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Warren County, PA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Probate begins at | The Warren 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 Warren County the Register of Wills is held by one elected Register and Recorder, whose office also serves as Recorder of Deeds and Clerk of the Orphans' Court |
| Administration supervised by | The Warren County Orphans' Court Division of the Court of Common Pleas (37th Judicial District), whose filing office is the Clerk of the Orphans' Court in the same combined office; it handles the inventory, accounts, distributions, guardianships, and disputes, including appeals from the Register of Wills |
| Combined office | One elected official runs the Register of Wills, the Recorder of Deeds, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, all at the same first-floor courthouse counter. The Prothonotary is a separate Warren County office |
| Courthouse | Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 (the Register and Recorder's office is on the first floor) |
| Mailing address | Register and Recorder's Office, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 |
| Phone | (814) 728-3430 (the office line); the Deputy Register of Wills can be reached at (814) 728-3431. This is the county's own line, not a statewide call center |
| Fax | (814) 728-3436 |
| [email protected] (the office mailbox printed on the county's current fee schedules) | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The office notes that documents presented for recording after 3:30 PM are recorded the following business day, so arrive well before closing; confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Warren |
| Filing fee | Register of Wills fees are set by Warren County and graduated by the value of the estate. The grant-of-letters fee starts at a base of $18.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value under the county schedule effective November 17, 2025 (42 P.S. § 21022.1), and the $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge is added to every petition for grant of letters, so the smallest grant of letters is $59.25. The county schedule lists no separate 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; Warren County has no separate numbered county form set. The petition to settle a small estate uses a county form obtained from the office |
| E-filing | The grant of letters is handled on paper and in person with the Register of Wills; no Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Warren County, and the office requires requests for copies of its records to be submitted in writing rather than by phone or email. By practice the grant of letters requires the personal representative to appear before the Register. Guardianship matters use the statewide Guardianship Tracking System (GTS). 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. Warren County land records are searched separately through the Recorder's Landex portal |
| Remote appearance | Not published for Warren County; ask the Register of Wills or the Clerk of the Orphans' Court whether a given step can be handled remotely |
| Website | https://warrencountypa.gov/1199/Register-Recorders-Office |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Warren 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 Warren.
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 Warren, much of it wooded and holding a large share of the Allegheny National Forest, it is common for a decedent to have owned a home, camp, or timber 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 Warren County Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court, both part of the combined office at the Warren County Courthouse in Warren, serve all of Warren County. That includes the City of Warren, the county seat, along with the boroughs of Youngsville, Tidioute, Clarendon, Sugar Grove, and Bear Lake, and the surrounding townships such as Conewango, Glade, Pleasant, Mead, Sheffield, Pine Grove, Brokenstraw, and Columbus. Every Warren County estate is filed at 204 Fourth Avenue in Warren. Warren shares the 37th Judicial District with Forest County, so the Orphans' Court judge is a Court of Common Pleas judge of that two-county district, but Warren keeps its own Register of Wills and its own Clerk of the Orphans' Court; you do not file in Forest 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 Warren County, file with the Warren 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 Warren 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 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren. Pennsylvania practice generally requires the personal representative to appear before the Register to be sworn, so plan to file in person; call (814) 728-3430 first to confirm what the office needs on intake.
- Pay the filing fee. The Register of Wills fee is set by Warren County and graduated by the value of the estate, starting at a base of $18.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rising with the estate's value under the schedule effective November 17, 2025, and the $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge is added to every petition for grant of letters, so the smallest grant of letters is $59.25. 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; Warren County charges $3.00 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; Warren County audits accounts on a quarterly schedule (February, May, August, and November in 2026), each with a last day to file, a confirmation nisi date, and a confirmation absolute date, so ask the Clerk which filing period fits your matter. Many small estates close by family settlement agreement instead of a formal account.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Warren County
Pennsylvania has a statewide Register of Wills and Orphans' Court form set, published centrally on pacourts.us and used in every county, and Warren County uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate numbered Warren 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 petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form rather than a numbered statewide RW form, obtained by contacting the Warren County office.
In Warren County these forms are filed on paper, in person, with the Register of Wills at 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren; 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) 728-3430 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 |
| Warren County Register and Recorder's Office (warrencountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page, with the current fee schedules, hours, and contact information for the combined office |
| 37th Judicial District of Pennsylvania (warrenforestcourt.org) | The court site for Warren and Forest counties, with court departments, annual and weekly court calendars, forms, and FAQs; for the current fee schedules use the county's own office page |
| 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 Warren County publishes both of its schedules through the county website: a Register of Wills fee schedule (42 P.S. § 21022.1) and a Clerk of the Orphans' Court fee schedule (42 P.S. § 21032.1), both updated effective November 17, 2025 to carry the $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge under Act 45 of 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 base fee starts at $18.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 and rises with the estate's value ($24.00 over $1,000 to $5,000, $35.00 over $5,000 to $10,000, $40.00 over $10,000 to $20,000, $45.00 over $20,000 to $30,000, $50.00 over $30,000 to $40,000, $55.00 over $40,000 to $50,000, $60.00 over $50,000 to $75,000, and $65.00 over $75,000 to $100,000), then $30.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction. The $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge is added on top of the base fee for every petition for grant of letters, so the smallest grant of letters totals $59.25. Warren does not list a separate automation fee. The Clerk of the Orphans' Court schedule covers the later court filings, including the petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 and the filing of a formal account.
