What Probate Covers in York County
Probate is the legal way an estate gets settled after a death. The office reviews the will, names an executor or administrator, and tracks how property and debts move to heirs. York County probate records grow out of this work. They include decedent estates and wills, estate administration, the appointment of guardians, petitions for incapacitated persons, and confidential adoptions. The same office also handles marriage license applications and the licenses it has issued.
In Pennsylvania, these matters split between two roles that York County keeps under one roof. The Register of Wills accepts wills for probate and opens estates. The Orphans' Court Division hears guardianships, minors' estates, adoptions, and disputes. Both run through the elected Clerk of Orphans' Court and Register of Wills.
The office also keeps older vital records. Birth and death records from 1893 to 1906 are held here. Anything after 1906 is held by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, so a request for a recent birth or death record goes to the state, not the county.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate files use a handful of legal words over and over. A few quick definitions make the records easier to read. The terms below show up in wills, petitions, and estate accounts across the county.
- Testator
- A person who makes a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to settle the estate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Guardian
- A person the Orphans' Court appoints to manage the affairs of a minor or an incapacitated adult.
- Estate
- The property and debts left by a person who has died.
How to Search York County Orphans' Court
Public estate administration and marriage records can be searched online through CountyFusion, the county's record portal. The portal can be intermittently unavailable, so a second visit may be needed if a page will not load. Sealed files and confidential adoptions are not online and stay at the courthouse.
Start by deciding what kind of matter you have. Is it a decedent estate, a will, a guardianship, a minor's estate, an adoption, or some other Orphans' Court issue? That answer points you to the right filing path. For an estate, expect filings such as a petition, an oath or affidavit, an inventory, accounts, a family settlement agreement, releases, and certifications. For a guardianship, expect a petition or citation, a bond, a certificate of guardianship, an inventory, and possibly a petition for the sale of real estate.
To search the online portal, follow these steps.
- Open the CountyFusion portal and log in as Guest.
- Accept the Online Services Disclaimer, then choose Search Public Records.
- Pick a search type such as Marriage Names, enter the name under Specific Criteria, and click Search.
If you need a copy you can stand on, request a certified copy and pay the certification and per-page fees. Staff can also make copies in person.
You can view the CountyFusion search screen before you start.
View the York County CountyFusion portal to see the login and public records options.
The portal handles both estate administration files and marriage records, so one login covers most public probate searches.
Probate Courts in York County
York County runs probate through one elected office on the second floor of the Judicial Center. The Clerk of Orphans' Court and Register of Wills is Bryan K. Tate. The solicitor is MacGregor J. Brillhart, and the chief deputy clerk is Heather M. Kuehne. Walk-in filings, name searches, and copy requests all go through this office.
Use the contact card below to plan a visit or a call. The office keeps regular weekday hours and sits in downtown York.
York County Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court
45 North George Street, 2nd Floor
York, PA 17401
717-771-9288
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Probate Filing Fees
Estate filing fees scale with the size of the account, so a small estate costs less to file than a large one. Other charges, such as oaths, certifications, and petitions, carry set rates. The table below lists the common fees. The full schedule is posted online.
You can review the office fee bill before you file.
See the York County fee schedule for the full list of charges.
| Filing or Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Accounts not exceeding $2,000 | $75 |
| Over $2,000 to $5,000 | $80 |
| Over $5,000 to $10,000 | $85 |
| Over $10,000 to $25,000 | $110 |
| Over $25,000 to $50,000 | $135 |
| Over $50,000 to $100,000 | $165 |
| Each additional $100,000 | $100 |
| Affidavit or oath | $20 |
| Certification | $10 (plus $1 per page if a copy is not furnished) |
| Citation petition, one respondent | $50 plus fees |
| Incapacitated estate petition and guardian appointment | $50 plus fees |
| Certificate of guardianship | $10 |
| Inventory | $10 |
| Petition for sale of real estate | $50 |
| Online or staff-made copies | $1 per page |
What York County Orphans' Court Records Show
An open estate file paints a full picture of how property moved after a death. The probated will is the heart of it. Around the will you will find the petition that opened the estate, the oath or affidavit of the executor, and the inventory that lists assets. Later filings show the accounts, any family settlement agreement, releases signed by heirs, and certifications.
Guardianship files read a bit differently. They hold the petition or citation that asked the court to act, the bond, the certificate of guardianship, and an inventory of the protected person's property. If real estate must be sold, a separate petition lands in the file too. These records track who has authority and how a minor's or an incapacitated adult's affairs are managed.
Pennsylvania law sets the rules for all of this. Wills, probate, and estate administration are governed by Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
You can read the state probate statutes directly.
View the Pennsylvania probate statutes under Title 20.
The statute spells out how estates open, how executors act, and how accounts get approved across the state.
Restricted Orphans' Court Records
Not every file is open to the public. Adoption records are confidential under the Pennsylvania Adoption Act, which sits in Title 23, Chapter 29 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. These files stay sealed, and the office will not release them across a public counter.
Access to restricted records generally needs one of a few things: statutory authority, party status in the case, an attorney of record, or a court order. A guardianship file that touches an incapacitated adult or a minor may also carry limits. If you are unsure whether you can view a file, ask the office before you make the trip.
The Adoption Act lays out who may see these records and under what terms.
Read the Pennsylvania Adoption Act records provisions in Title 23, Chapter 29.
Because adoption files are sealed by law, plan to bring proof of your right to access before you ask for them.