Franklin County Probate Court Guide
Thirty Ninth Judicial District of Pennsylvania probate court information · Updated May 2026
Feeling overwhelmed?
Free help is available in Franklin County.
Not sure if you need probate?
Many estates can avoid probate entirely. Assets with beneficiary designations, joint accounts, and trust assets may pass automatically without court involvement.
First: Get Death Certificates
Required for everythingPennsylvania Division of Vital Records
Secure the Property
- Lock the residence and secure valuable items
- Forward mail to a responsible family member
- Make a list of what you find (don't throw anything away yet)
Locate Important Documents
County filing checklist
Franklin County probate filing checklist
Use this checklist to confirm the local Pennsylvania Register of Wills or Orphans' Court office, compare common probate paths, gather starting documents, and verify county packet instructions before filing. This is an informational checklist, not legal advice, a court-approved packet, or a replacement for county Register of Wills instructions.
Where to verify locally
- Court
- Franklin County Court of Common Pleas - Orphans' Court Division
- Clerk
- Franklin County Register and Recorder
- Address
- Administration Building, 272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201
- Phone
- 717-261-3872
Common filing paths
Formal administration
Formal estate administration is opened through the Franklin County Register and Recorder. The county page requires probate of estates by appointment only.
Small estate affidavit
Pennsylvania small-estate petitions use statewide law and Orphans' Court procedure. Confirm Franklin County filing requirements, scheduling, and fee handling directly with the Register and Recorder.
- Threshold:
- $50,000 gross personal property, subject to statutory exclusions
Payments Without Letters
20 Pa.C.S. Section 3101 allows limited payment of certain wages, deposit accounts, patient-care accounts, life-insurance amounts payable to an estate, and unclaimed property without letters when the statute's amount, relationship, and documentation requirements are met.
Starting documents to verify
Statewide starting documents
- County Register of Wills probate or administration petition packet (County ROW packet)
- Certified death certificate
- Original will and codicils if applicable
- Petition details for letters
- Renunciations, consents, or bond papers if applicable
- Short certificate or certified-copy request if applicable
Filing links
Fee signals
- Franklin County publishes Register of Wills fees including automation and JCP surcharges, estate-value tiers for letters and probate, accounts and schedules, bonds, caveats, inheritance-tax returns, inventory and appraisement, renunciations, certified copies, and short certificates. Confirm exact totals with the Register and Recorder before quoting filing fees.
Deadline signals
- Creditor claims period: 12 months.
Help resources
Choose your next step
If you are not sure probate is required, start with the free assessment. If you are ready to organize a filing, use the county-aware plan handoff.
Check if probate is neededA personalized probate report for estates that likely need court administration.
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Checklist details combine county source links with Pennsylvania statutory and state-default source records. Confirm final packet forms, fees, and filing instructions with the county office before filing.
Related Topics
Sources (5)
- https://www.franklincountypa.gov/departments/register-recorder/
- https://www.franklincountypa.gov/departments/archives-records-management/
- https://www.landex.com/land-records-access.asp
- https://www.franklincountypa.gov/clerk-of-orphans-court/orphans-court-fees/
- https://www.pacourts.us/forms/for-the-public/orphans-court-forms