Lebanon County Orphans' Court Records
Use Orphans' Court terminology in Lebanon County. The Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court is the probate records office for estates, wills, guardianships, adoptions, inheritance-tax collection, and related Orphans' Court filings. The office is in Room 105 of the Municipal Building at 400 South 8th Street, Lebanon, PA 17042-6794. Its phone number is (717) 228-4415, fax is (717) 228-4460, and office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The office is led by Brian C. Craig. It also handles marriage licenses, but probate users should be clear that the request concerns an estate, will, guardianship, adoption, inheritance-tax file, or Orphans' Court matter. Court of Common Pleas civil and family filings route to the Prothonotary, and criminal filings route to the Clerk of Courts. That split matters because a will or estate file is not requested from the same room as a divorce decree or criminal docket.
Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphans' Court
Department head: Brian C. Craig
Room 105, Municipal Building
400 South 8th Street
Lebanon, PA 17042-6794
(717) 228-4415
Fax: (717) 228-4460
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Lebanon County Probate Terms
Probate records use terms that do not appear in ordinary civil dockets. The definitions below use plain language for the words most likely to appear when searching Lebanon County Orphans' Court files or asking for estate copies.
- Testator
- A person who made a will before death.
- Executor
- The person named or approved to carry out estate duties under a will.
- Intestate
- A death without a will, which can require estate administration under Pennsylvania law.
- Guardianship
- A court process involving authority over a minor or incapacitated person's affairs.
- Conservatorship
- A term often used for management of property or finances, though Lebanon County research uses guardianship and incompetent-record language.
- Short certificate
- An estate document listed in the probate-file examples and commonly used to prove estate authority.
Lebanon County Probate Coverage
Lebanon County research gives specific record coverage dates. Orphans' Court records are on computer from 1976 to present. Earlier records require index checks. Incompetent records are in the Register office from 1956 forward, while earlier incompetent records are held by the Prothonotary. Adoptions are on file since 1926. They were in the General Index until 1953, and adoptions from 1954 forward are sealed and cannot be opened without a court order.
Death certificates in estate files begin in 1977, but the office does not hold general death records. For death certificates after 1906, use Pennsylvania Vital Records unless the certificate is part of an estate file. That difference prevents a probate search from being treated as a general vital-record request. Guardianship tracking may involve the UJS Guardianship Tracking System link supplied on the Register page when applicable.
The same office collects Pennsylvania inheritance-tax material for decedents who lived in Lebanon County. Estate users should separate an estate-file copy request from a general death-certificate request, since those records are held by different agencies.
Search Lebanon County Orphans' Court
The county offices link CountySuite for civil and Orphans' Court searches, but the official CountySuite URL returned a 502 error during the research snapshot. The portal should be treated as an official county channel, not as the only access method. Older estate and adoption index work is especially likely to require direct office contact.
- Identify the decedent, estate, ward, or adoption name and the approximate date range.
- Decide whether the record is likely 1976-present computer-indexed material or older indexed material.
- Try the official CountySuite portal if available, or use Room 105 by phone or in person when the portal fails.
- Ask whether the record is public, sealed, indexed only, or subject to a court order.
- Confirm the search fee, page copy fee, certification need, and accepted payment method before ordering.
The official Register information page is the manifest source for record coverage and fee context.
That source supports the page's coverage dates, sealed-adoption warning, search fee, and copy-fee details for Lebanon County probate records.
Lebanon County Probate Fees
The research file captures fee highlights from the Register / Orphans' Court fee schedule. Probate filings can vary by petition, bond, accounting, short certificate, and miscellaneous filing type, so the full official fee schedule should be checked before filing. Copy and search fees are clear enough to present here.
| Item | Amount or note |
|---|---|
| Search request | $10.00 |
| Non-certified copy, 8.5 x 11 | $0.50 per page |
| Non-certified copy, 8.5 x 14 | $1.00 per page |
| Minor's estate petition and order | $45.00 per the 2019 fee schedule |
| Full probate filing fees | Use the official Fee Schedule_01JAN2019 PDF before filing. |
Lebanon County Probate Record Contents
A Lebanon County Orphans' Court file can include a petition for probate or letters, a will, codicils, oath, bond, renunciation, short certificates, inventory, inheritance-tax material, first and final accounts, objections, decrees, guardianship petitions, minor's estate petitions, and adoption or guardianship orders. The exact set depends on the case type and age of the file.
| Record type | What it may show |
|---|---|
| Estate file | Will, petition, letters, inventory, accounts, inheritance-tax material, and decrees. |
| Guardianship file | Guardianship petitions, orders, minor's estate filings, or incapacity-related material. |
| Adoption file | Older index references may exist, but post-1953 adoption files are sealed without court order. |
| Inheritance-tax material | Tax collection and estate-related forms handled by the Register office. |
Lebanon County Estate Accounts
The Register page includes a local account timing note. First and final accounts have a last day to file on the first Friday of the month. NISI is the first Monday of the following month after filing. Absolute is 20 days after NISI. Objections can be filed only after NISI. These dates are procedural record facts, not a substitute for legal advice or current court scheduling confirmation.
County forms are also important. The Lebanon County forms and documents page includes county forms and Register documents.
Those forms support probate and Orphans' Court users who need county documents before filing or requesting copies.
Restricted Lebanon County Probate Records
Not every probate-related record is open. Adoption records from 1954 forward are sealed and cannot be opened without a court order. Guardianship and incapacity records may contain protected personal information. Minor estate matters may also require clerk screening or court review before access. Public access to court records is governed by the Pennsylvania Case Records Public Access Policy, and confidential information may be redacted or withheld.
Older index work can take longer than a computer search, so a date range and name spelling help the office locate the right file.
Note: For a sealed adoption or restricted guardianship file, call Room 105 before appearing so the office can explain the court-order requirement.