Back to Pennsylvania
Schuylkill County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court are the same combined office under one elected official |
| Administration supervised by | The Schuylkill County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (21st Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in that same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Filing office | Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, Schuylkill County Courthouse, 401 North Second Street, First Floor, Pottsville, PA 17901 |
| Phone | (570) 628-1377 (the combined office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (570) 628-1384 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the office asks that you call for an appointment, and a petition for letters must be signed in the office's presence, so plan an in-person visit. Closed weekends and county holidays |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Schuylkill County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 and rising with the estate's value under the county schedule effective January 1, 2025; the county adds a $40.25 JCS surcharge and a $20.00 automation fee on the petition for letters and 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. Schuylkill County requires an Estate Information Sheet with a petition for letters and has no separate numbered county form set; the small-estate petition uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | None found for either office; Schuylkill County estate filings are handled on paper, and a petition for letters must be signed in the office's presence, in person and by appointment. Ask the office which later filings, such as the inventory or the inheritance-tax return, it will accept by mail, and confirm the current options |
| 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 Schuylkill County; the office asks filers to call for an appointment, so ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled by mail or remotely |
| Website | https://www.schuylkillcountypa.gov/government/register_of_wills |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Schuylkill 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, because Schuylkill will not accept an unknown gross-estate value on a petition for letters, and the value you state sets your filing fee.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of Schuylkill County real property, along with every debt, and identify each heir by name. How real property is titled matters, because a jointly owned home with right of survivorship or a beneficiary-designated account passes outside probate while property in the decedent's sole name does not, so the estate that actually goes through probate can be smaller than the family expects. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Schuylkill County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, the same combined office at the Schuylkill County Courthouse in Pottsville, serve all of Schuylkill County. That includes Pottsville, the county seat, along with Tamaqua, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah, Mahanoy City, Minersville, Frackville, Ashland, Girardville, Saint Clair, Orwigsburg, Cressona, Coaldale, and the surrounding boroughs and townships across the county's anthracite region. Every Schuylkill County estate is filed at 401 North Second Street in Pottsville. Schuylkill is its own single-county district, the 21st Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that district.
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 Schuylkill County, file with the Schuylkill 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
- Confirm venue and gather the documents. Schuylkill County is the right county when the decedent had a last family or principal residence here at death (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). Collect the original signed will (if there is one), an original certified death certificate, the names and addresses of the heirs and beneficiaries, the proposed personal representative's 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. Schuylkill County also requires an original and one copy of an Estate Information Sheet, and it will not accept an unknown value for the gross estate, so estimate the estate's value in good faith before you file.
- Present the petition to the Register of Wills. Take the petition, the original will, the death certificate, and the Estate Information Sheet to the combined office at 401 North Second Street, First Floor, Pottsville. Call ahead for an appointment. Pennsylvania practice, and Schuylkill's own rule, require the personal representative to sign the petition for letters in the office's presence, so plan to file in person; non-subscribing witnesses to a will must also appear. An out-of-state executor or administrator is required to post bond unless the will excuses it.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Schuylkill County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective January 1, 2025. On top of the graduated fee the county adds a $40.25 JCS surcharge and a $20.00 automation fee on the petition for letters and first filings (42 P.S. § 21022.1). All fees are paid at the time of 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 $10.00 per short certificate under the schedule effective January 1, 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, such as the Republican Herald in Pottsville, and in the county legal periodical, the Schuylkill Legal Record, 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 (the same office), advertised, and confirmed by the Orphans' Court Division; petitions in a contested or accounting matter follow the Pennsylvania Rules of Orphans' Court Procedure and Schuylkill's local rules. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account. A personal representative who distributes is protected from a claim not made known within one year after the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters (20 Pa.C.S. § 3532).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Schuylkill County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Schuylkill County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Schuylkill 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.
Schuylkill County adds one local requirement: a petition for letters must include an original and one copy of an Estate Information Sheet, and each Orphans' Court filing must carry the attorney's name and identification number and the estate or Orphans' Court file number. In Schuylkill County these forms are filed on paper with the Register of Wills at 401 North Second Street, Pottsville; the petition for letters must be signed in the office's presence, and no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court e-filing was found for the county. For questions about what the office needs on intake, or which later filings it will accept by mail, call (570) 628-1377 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 |
| Schuylkill County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (schuylkillcountypa.gov) | The county office page, with filing requirements, the Estate Information Sheet requirement, the current fee schedule, 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 Schuylkill County publishes its own Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule, effective January 1, 2025 (adopted by order of the President Judge on November 18, 2024). 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 Petition for Grant of Letters is graduated by the value of the estate. It starts at $60.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 and rises with the estate's value ($150.00 over $5,000 to $25,000, $170.00 over $25,000 to $50,000, $200.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, $230.00 over $75,000 to $100,000, $285.00 over $100,000 to $200,000, and higher for larger estates). Unlike some counties that fold the surcharges into the base fee, Schuylkill itemizes them on top: a $40.25 JCS surcharge and a $20.00 automation fee on the petition for letters and first filings. All fees are paid at the time of filing.
| Schuylkill County filing | Fee (effective January 1, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters (graduated by estate value) | From $60.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000, rising in steps (for example $285.00 over $100,000 to $200,000) up to $2,300.00 over $2,500,000 to $3,000,000, then $1,500.00 for each additional million |
| JCS surcharge (petition for letters and first filings) | $40.25, added on top of the graduated fee |
| Automation fee (all letters and first filings) | $20.00, added on top of the graduated fee |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $10.00 each |
| Probate of will only (no letters) | $80.00 |
| Filing a will | $50.00 |
| Inventory filed with the inheritance-tax return (no letters) | $10.00 |
| Certified copy of a document | $10.00 |
| First and final or partial account | From $140.00 for a gross estate not exceeding $25,000, graduated up with estate value |
Source: Schuylkill County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court fee schedule effective January 1, 2025, verified July 2026.
