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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, clerk contact details, administrative orders, e-filing rules, and hearing logistics for Venango 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.

Venango County Probate Court Guide

Venango County Court of Common Pleas probate court information · Updated May 2026

814-432-9539County Clerk
Family Guide
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Venango County Court of Common Pleas|
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Filing & Fees

Fee Schedule Signals

Source ↗

Probate Filing Fees

Specific fee amounts are not available for this county. Venango County posts Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules effective November 2025. Confirm estate-opening, short-certificate, certified-copy, account, petition, small-estate, JCS/ATJ/CJEA, automation, and payment handling directly with the office before customer packet use.

Venango County posts Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedules effective November 2025. Confirm estate-opening, short-certificate, certified-copy, account, petition, small-estate, JCS/ATJ/CJEA, automation, and payment handling directly with the office before customer packet use.

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.

  • Original will and codicils

    If a will exists, Pennsylvania probate proof is governed by 20 Pa.C.S. Section 3132 and county Register practice.

  • Petition details for letters

    Section 3153 describes petition contents for letters, including decedent, petitioner, interested-party, estate, and requested-letter details.

  • 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.

  • Inventory materials

    20 Pa.C.S. Section 3301 governs inventory timing after appointment; this is not always an opening-day filing.

  • Small-estate petition and proposed distribution papers(20 Pa.C.S. 3102 petition)

    Use only when the estate may qualify for Pennsylvania small-estate settlement of personal property and the county Orphans' Court accepts the petition.

E-Filing & Filing Methods

Case SearchProbate Forms

Records portal

Use this county-linked source to check live court-record information when available. Search results may not include every probate record.

Open portal Source page
Source foundSearchable, completeness not guaranteedMay require account or payment

The county page links INFOCON County Access, and INFOCON says it is a cooperative fee-based subscriber service for certain public records in participating county databases. INFOCON lists Venango County Orphans' Court, Recorder of Deeds, Recorder Russell Index, and Register of Wills with images. Treat this as paid/subscriber public-record access, not a complete no-login probate index, certified-copy workflow, or legal review.

Filing Methods: in person, mail

Timelines & Proceedings

Deadlines & Creditor Claims

Key Deadlines

Will Deposit
0 days
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 ↗

Recording Fees

First Page
$86.25
Additional Pages
$2.00

Documentary Stamps

Deed Rate
Pennsylvania realty transfer tax is generally 1% at the state level; Venango County recording and local transfer-tax handling require current document review before filing.
Records Search Property Search

Venango County Tax Claim Bureau

1174 Elk Street, Courthouse Annex, 1st Floor, Franklin, PA 16323

Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, except legal holidays

814-432-9559

Tax Collector Tax Search

The Tax Claim Bureau page publishes tax-sale materials and certification context; the county online-payments and quick-link pages link pay/search for delinquent property taxes online for 2025 and prior. The Tax Assessment page links tax collectors, and the Tax Collectors page lists municipal tax collectors and county-tax routing for Franklin and Oil City to the County Treasurer. The tax payment site supports parcel, address, school district, municipality, owner name, mailing address, city, and ZIP search fields. Use this as tax collection, delinquency, payment, tax-sale, and local tax-collector routing context, not certified payoff, sale-status guarantee, or title review.