Mercer County Probate Office
The probate venue for Mercer County is the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Division. It is part of the combined office held by Mary Jo Basilone DePreta, who serves as Clerk of Courts, Register of Wills, Clerk of Orphans' Court, and Administrator of Cost Collections. The office is in Suite 112 of the Mercer County Courthouse.
The Register of Wills has jurisdiction over probate of wills and the grant of letters of administration when a person dies. If there is a dispute over who should be executor or administrator, the Register may conduct informal or formal hearings before the matter goes to the Court of Common Pleas, Orphans' Court Division. The Register also acts as an agent for Pennsylvania inheritance-tax returns, collections, transmittals, and monthly commissions.
Register of Wills and Orphans' Court Division
Officeholder: Mary Jo Basilone DePreta
125 S. Diamond St., Suite 112
Mercer, PA 16137
724-662-3800 ext. 2248
mdepreta@mercercountypa.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The Mercer County Register of Wills and Orphans' Court page is the source for the office role, contact path, and estate-record starting point.
The office page is important because probate, guardianship, adoption, and marriage-license functions are local to this combined Mercer County office.
Mercer County Probate Terms
Probate filings use a few terms that are easy to confuse. These definitions match the way Mercer County estate and Orphans' Court records are used locally.
- Testator
- The person who made a will before death.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out the estate duties after appointment.
- Administrator
- The person appointed when there is no will or no executor can serve.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Guardianship
- A court-supervised case involving authority over a person, estate, or both.
- Conservatorship
- A protective property-management term used in some states; Mercer County research points to guardianship records for this local court function.
- Short certificate
- A certified proof that a personal representative has authority to act for the estate.
Mercer County Probate Coverage
Mercer County probate records start in 1800. The office uses the Russell Index, and research starts with the decedent's first and last name. An approximate date of death is not always mandatory, but it helps staff locate older files, microfiche, and archive material.
Many probate records are on microfiche, and the office has a microfiche reader and printer. Records not on microfiche may be stored in Archives. The research file says archive requests should be made in advance and that retrieval may require at least 48 hours. Records after 1944 are available from office public terminals, and estates after 1993 are in the computer.
Birth and death registrations held by the office cover 1893 through 1905. After 1905, those vital records are handled by the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records, not the Mercer County probate office. Road and Bridge dockets from 1799 through 1984 are also listed with the office and on microfiche.
Search Mercer County Probate Records
The probate search path is local because Mercer County does not identify a public statewide document-image portal for these estate files. The practical access chain is office terminal, Russell Index, microfiche, archive request, and staff copy request.
| Field / Need | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decedent first and last name | Text | Yes for Russell Index | Minimum identified by office |
| Approximate date of death | Date or year | Optional but important | Helps locate older records |
| Register's number | Text | If known | Estate forms use formats such as 20__-_____ |
| Public terminal | In office | As needed | Post-1944 probate records and post-1993 estates |
| Archive request | Staff retrieval | As needed | Advance request with at least 48 hours |
- Start with the decedent's full name and an approximate date of death.
- Contact or visit Suite 112 to use the Russell Index, public terminal, microfiche, or staff search path.
- Ask in advance when the record may be in Archives, since retrieval is not immediate.
- Request plain or certified copies from the office after the file or docket entry is found.
Mercer County Probate Fees
The Register of Wills and Orphans' Court fee schedule effective April 6, 2026 supplies the current local fee context for estates, short certificates, research, copies, and guardianship filings. Some filings also require a Judicial Computer Project or automation component.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Probate of will without letters, JCP | $41.25 |
| Probate of will without letters, automation | $10 |
| Will, first 5 pages | $20 |
| Death certificate filing component | $5 |
| Inventory / REV-1500 | $20 |
| Letters administration D.B.N., C.T.A., or pendente lite | $50 |
| Short certificate | $10 |
| Certification | $5 |
| Certification with cover sheet or gold seal | $10 |
| Copies | $0.50 per page |
| Research | $7 per name or record |
| Caveat | $10 |
| Bond | $10 |
| Bond waiver | $5 |
Mercer County Small Estates
The Mercer County small-estate affidavit in the research file is narrow. It is for insurance proceeds only, not a general small-estate settlement under Pennsylvania law. The form requires an original death certificate, must be legible and notarized, and must include a filing fee paid by cash or money order. Personal checks are not accepted.
The affidavit fields include the deceased case number, alias, Social Security number, affiant residence, decedent age, residence, place, date and time of death, estimated personal property, marital and family statements, insurer, amount not exceeding $11,000, next of kin details, signature, notary, attorney ID, and Register certification. Mailed filings require a self-addressed stamped envelope and insurer correspondence explaining why the affidavit is filed.
Mercer County Orphans' Court Records
Orphans' Court filings include estate proceedings, guardianships, adoptions, and marriage-license record matters. A claim against an estate asks for the estate name, register's number, decedent name, claimant name, claim amount, last-known residence, notice to the personal representative or counsel, date of notice, signature, and address. The claim form cites 20 Pa.C.S. section 3532(b)(2).
Guardianship fees include a petition for appointment at $25 plus JCP or automation items, guardian inventory at $20, guardian annual report at $15, and guardian accounting at $125 for the first five pages plus $5 per extra page. Adoption records are confidential. Juvenile and dependency records are confidential. Sealed matters and restricted filings should not be treated as routine public probate records.
When an estate file is not on the public terminal or microfiche, the archive path matters. Mercer County research says records not on microfiche may be stored in Archives and should be requested before a visit, with at least 48 hours allowed for retrieval. That delay is especially important for older estates, historical wills, and files where the only known details are a decedent name and rough death year.
Probate and Orphans' Court records often connect to Mercer County marriage records when a name, family relationship, or correction petition is at issue.