Local nuance
Schuylkill County-specific considerations
One office is both the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. In Schuylkill County a single elected official holds both roles, so the same combined office at the courthouse admits the will and grants letters, receives the inheritance-tax return, and serves as the Orphans' Court Division's filing office for inventories, accounts, and disputes. The same office also issues marriage licenses and holds the county's probate records from 1888, marriage records from 1885, and historical birth and death records from 1893 to 1905. Because officials are elected and change, this page refers to the office rather than the officeholder.
Intake is by appointment and in person. The office asks that you call for an appointment, and a petition for letters must be signed in the office's presence, so opening an estate is not a mail-only step. Non-subscribing witnesses to a will must also appear, and an out-of-state executor or administrator must post bond unless the will excuses it. Plan an in-person trip to Pottsville and call (570) 628-1377 first to arrange the appointment.
The county itemizes its surcharges on top of the graduated fee. Schuylkill's published schedule adds a $40.25 JCS surcharge and a $20.00 automation fee to the graduated grant-of-letters fee on the petition for letters and first filings, rather than folding them into the base amount. Budget for both when you calculate the total, and note that the county will not accept an unknown gross-estate value on the petition, because that value sets the graduated fee.
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2025 | A revised Schuylkill County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court fee schedule took effect, adopted by order of the President Judge on November 18, 2024 (source: Pennsylvania Bulletin, county fee schedule, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Schuylkill County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Pottsville-area home was owned jointly with right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety, it passes to the surviving spouse outside probate on proof of death, so no estate proceeding is needed for the house itself. If other assets stood in the decedent's sole name and there is a will, the spouse presents the Petition for Grant of Letters (Form RW-02) and the Estate Information Sheet to the Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill requires the personal representative to sign the petition for letters in the office's presence and takes filings by appointment, an out-of-state child should call ahead, plan a single trip to Pottsville, and ask which later steps 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 one trip to Pottsville. |
| 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, in the priority order of 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155; with a will, the parent probates it under Form RW-02. Once letters issue, the personal representative advertises the grant (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162), files the inventory (Form RW-09), settles the Pennsylvania inheritance tax, and can sell the Schuylkill County home; a formal account is filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition, the inventory, and the sale papers. A vetted Schuylkill County probate attorney to run the administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Schuylkill County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court, (570) 628-1377 (schuylkillcountypa.gov/government/register_of_wills) | The county office page: hours, directions, the mailing address, the filing requirements and Estate Information Sheet, 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 Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County Register of Wills |
| MidPenn Legal Services, Pottsville office, (570) 628-3931; apply (800) 326-9177 (midpenn.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Schuylkill County and central Pennsylvania, including estate and elder-law matters |
| Pennsylvania legal ads (palegalads.org) | The statewide search for county legal-journal notices, useful for locating the Schuylkill Legal Record and placing the required estate advertisement |
| 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 Schuylkill County region |
When to hire an attorney
Pennsylvania does not require an attorney to open a probate estate, and many uncontested Schuylkill County estates are handled with the statewide forms and the Register of Wills, 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 Schuylkill County probate attorney when the situation calls for counsel.
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, Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County Register of Wills in Pottsville.
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 Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County?
With the Schuylkill County Register of Wills at the Schuylkill County Courthouse, 401 North Second Street, First Floor, Pottsville, PA 17901, (570) 628-1377. In Schuylkill County the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court are the same combined office under one elected official: the Register admits the will and grants letters, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, in the same office, supervises the administration that follows.
Do I have to appear in person to open an estate in Schuylkill County?
Usually yes. Pennsylvania practice and Schuylkill's own rule require the personal representative to sign the petition for letters in the office's presence, and the office asks that you call for an appointment, so plan on a trip to Pottsville. Non-subscribing witnesses to a will must also appear. Call (570) 628-1377 first to arrange the appointment and to confirm what the office needs.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Schuylkill County but I live out of state?
You still file in Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County Register of Wills in Pottsville regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters requires signing in the office's presence and Schuylkill takes filings by appointment, an out-of-state personal representative should call ahead to plan a single trip, ask which later steps can be handled by mail, and expect a bond requirement unless the will excuses it.
Can I file probate electronically in Schuylkill County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court e-filing was found for Schuylkill County; estate filings are handled on paper, and the petition for letters must be signed in the office's presence, in person and by appointment. Ask the office which later filings it will accept by mail. 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 Schuylkill County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Schuylkill County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at $60.00 for an estate not exceeding $5,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective January 1, 2025. On top of that the county adds a $40.25 JCS surcharge and a $20.00 automation fee on the petition for letters and first filings. A short certificate is $10.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Schuylkill 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. Schuylkill County also requires an original and one copy of an Estate Information Sheet with a petition for letters. There is no separate numbered Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance-tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Schuylkill 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.
Which newspaper do I use to advertise a Schuylkill County estate?
After letters are granted you must advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent's residence, such as the Republican Herald in Pottsville, and in the county legal periodical, the Schuylkill Legal Record (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162). The statewide legal-notice search at palegalads.org can help you locate and place the notice. Creditors then generally have one year from the first complete advertisement to present claims.
How do I look up a Schuylkill 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 (570) 628-1377.
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.