| Warren County Register of Wills filing | Fee (county schedule, effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition for Grant of Letters (graduated by estate value) | Base from $18.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $65.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000 or fraction, plus the $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge on every petition (the smallest grant of letters totals $59.25) |
| Short certificate (certified proof of the letters) | $3.00 each |
| Probate of will only (first page) | $11.00, plus $3.00 for each additional page |
| Inventory and appraisement (Form RW-09) | $7.00 |
| Renunciation (Form RW-06) | $3.00 each |
| Issuing certified copies of instruments (first page) | $7.00, plus $3.00 for each additional page |
| Warren County Clerk of the Orphans' Court filing | Fee (county schedule, effective November 17, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Petition to settle small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) | $13.00 base plus the $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge ($54.25) |
| Account (first page) | $30.00, plus $3.00 for each additional page and $40.00 advertising |
| Election to take under or against the will | $9.00 |
| Guardianship petition and appointment | $13.00 base plus the $41.25 surcharge ($54.25) |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| November 17, 2025 | Warren County updated its Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court fee schedules so that the Judicial Computer System surcharge added to petitions is $41.25, under Act 45 of 2025 (source: Warren County Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court fee schedules, verified July 2026). |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Warren County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Warren-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 Warren 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 Warren and the county handles it on paper, an out-of-state child should call ahead to arrange the appearance. | 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 Warren. |
| 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 Warren County home and, when a formal account is required, file it with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court on the county's quarterly account schedule. | 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 |
|---|---|
| Warren County Register and Recorder's Office, (814) 728-3430 (warrencountypa.gov) | The county Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court page: hours, directions, the mailing address, and the current Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules |
| 37th Judicial District of Pennsylvania (warrenforestcourt.org) | The court site for Warren and Forest counties, with court departments, annual and weekly court calendars, forms, and local information for the Orphans' Court Division |
| 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 Warren 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 Warren County Register of Wills |
| Northwestern Legal Services, Warren office, 315 Second Avenue, Suite 401, (814) 726-2530 or (800) 753-5707 (nwls.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of Warren County, from an office located in Warren |
| 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 Warren County region |
When to hire an attorney
Many Warren 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 Warren 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, Warren 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 Warren County Register of Wills.
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 Warren 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 Warren County?
With the Warren County Register of Wills, part of the combined Register and Recorder's office on the first floor of the Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365. 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 Warren to settle an estate in Warren 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 Warren County handles the grant of letters on paper rather than by e-filing. Call (814) 728-3430 first to confirm what the office needs and to arrange your appearance at 204 Fourth Avenue in Warren.
Where do I file if my parent lived in Warren County but I live out of state?
You still file in Warren 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 Warren County Register of Wills regardless of where you live. Because the grant of letters generally requires appearing before the Register, an out-of-state personal representative should call the office ahead of time to plan a single trip.
Can I file probate electronically in Warren County?
No. No Register of Wills or Orphans' Court estate e-filing was found for Warren County; the grant of letters and the estate filings are handled on paper, in person. The office requires requests for copies of its records to be submitted in writing, and guardianship matters use the statewide Guardianship Tracking System. 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 Warren County?
The Register of Wills fee for a Petition for Grant of Letters is set by Warren County and graduated by the value of the estate, from a base of $18.00 for an estate not exceeding $1,000 up to $65.00 for an estate of $75,000 to $100,000, then $30.00 for each additional $100,000, under the schedule effective November 17, 2025. The $41.25 Judicial Computer System surcharge is added to every petition, so the smallest grant of letters totals $59.25. A short certificate is $3.00 each, and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court charges $13.00 plus the $41.25 surcharge ($54.25) for the petition to settle a small estate (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102). Confirm the current schedule with the office.
What forms do I need for probate in Warren 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 Warren County form set, and the petition to settle a small estate under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102 uses a county form obtained from the office.
Who handles inheritance tax in a Warren County estate?
The Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (the REV-1500 for a resident decedent) is filed with the Warren 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 Warren 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) 728-3430. Warren County land records are searched separately through the Recorder's Landex portal.
What are the phone number and office hours for probate in Warren County?
The Register and Recorder's office is reached at (814) 728-3430, with the Deputy Register of Wills at (814) 728-3431, a fax at (814) 728-3436, and email [email protected]. It is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Confirm the counter and any filing cutoff before making a trip to Warren.
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.