at $50.00, a petition and order at $101.25, a petition for adjudication filed with an account at $50.00, and a notice of appeal (county fee) at $50.00, each under the schedule effective January 1, 2025. Source: Perry County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective January 1, 2025 (state JCS fee increase effective November 13, 2025), verified July 2026.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Perry County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the New Bloomfield or Duncannon-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 Perry County Register of Wills, in person or through the virtual probate process, 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 Perry County offers a virtual probate process for the grant of letters, an out-of-state child can email the documents ahead, be sworn in by video, and mail the originals rather than making the trip to New Bloomfield in person. | 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 use the county's virtual probate process. |
| 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 Perry 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 |
|---|---|
| Perry County Register and Recorder, (717) 582-2131 (perryco.org) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the county's probate forms, the current fee schedule, and the virtual probate process |
| 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 Perry 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 Perry County Register of Wills |
| MidPenn Legal Services, (800) 326-9177 (midpenn.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents; MidPenn's 18-county central Pennsylvania service area includes Perry County |
| 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 Perry County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Perry 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, a 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 Perry 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, Perry 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 Perry County Register of Wills in person or through the county's virtual probate process.
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 Perry 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 Perry County?
With the Perry County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register and Recorder office (Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court) at the Perry County Courthouse, 2 East Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. 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.
Can I settle a Perry County estate without traveling to New Bloomfield?
Often, yes. Perry County offers a virtual probate process for the grant of letters: email the will, any codicil, the Petition for Grant of Letters, any oaths and renunciations, the death certificate, and identification for everyone being sworn in to the Register of Wills ahead of time. Once the office reviews the documents, it quotes the probate fee and schedules a video swearing-in, after which you submit the originals and the estate paperwork is mailed back to you. Call (717) 582-2131 to start the process.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Perry County but I live out of state?
You still file in Perry 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 Perry County Register of Wills in New Bloomfield regardless of where you live. Because Perry County offers a virtual probate process, an out-of-state personal representative can often be sworn in by video and mail the original documents rather than traveling.
Can I file probate electronically in Perry County?
No general Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Perry County; the grant of letters is handled in person, by mail, or through the county's virtual probate process, and the estate filings are on paper. The statewide Guardianship Tracking System is an online system for guardianship reports only, and the UJS Portal is a case search, not an estate e-filing system for this county.
How much does it cost to file probate in Perry County?
The Register of Wills fee for a grant of letters is set by Perry County and graduated by the value of the estate, from $45.00 for an estate under $1,000 up to $125.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, plus a combined JCP and automation fee of $51.25, under the schedule effective January 1, 2025 (state JCS fee increase effective November 13, 2025). The graduated amount includes filing the inheritance tax return, and a short certificate is $5.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Perry 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. Perry County also posts its own copies of the core probate forms, including a Petition for Probate, the witness oaths, and the Renunciation, 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 Perry County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Perry 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 Perry County probate case online?
Use the statewide UJS Portal case search at ujsportal.pacourts.us/CaseSearch. Its coverage of Register of Wills and Orphans' Court estate records varies by county, so to confirm a specific estate filing you can also call the Register and Recorder office at (717) 582-2131. The county's Landex webstore search covers recorded documents such as deeds, not estate files.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Perry County?
The Register and Recorder office is reached at (717) 582-2131, with a fax at (717) 582-5149 and email [email protected]. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to New Bloomfield.
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.