What to Do When Someone Dies in Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania first-steps guide for death certificates, document gathering, Register of Wills filings, early probate decisions, and inheritance-tax timing.
Use this timeline to handle immediate post-death tasks in the right order before you move into probate, asset transfer, or executor paperwork.
Sources
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Request a Death Certificate, accessed 2026-05-31
- Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania Public Forms, accessed 2026-05-31
- 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3102, accessed 2026-05-31
- 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3162, accessed 2026-05-31
If You Are the Named Executor in Pennsylvania
In plain terms: Pennsylvania does not put a hard deadline on your first days. Start with the county Register of Wills, order death certificates, and sort the urgent family tasks from the paperwork. The details below explain exactly how.
If you are the named executor or likely administrator of a Pennsylvania estate, start by separating urgent family tasks from authority, tax, and county filing tasks. Pennsylvania probate usually begins with the county Register of Wills. The early estate work below focuses on death certificates, county packets, letters, short certificates, publication, inventory, and inheritance-tax timing.
- Order Pennsylvania death certificates and ask which version each organization needs
Pennsylvania Department of Health says death certificates are used to settle estates, close accounts, claim life insurance, and transfer property. The agency lists VitalChek as the approved online vendor and lists a $20 cost for each certificate, with an added online service fee for online orders.
- Find the county Register of Wills packet before filling out forms
Pennsylvania probate forms are county-sensitive. Use the county Register of Wills and Orphans Court packet for opening letters or petition filings, and use the statewide Unified Judicial System forms directory as a reference point.
- Decide whether the estate needs letters, short certificates, or a Section 3102 petition
Letters or short certificates may be needed before banks, title companies, or agencies work with the estate representative. Pennsylvania Section 3102 provides a court petition path for certain small estates, but it is not a private affidavit for every asset.
Statute: 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3102
- Calendar publication, inventory, and inheritance-tax dates
After letters are granted, Section 3162 ties advertisement to the grant of letters, and Section 3301 sets inventory timing. Pennsylvania Revenue says inheritance tax becomes delinquent nine months after death and lists a five percent discount window for tax paid within three calendar months of death.
Statute: 20 Pa.C.S. Sections 3162 and 3301
- Keep source pages, county packets, filings, and receipts in one estate file
Save the county packet access date, filed forms, publication proofs, tax records, death certificate receipts, and written instructions from asset holders. This creates a clean record if the county office, a beneficiary, or a tax preparer asks how a step was handled.
Start with the urgent family and records tasks. The court and tax steps can be organized after the documents are in one place.
Timeline of Tasks
Start with the immediate tasks. Open each later phase as you reach it.
First 24-48 Hours
First Week
First Month
Ongoing Tasks
Who to Notify
Documents to Gather
Death Certificates
Many estates start with 10-15 certified copies because banks, insurers, property-transfer contacts, and agencies may ask for them.
How to get death certificates →Will & Trust Documents
Look in safe deposit boxes, home safes, attorney files, and records folders.
Probate guide →Financial Statements
Bank statements, investment accounts, retirement accounts, and recent tax returns.
Asset transfer guide →What Comes Next?
After the first 30 days, you may need to start probate or transfer assets. Use the Pennsylvania assessment to sort what may apply.
More Pennsylvania Resources
Explore the rest of the Pennsylvania probate hub.