Bucks County Register of Wills — Where It All Starts
Douglas Wayne, Esquire — Acting Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court
Main Office: 55 E. Court Street, 6th Floor, Doylestown, PA 18901
Satellite: 7321 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19055
Phone: (215) 348-6265 · Email: registerofwills@buckscounty.org
Most forms can be e-filed free at propublic.buckscountyonline.org.
The Register of Wills is an administrative office — it probates wills, grants letters, accepts filings, and collects inheritance tax. When disputes arise (will contests, removal petitions, accountings), the matter shifts to the Orphans' Court, which is a judicial body with a judge. In Bucks County, both offices share the same floor and the same official, but the procedures and authority are completely different. See our Orphans' Court section for a full breakdown.
Not all assets go through probate. Jointly-held property with rights of survivorship, assets with named beneficiaries (retirement accounts, life insurance, POD/TOD accounts), and assets held in trusts pass outside of probate. Understanding which assets require probate is the first step.
The probate process in Bucks County generally follows these steps:
Present the original will and death certificate to the Bucks County Register of Wills (Doylestown or Levittown office). Complete a Petition for Grant of Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without a will). Two witnesses must appear to verify the testator's signature, or a self-proving affidavit must be attached. If only one witness is available, the other's signature may be verified by affidavit (see the Unavailable Witness or Non-Subscribing Witness affidavit forms from the ROW). Per Administrative Order No. 88, every filing must include a Certification of Compliance (see Required Filings section for details).
Once approved, the Register issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration granting legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. The executor must obtain an EIN from the IRS for the estate and open an estate bank account.
Pennsylvania law (20 Pa.C.S. § 3162) requires estate notices to be published once a week for three successive weeks in the Bucks County Law Reporter AND one other paper of general circulation where the decedent lived:
Separately, within 3 months of the grant of letters, the personal representative must send written Notice of Estate Administration (Pa.O.C. Rule 10.5) to: every beneficiary named in the will, the decedent's spouse and children (whether or not named), all intestate heirs, guardians of minor or incapacitated beneficiaries, the Attorney General for charitable beneficiaries exceeding $25,000 or receiving residuary gifts, and trustees of any trust that is a beneficiary. A Certification of Notice must then be filed with the Register within 10 days of sending. This form can be e-filed at no charge at propublic.buckscountyonline.org, or filed on paper for $25.
Under 20 Pa.C.S.A. § 3301, every personal representative must file a verified inventory of all real and personal property of the decedent (except real estate outside Pennsylvania). The inventory is due no later than the date the account is filed or the inheritance tax return due date, whichever is earlier. The Register of Wills supplies the inventory form (Form RW-09). All figures must be totaled. Real estate values must reflect fair market value as of the date of death — obtain a professional appraisal, not just the tax-assessed value.
Satisfy valid creditor claims (following the statutory priority under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3392), pay final income taxes, and prepare the Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return.
Due within 9 months of death. A 5% discount applies if the tax is paid within 3 months — and you don't have to wait for the full return to be ready. The Bucks County ROW provides a pre-payment form that allows you to submit an estimated payment with a check (payable to "Register of Wills, Agent") to lock in the discount. Divide the prepayment by 0.95 to derive the credit.
⚠ Bucks County Filing Requirements
Under Pa.O.C. Rule 10.6, a Status Report is due two years from the date of death — and annually thereafter if the estate remains open. This form can be e-filed for free or paper-filed for $25.
When ready to close the estate, prepare a formal or informal accounting. Formal accountings are filed with the Clerk of the Orphans' Court and placed on the audit list. In Bucks County, the audit list is called at 10:00 AM on the first Monday of each month (or the next court day if Monday is a holiday). Accounts must be filed no later than the fifth Wednesday before the audit date (Bucks O.C. Rule 6.4A). The Clerk automatically places each account on the proper audit list.
A Petition for Adjudication — the document that forms the basis for the court's decree of distribution — must accompany the account. Different forms exist for different types of accounts (decedent's estate, trust, guardianship). The petition must include either a certification of inheritance tax payment from the Register or a copy of the notice of appraisement from the Department of Revenue.
Alternatively, if all beneficiaries consent, a Family Settlement Agreement with an informal accounting, receipts and releases may be used — avoiding a formal court audit. However, a family settlement agreement alone is not sufficient for a formal court discharge of the fiduciary.
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