Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans Court

LIMITED SERVICE ALERT

Marriage licenses

For information regarding videoconferencing for Marriage License Applications during Covid 19 Emergency, follow this link.

probate

For information regarding videoconferencing for Probate during Covid 19 Emergency, follow this link.

Inheritance Tax Filings

The Register of Wills reminds those who are filing Inheritance Tax forms or making payments with the Register that the office accepts, FOR INHERITANCE TAX MATTERS ONLY, a United States Postal Service postmark as the date of filing. Use of the United States Postal Service is encouraged.

ORPHANS’ COURT

During the emergency, only emergency Orphans’ Court petitions, including emergency guardianship petitions and emergency end of life or medical decision making petitions will be accepted.

All filers are encouraged to e-file any petitions https://webapp.montcopa.org/ROWEFiling.

Any questions should be sent to Orphans’ Court Clerk’s office by email to ROWSupport@montcopa.org

All e-filed emergency petitions will be forwarded to the Judge for scheduling, and will be conducted via video, to the extent possible.

For filings over the counter: No filings other than emergency petitions will be accepted. For any emergency Orphans’ Court petition that a party seeks to file and wishes to file over the counter you are directed to hand in the hard copy at the Prothonotary’s office in the Courthouse.



  Duties of the Register


Welcome to the Montgomery County Register of Wills / Orphans’ Court website. Our office probates wills and processes intestate estates (estates without wills). The office is also agent for the commonwealth in the collection of inheritance taxes.

Accounts by personal representatives of estates are filed with our office. Certificates necessary for the transfer of estate assets are also issued by our office.

As clerk of the Orphans’ Court, our office issues marriage licenses and has charge of the Orphans’ Court dockets. Petitions for adoptions are filed in our office. The register of wills also keeps the records of all persons born in Montgomery County between 1893 and 1915. Birth records of persons born after 1915 are kept on file with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

About Our Site


On this site you will find documents and forms for many of our services, as well as the contact information for the staff, should you have any questions. Thank you for visiting the register of wills / Orphans’ Court website.

About the Register of Wills


The register of wills has jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the granting of letters of administration. The office is also agent for the state in the collection of inheritance taxes, averaging more than $80 million annually.

Accounts of administrators and executors are received by the register of wills. Certified copies of wills and short certificates for the transfer of certain securities are issued as required by law.

Resources

Fees 

 

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 LOCAL RULES 

 GUARDIAN INFORMA​TION RESOURCES