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Venango County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Venango 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 Venango County the Register of Wills is part of the combined Register and Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office |
| Administration supervised by | The Venango County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (28th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, adoptions, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Combined office | One elected official serves as Register and Recorder and as Clerk of the Orphans' Court, so the Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court functions are handled at the same courthouse counter |
| Courthouse | Venango County Courthouse, 1168 Liberty Street, 1st Floor, Franklin, PA 16323 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 831, Franklin, PA 16323 |
| Phone | (814) 432-9539 (the combined office). This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (814) 432-9569 |
| [email protected] is the contact email published on the county's office page; it is an individual mailbox that can change with the officeholder, so call (814) 432-9539 for filing questions | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except legal holidays. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Franklin |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Venango County and graduated by the value of the estate. The county base fee for a grant of letters runs from $25.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 to $75.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, and the $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee and a $5.00 automation fee are added on top (schedule effective November 17, 2025, 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; Venango County has no separate numbered county form set. The small estate petition is an Orphans' Court petition obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper and in person or by mail with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Venango County. The county's e-recording and INFOCON County Access System serve the Recorder of Deeds land records, not probate. The grant of letters by practice requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. 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 Venango County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://www.venangocountypa.gov/279/Register-Recorder |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Venango 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 Franklin.
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 county like Venango it is common for a decedent to have owned a home in Franklin or Oil City or rural acreage or mineral or oil-and-gas interests, and how that 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. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Venango County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined office at the Venango County Courthouse in Franklin, serve all of Venango County. That includes the county's three cities, Franklin (the county seat), Oil City, and Sugarcreek, along with the boroughs of Barkeyville, Clintonville, Cooperstown, Emlenton, Pleasantville, Polk, Rouseville, and Utica and the surrounding townships in the county's oil region. Every Venango County estate is filed at 1168 Liberty Street in Franklin. Venango is its own single-county 28th Judicial District, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that district; you file with the county's own Register of Wills and 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 Venango County, file with the Venango 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. There is no separate numbered Venango 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 1168 Liberty Street, 1st Floor, Franklin. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; the office publishes a mailing address (P.O. Box 831, Franklin, PA 16323), so ask the Register what, if anything, can be handled by mail before you travel.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Venango County and graduated by the value of the estate: the county base fee runs from $25.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 to $75.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, and the $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee and a $5.00 automation fee are added on top (schedule effective November 17, 2025). 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; Venango County charges $10.00 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, advertised, and confirmed; many small estates instead close by family settlement agreement, which the Orphans' Court schedule also provides for. Ask the Clerk which route fits your matter.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Venango County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Venango County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Venango 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 is an Orphans' Court petition rather than a numbered statewide RW form; obtain it from the Venango County office.
In Venango County these forms are filed on paper, in person or by mail, with the combined office at 1168 Liberty Street, 1st Floor, Franklin; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for the county. For questions about what the office needs on intake, call (814) 432-9539 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 |
| Venango County Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court (venangocountypa.gov) | The combined county office page, with the current Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules, hours, mailing address, 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 Venango County publishes its own Register of Wills fee schedule (effective November 17, 2025) and Orphans' Court Division fee schedule (effective November 2025). The figures below were read from the county's published schedules 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. The county base fee starts at $25.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($31.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $45.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $50.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, and on up to $75.00 over $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000). On top of the base fee the office adds the $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee and a $5.00 automation fee, so the smallest estate pays $71.25 to open. The small estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) is filed on the Orphans' Court side at $71.25, which already includes the $41.25 JCS fee and the $5.00 automation charge.
| Venango County filing | Fee (effective November 2025) |
|---|---|
| Grant of letters, county base fee (graduated by estate value) | From $25.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $75.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000 |
| JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee added to the grant of letters | $41.25 |
| Automation fee added to the grant of letters | $5.00 |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $10.00 each |
| Renunciation (Form RW-06) | $5.00 |
| Probate of will only (first page) | $20.00, plus $3.00 each additional page |
| Inventory (four pages or less) | $15.00 |
| Filing the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500) | $20.00 |
| Petition to settle a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102), Orphans' Court | $71.25 (includes the $41.25 JCS fee and the $5.00 automation charge) |
| Filing and recording an account (Orphans' Court, first page) | $35.00, plus $3.00 each additional page |
| First and final account advertising, administrator or executor (Orphans' Court) | $105.00 |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Venango County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Franklin-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 Venango 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 Franklin and Venango is a paper-filing county, an out-of-state child should call ahead to plan the appearance and ask what 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 Franklin. |
| 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 Venango 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 |
|---|---|
| Venango County Register and Recorder / Clerk of Orphans' Court, (814) 432-9539 (venangocountypa.gov) | The combined county office page: hours, directions, the mailing address, and the current Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules |
| 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 Venango 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 Venango County Register of Wills |
| Northwestern Legal Services, (814) 452-6957 (nwls.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Venango County and nine other northwestern Pennsylvania counties |
| PALawHELP (palawhelp.org) | Plain-language legal information and statewide routing to legal aid and lawyer referral services |
| Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service (pabar.org) | Referrals to Pennsylvania probate attorneys statewide, including those serving the Venango County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Venango 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, farmland, or oil, gas, or mineral rights that must be valued and transferred. 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 Venango 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, Venango County real estate, oil, gas, and mineral interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which Pennsylvania path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Pennsylvania probate forms for your estate settlement path, including the Petition for Grant of Letters and the inventory, ready to present to the Venango County Register of Wills in Franklin.
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 Venango 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 Venango County?
With the Venango County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register and Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court office at the Venango County Courthouse, 1168 Liberty Street, 1st Floor, Franklin, PA 16323. 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 Franklin to settle an estate in Venango 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 Venango County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing, so plan on a trip to Franklin. The office publishes a mailing address (P.O. Box 831), so call (814) 432-9539 first to ask whether any part of your matter can be handled by mail and to arrange the appearance.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Venango County but I live out of state?
You still file in Venango 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 Venango County Register of Wills in Franklin 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 Venango County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Venango County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person or by mail. The county's e-recording and INFOCON County Access System serve the Recorder of Deeds land records, not probate. 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 Venango County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Venango County and graduated by the value of the estate. The county base fee runs from $25.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 to $75.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $50.00 for each additional $100,000, and the $41.25 JCS/ATJ/CJEA fee and a $5.00 automation fee are added on top (schedule effective November 17, 2025), so the smallest estate pays $71.25 to open. A short certificate is $10.00 each. Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Venango 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 Venango County form set, and the small estate petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 is an Orphans' Court petition obtained from the office.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Venango County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Venango 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 Venango 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 (814) 432-9539.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Venango County?
The combined office is reached at (814) 432-9539, with a fax at (814) 432-9569; the county's office page also publishes a contact email, [email protected], an individual mailbox that can change with the officeholder. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, except legal holidays. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Franklin.
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.