PA Executor Guide
How to Get Letters Testamentary in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania the Register of Wills grants letters, and the grant date starts a short list of clocks. The calculator below puts every one on the calendar.
Pennsylvania letters deadline calculator
Dates from 20 Pa.C.S. §§ 3162 and 3532, Orphans’ Court Rule 10.5 and the inheritance tax rules, applied to dates you enter. The one-year mark is when a personal representative may distribute at their own risk as to claims they did not know about — not a hard bar on every claim. Confirm with the Register of Wills or a Pennsylvania attorney.
Where do you apply for letters in Pennsylvania?
Letters are granted only by the Register of Wills of the county where the decedent had their last family or principal residence (20 Pa.C.S. § 3151). If the decedent did not live in Pennsylvania, letters may be granted in a county where estate property is located.
What do you file?
- The petition. Pennsylvania uses one statewide form, RW-02 “Petition for Grant of Letters”; Orphans’ Court Rule 10.1 requires every Register to use and accept it. Section A covers probate and letters testamentary; Section B covers letters of administration.
- The supporting documents — set by each county. Bucks County, for example, lists government photo ID, the death certificate, the will if there is one, and renunciations if needed. Check your county Register’s list before you go.
- The fee. Each Register sets its own fee schedule, generally scaled to the estate’s value, plus a charge per short certificate — there is no single statewide schedule.
There is no general waiting period after death. § 3155(c) holds letters for 30 days only when the applicant is a creditor, an “other fit person” or a redevelopment authority.
What happens after letters are granted?
| When | What | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Immediately | Advertise the grant once a week for three successive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation near the decedent’s residence and the county’s legal periodical, asking for claims | § 3162 |
| Within 3 months | Send notice of the estate to beneficiaries and heirs — including the spouse and children even if the will does not name them | Rule 10.5 |
| Within 10 days after that notice | File a certification with the Register that notice was given | Rule 10.5 |
| 3 months from death | Inheritance tax paid by then earns a 5% discount | PA Revenue |
| 9 months from death | Inheritance tax delinquent; REV-1500 due | PA Revenue |
| 1 year from first complete advertisement | The personal representative may distribute at their own risk as to claims not known to them | § 3532 |
Short certificates — the proof of appointment institutions ask for — come from the Register; most estates need one per bank or brokerage. For the tax side, see the PA inheritance tax guide.
Does the executor need a bond?
Bond is the default under § 3171, but § 3174(b) removes it — unless the court or the will requires one — for an individual executor named in the will who is a Pennsylvania resident, or whom the will excuses from bond, or a nonresident serving with a resident co-representative. A resident administrator who is the sole residuary legatee or next of kin, or the nominee of all of them, is also excused; other administrators generally give bond.
What if there is no will?
The Register grants letters of administration, “except for good cause,” in this order (§ 3155(b)): those entitled to the residuary estate under a will; the surviving spouse; heirs under the intestate law, as the Register judges will best administer the estate; the principal creditors; then other fit persons. See PA intestacy for who inherits.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I get letters testamentary in Pennsylvania?
The executor files a petition for grant of letters — the statewide Form RW-02 — with the Register of Wills of the county where the decedent had their last family or principal residence, together with the will and death certificate and whatever else that county’s Register asks for. The Register probates the will and grants letters.
Is there a waiting period after death in Pennsylvania?
Not for an executor or the family. 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155(c) delays letters for 30 days after death only for creditors, “other fit persons” and a redevelopment authority.
How much does it cost to get letters in Pennsylvania?
It depends on the county: each Register of Wills sets its own fees, usually scaled to the estate’s value, plus a per-copy charge for short certificates. There is no single statewide schedule, so check the fee sheet of the county where you file.
What is a short certificate in Pennsylvania?
It is the document the personal representative receives after probate that proves they are the estate’s legal representative. Banks and other institutions usually each want one.
What has to happen after letters are granted?
Immediately after the grant, the personal representative advertises it once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation and the county’s legal periodical (§ 3162). Within three months, notice of the estate goes to the beneficiaries and heirs, and within ten days after giving that notice, a certification is filed with the Register (Orphans’ Court Rule 10.5).
Does an executor have to post a bond in Pennsylvania?
Often not. Under § 3174(b), unless the court or the will requires one, no bond is required of an executor named in the will who is a Pennsylvania resident (or whom the will excuses, or a nonresident serving with a resident co-representative). Administrators are treated differently, depending on residency and whether they take the residue.