What Probate Covers in Fayette County
Fayette County probate functions are handled by the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court. The office opens estates, handles wills and letters, issues short certificates, processes guardianship filings, and serves the Orphans' Court recordkeeping role for matters assigned to that court. It is separate from the Prothonotary, which keeps civil and divorce records, and separate from the Clerk of Courts, which keeps criminal records.
The office is led by Jeffrey L. Redman and is located at 61 East Main Street, Fayette County Courthouse, Uniontown, PA 15401. The county office page is fayettecountypa.org/511/Register-of-Wills. Estate openings require appointments, so call 724-430-1206 before preparing a courthouse visit.
Probate Terms Defined
Estate records use terms that affect what document to request and which fee applies. These definitions are practical record-search terms, not legal advice.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out estate administration after probate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a will, which usually requires administration under Pennsylvania estate law.
- Short certificate
- A certificate showing authority of the personal representative; Fayette County lists this as a separate fee item.
- Guardianship
- A court matter involving appointment of a guardian for an incapacitated person or a minor.
How to Search Fayette County Orphans' Court
Probate searching is office-centered. UJS Case Search is useful for many Court of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Court docket sheets, but the research supports the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court as the practical channel for estate files, probate copies, letters, and short certificates. The Orphans' Court fee schedule page is published at fayettecountypa.org/727/Fee-Schedule.
The county Orphans' Court fee schedule page lists current filing and copy costs for probate-related work. Fee-schedule review is useful before requesting probate copies or filing estate papers.
- Identify the decedent, approximate date of death, and whether a will, estate opening, short certificate, inventory, or guardianship record is needed.
- Call 724-430-1206 to schedule an estate-opening appointment or confirm copy access for an existing file.
- Use in-person courthouse review or certified-copy ordering through the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court; use Right-to-Know only for administrative records, not as a substitute for court-file procedures.
Probate Courts in Fayette County
Fayette County does not use a separate county probate court name for these records. Probate and Orphans' Court record access is routed through the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court at the courthouse in Uniontown.
Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court
61 East Main Street, Fayette County Courthouse
Uniontown, PA 15401
724-430-1206
Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m.; latest same-day receipt filing 3:30 p.m.
Probate Filing Fees
Fayette County probate fees vary by estate value and document type. The county bill of costs also notes payment rules, including the office's future cash limit: effective January 13, 2026, cash payments over $1,000 will not be accepted, and amounts over $1,000 require certified cashier checks.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Probate of will/letters, unknown value | $50 |
| Estate $1,000 or less | $15 |
| Estate $10,000-$15,000 | $45 |
| Estate $75,000-$100,000 | $150 |
| Estate over $100,000 | $180 plus $1 per thousand over $100,000 |
| Probate only | $76.25 |
| Letters of Administration CTA | $96.25 |
| Short certificate | $5 |
| Certified copy of will | $20 |
| Certified copy of letters of administration | $30 |
| Filing inventory | $25 |
| Guardian of incapacitated person petition | $96.25 |
| Guardian of minor petition | $76.25 |
What Fayette County Orphans' Court Records Show
Estate files may identify the decedent, personal representative, will status, letters issued, inventory filings, claims, receipts and releases, and copy or certificate activity. Guardianship files may identify the petition type and appointment record. Adoption and some family-related Orphans' Court records can be restricted, so a public records request should not assume every filed document is open for inspection.
Historical probate research may reach far beyond modern electronic indexing. The Pennsylvania State Archives county microfilm guide identified Fayette County wills volumes beginning 1784-1833, which means older estate research may require county-office, archive, or microfilm work rather than a modern online search.
Small Estates and Guardianships
Research identified 20 Pa.C.S. 3102 as the Pennsylvania small-estate statute. It permits Orphans' Court to direct distribution on petition when a Pennsylvania domiciliary dies with qualifying personal property not exceeding $50,000, excluding real estate and certain payable property. Local small-estate forms were not located in the official fetched sources, so confirm current filing requirements with the Register of Wills before preparing papers.
The Pennsylvania Legislature publishes 20 Pa.C.S. section 3102, the small-estate distribution statute.
That statute gives the statewide framework, while Fayette County filing details still need office confirmation.
The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law may apply to administrative county records but does not replace Orphans' Court file-access procedures.
This distinction matters because probate files follow court and office rules, not a generic administrative-record request path.
Guardianship fees are separately listed by the county: $96.25 for a petition for appointment of guardian for an incapacitated person, $76.25 for a petition for guardian of a minor, and $5 for a guardianship certificate. These matters should be checked with the office because sensitive filings may have access limits.
Restricted Fayette County Probate Records
Probate files can contain public estate papers and restricted family information in the same general courthouse environment. Wills admitted to probate, letters, inventories, receipts, releases, and estate-accounting materials are usually the type of record researchers expect to request. Adoption files, some guardianship materials, mental-health-related filings, records involving minors, and sealed Orphans' Court matters may be unavailable without a court order or proof of authority.
Before visiting the courthouse, call the Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court with the decedent name, date of death, approximate estate year, and the type of document needed. Estate openings require appointments, and same-day receipt filing has a posted cutoff. For certified copies, ask whether the office needs cash, money order, or certified funds and whether the record is stored on site or requires archive retrieval.
Older Fayette County Estate Records
Historical probate research may use the county office, archived indexes, or Pennsylvania State Archives microfilm references. The research identified Fayette County will volumes beginning in 1784-1833, which means older estate searches may not behave like modern electronic docket searches. Name spelling, estate year, township, executor name, and family relationships can all matter when identifying older files.
For genealogy or title research, start with the county office when a certified or official copy is needed. Use archives or library guidance when the goal is historical research rather than a current legal certificate. If the estate involves real property, related deed or tax records may be held outside the Orphans' Court record path.