Use This County Probate Reference Before You File
This page is built for the detailed county-level checks that generic probate guides usually miss: local filing fees, Register of Wills and Orphans' Court contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Fayette County.
Local Fee Schedule
Review county-specific probate filing charges before you estimate total case cost.
Court Rules and Orders
Check the local rules, judge procedures, and administrative orders that can change how a case moves.
Clerk and Filing Logistics
Confirm where to file, whether e-filing is allowed, and how hearings or notices are handled locally.
Fayette County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Guide
Fayette County Court of Common Pleas · Register of Wills and Orphans' Court information · Updated May 2026
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Filing & Fees
Fee Schedule Signals
Source ↗Probate Filing Fees
| Filing Type | Fee |
|---|---|
Petition for Probate Standard probate filing fee | $15 |
Note: Pennsylvania Register of Wills grant-of-letters fees are a sliding scale on the gross probate estate value. petition_probate ($15.00) is the lowest (smallest-estate) bracket; the fee rises with estate value. A separate statewide JCS/JCP surcharge of $41.25 (42 Pa.C.S.; Act 45 of 2025, eff. 11/17/2025) applies to every petition for grant of letters. Source: fayettecountypa.org ROW fee schedule. Confirm the current graduated fee and surcharges with the county Register of Wills before quoting an estate total.
Pennsylvania Register of Wills grant-of-letters fees are a sliding scale on the gross probate estate value. petition_probate ($15.00) is the lowest (smallest-estate) bracket; the fee rises with estate value. A separate statewide JCS/JCP surcharge of $41.25 (42 Pa.C.S.; Act 45 of 2025, eff. 11/17/2025) applies to every petition for grant of letters. Source: fayettecountypa.org ROW fee schedule. Confirm the current graduated fee and surcharges with the county Register of Wills before quoting an estate total.
Required Documents
- County Register of Wills probate or administration petition packet(County ROW packet)
Opening forms are county-specific. Use the current Register of Wills packet for the county where probate or administration is being opened.
- Certified death certificate
Registers of Wills commonly require a certified death certificate for opening letters; confirm copy count and accepted format with the county office.
- Renunciations, consents, or bond papers
Whether these are needed depends on the will, priority to serve, bond requirements, and county packet instructions.
- Short certificate or certified-copy request
Request after appointment when banks, title companies, agencies, or other holders need certified proof of authority.
E-Filing & Filing Methods
Records portal
Use this county-linked source to check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.
The Fayette County estate information page says probate records are on file from 1794 to the present, a non-refundable $5 search fee is required, and estate searches from 1993 to present are available through Landex. It also says remote record searches through Landex dating back to 1949 are coming soon. Treat this as fee-gated online records context, not a complete free public probate-estate index or certified estate-file response.
Timelines & Proceedings
Deadlines & Creditor Claims
Key Deadlines
- Will Deposit
- Verify locally
- Creditor Claims
- 12 months
- Known Creditor Notice
- 60 days
Creditor Claims
- Period Starts
- first complete advertisement of grant of letters
- Statute
- 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3532
Publication Requirements
Related Proceedings
Property Recording
Source ↗Fayette County Tax Claim Bureau
2 West Main Street, Uniontown, PA 15401
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; open during lunch.
The Tax Claim Bureau page says it collects delinquent real estate tax for the 42 districts in Fayette County, notifies taxpayers of delinquent taxes and pending sales, and conducts upset, judicial, and repository sales. The Tax Certificates page says tax certificate requests should include parcel number and property information, can be expedited by fax or email on request, and cost $15 per parcel. The Tax Assessment page says there are 42 municipalities, with the County Treasurer collecting county tax for Connellsville, Ohiopyle, and Uniontown and 39 elected tax collectors collecting county taxes. Online assessment, tax collector, and tax-certificate context is not a certified payoff or title report.