Bucks County Register of Wills

The Bucks County Register of Wills is the office where probate begins for any Bucks County resident. The Register accepts wills for probate, issues letters testamentary and letters of administration, processes Pennsylvania inheritance tax returns, and serves as the gateway to estate administration. The Register also issues marriage licenses and serves as Clerk of the Orphans' Court for filings related to estates, trusts, guardianships, and adoptions.

Office Information

Acting Register: Douglas Wayne, Esquire.

Location and parking (Doylestown): The Register of Wills is on the 6th floor of the County Administration Building at 55 East Court Street, not the Justice Center. The public entrances are on Main Street and Court Street, open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The county garage at Broad and Court Streets has no public parking Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so during office hours use the Union Street Garage ($1 per hour, with access from Union, Broad, or Doyle Streets) or metered street parking.

Official site: buckscounty.gov/registerofwills

What the Register of Wills Actually Does

The Register's office handles four main categories of work:

• Probating wills. When a Bucks County resident dies leaving a will, the named executor brings the original will to the Register, takes the executor's oath, and receives letters testamentary. The will is admitted to probate and becomes a public record.
• Granting letters of administration. When someone dies without a will, or where no qualified executor is available, the Register grants letters of administration to a person with statutory priority under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3155.
• Inheritance tax filings. The Register accepts the Pennsylvania inheritance tax return (REV-1500) and supporting schedules on behalf of the Department of Revenue. Returns are due nine months from the date of death; a 5% discount applies if tax is paid within three months of death.
• Marriage licenses. The Register issues Pennsylvania marriage licenses. Both applicants must appear together, currently via a virtual meeting the county schedules; a three-day waiting period and license fee apply.

The Register also issues short certificates (the certified one-page documents that banks, brokerages, and title companies require to release estate assets) and serves as Clerk of the Orphans' Court for filings under Pa.O.C. Rule 10.5 (notice to beneficiaries), Rule 10.6 (status reports), and accountings.

Filing Fees

Filing fees at the Register are set by the Bill of Costs and graduated based on the gross probate estate value. As of October 1, 2025, the schedule begins at $50 for estates under $5,000 and rises to $575 for estates between $300,001 and $400,000, continuing at an additional $150 per each additional $100,000 (so $725 for estates in the $400,001 to $500,000 range), plus mandatory state and county surcharges of $71.25 (ACP $10 + JCP $41.25 + Public Law Library $20). Short certificates are charged separately. The full current schedule is on our Bucks County Register of Wills fee schedule page and on the official Bucks County Register of Wills site.

What to Bring When Opening an Estate

To open an estate (whether testate or intestate), bring the following to the Register's office:

• The original will, if there is one. Photocopies are not accepted; the original must be deposited with the Register. If you cannot find the original, we may be able to petition to probate a copy, but that is a separate proceeding.
• A certified death certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Health or the funeral home. The Register typically retains one copy; bring at least two so you have one for institutions that need it.
• The probate petition (RW-02) completed and signed. The petition lists the decedent's name, date and place of death, the executor or proposed administrator, and the estimated gross probate value.
• Any required joinders or renunciations. If multiple co-executors are named and one is renouncing, or if a higher-priority person under § 3155 is renouncing in favor of someone else, written renunciations must accompany the petition.
• Photo identification for the executor or administrator who is taking the oath.
• Payment for the probate filing fee, surcharges, and short certificates. The Register accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card (with a processing fee).

We typically recommend ordering five to ten short certificates at the initial filing. Banks, brokerages, life insurers, and title companies usually require an original short certificate dated within sixty days, so a small inventory at the start saves repeat trips.

Register of Wills vs. Orphans' Court

People often use these terms interchangeably, but they are different:

• The Register of Wills is an elected county office with original jurisdiction over the probate of wills and the grant of letters. 20 Pa.C.S. § 901. Alongside the record-keeping work (accepting wills, issuing letters, processing inheritance tax returns), the Register exercises real discretion: who is entitled to letters under § 3155(b), whether a will is admitted, and whether to certify a dispute to the Orphans' Court under § 907. The Register may also subpoena witnesses and take testimony under oath. § 903.
• The Orphans' Court Division is part of the Court of Common Pleas (Bucks County) and decides contested estate, trust, guardianship, and minor's-property matters. A will contest filed before probate begins with a caveat before the Register, and it reaches the Orphans' Court by certification under 20 Pa.C.S. § 907. If the will has already been admitted, the challenge is an appeal to the Orphans' Court under 20 Pa.C.S. § 908, ordinarily filed within one year of the Register's decree, though on petition of a party in interest the court may limit the time for appeal to three months. A dispute over an accounting or over distribution belongs to the Orphans' Court in the first instance.

Most estates close without ever appearing before Orphans' Court. The Register handles the filing, the inheritance tax return is submitted, the executor distributes the estate, and the file is closed. Orphans' Court becomes involved only when something is contested. We cover the dividing line in more detail at Register of Wills vs. Orphans' Court: Who Does What.

Related Resources

• Do I Need Probate?
• The Probate Process in Bucks County, Step by Step
• Bucks County Register of Wills Fee Schedule
• Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax: Complete Guide
• What to Do When Someone Dies: Checklist
• Estate Cost Calculator

Legal and factual content on this page was last verified: Aug. 2026. If you are reading this significantly after that date, confirm key provisions with current statute text or contact our office.