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Department of Court Records, Wills/Orphans' Court Division · checked 2026-10-21
Probate court fees in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
The Department of Court Records, Wills/Orphans' Court Division sets the probate and letters fee by the gross value of the estate: $344.75 for a $100,000 estate. The county page gives no effective date.
- 1$100,000 estate $344.75
- 2Fee basis Value brackets
- 3Small-estate filing Not listed
- 4Items in schedule 11
Fee to open an estate, by value
| Gross estate value | Fee | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $224.75 | estates up to $30,000 |
| $50,000 | $244.75 | estates up to $50,000 |
| $100,000 | $344.75 | estates up to $100,000 |
| $250,000 | $444.75 | estates up to $400,000 |
| $500,000 | $594.75 | $444.75 + $150 for each $100,000 or part over $400,000 (1) |
| $1,000,000 | $1,344.75 | $444.75 + $150 for each $100,000 or part over $400,000 (6) |
Across these six example values the fee runs from $224.75 to $1,344.75. Of the 10 county schedules here, 3 ask for less than Allegheny County at $100,000 and 6 ask for more.
Every estate charge in the Allegheny County schedule
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Probate of will without letters | $72 |
| Caveat (filing) | $50 |
| First filing (answer, entry of appearance, preliminary objections) | $35 |
| Petitions (filing) | $35 |
| Renunciation, each | $10 |
| Certified copy of letters, each | $25 |
| Certified or exemplified copy, filing and recording | $55 |
| Inventory, estate under $5,000 | $20 |
| Inventory, $200,001 to $400,000 | $270 |
| Account, estate under $5,000 | $60 |
| Account, $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $650 |
The letters fee includes a $20.00 fee for the inheritance tax filing. If the value in the petition was too low, the difference is collected when the inventory is filed.
The page lists the brackets as “Less than $5,000”, “$5,001 to $10,000” and so on; the checker puts a value of exactly $5,000 in the first bracket.
The records retention fee in the schedule rose from $3.50 to $7.00 for new filings from June 1, 2026 (Administrative Order AD-26-000097-PJ).
Source: Allegheny County Department of Court Records, Wills/Orphans' Court probate fees, read on the county's official site and last checked 2026-10-21. The amounts run from $10 to $650 across the 11 lines listed here.
The small-estate route in Allegheny County
Pennsylvania's simplified procedure is the settlement of small estates on petition under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3102, for estates within $50,000, measured as the gross value of the decedent's property, not counting real estate and payments under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3101. Allegheny County's schedule does not name a separate fee for it. Check the Pennsylvania limit.
How long an estate stays open in Allegheny County
Whatever the county charges, the estate cannot safely close before Pennsylvania's creditor claim period ends: 12 months from the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a). For a death on January 15, 2026 with that event 45 days later, the period would end on March 1, 2027. The Pennsylvania probate timeline works the dates through.
Pennsylvania counties compared
Allegheny County is the only Pennsylvania county schedule on this site so far.
Pennsylvania has no single statewide probate fee on this site: filing charges are set and published county by county, which is why the county schedule is the figure to use.
Where to file in Allegheny County
Estates of people who lived in Allegheny County are filed with the Department of Court Records, Wills/Orphans' Court Division (Pittsburgh). The official page linked above lists the current charges; the clerk's office can confirm the total before filing and explain fee waivers for people who cannot pay. Publication of notice, certified copies, bonds and appraisals are charged separately.
Related: all county schedules · state fee schedules · probate court fees compared.
Court fees only, read from the county's published schedule on 2026-10-21. Not legal advice; Probate Clock does not refer anyone to lawyers. Fees change, often each January; confirm with the Department of Court Records, Wills/Orphans' Court Division before filing.