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20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a) · checked 2026-10-20
How long probate takes in Pennsylvania
The longest fixed wait in a Pennsylvania probate is usually the creditor claim period: 12 months from the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a). An estate cannot be closed safely before that window shuts.
- 1Claim period 12 months
- 2Counted from Notice / letters
- 3Outer limit None stated
- 4Statute 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a)
The statute
“within one year after the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters”
Source: 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a) (read from the FindLaw copy, current as of 2026-01-01). Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked example: a death on January 15, 2026
| Checkpoint | Date |
|---|---|
| Date of death | January 15, 2026 |
| Trigger: the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters | March 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim period ends (12 months, 20 Pa.C.S. § 3532(a)) | March 1, 2027 |
Pennsylvania starts the clock at the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters, so the end date moves with the court. The example assumes that event comes 45 days after the death (March 1, 2026); a later filing pushes March 1, 2027 back day for day.
12 months is the longest claim period among the 39 jurisdictions on this site.
Steps that add time
- Getting appointed. Nothing runs until the first complete advertisement of the grant of letters; the time between the death and the petition is outside the statutory period.
- Notice. Published notice and notice mailed to known creditors start or shorten the claim period; a creditor who should have been mailed notice may get extra time.
- Real estate. Pennsylvania's small-estate route does not take real property, so an estate with a house in the state generally goes through administration or another court step.
- Accounting and closing. The final account, receipts from heirs and any tax filings come after the claim period ends.
Nearby Mid-Atlantic timelines
New Jersey: 9 months from death; New York: 7 months.
Related: Pennsylvania small estate limit · creditor claim periods compared · executor timeline.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Dates are worked examples of the statutory periods, not deadlines for any real estate. The Pennsylvania probate court and its clerk can confirm how the periods run in a given case.